About Chief GuestDr. Tessy Thomas
Dr. Tessy Thomas, FNAE, Vice Chancellor of NICHE, Kanyakumari, is a nationally and internationally acclaimed missile scientist and aerospace expert. She is a Distinguished Scientist and former Director General of Aeronautical Systems, DRDO, renowned for her pioneering role in India’s Agni Missile Programme and strategic aerospace systems. Dr. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Missile Guidance and has been conferred 14 Honoris Causa degrees, including D.Sc. from IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur. She is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Aeronautical Society of India, and other prestigious scientific bodies. Her awards include the First Missile Woman of India, Women in Aviation Lifetime Achievement, and national recognition for leadership in aerospace.