At The Hindu’s Tamil Nadu Women Summit 2024 on Tuesday, July 30, Saraniya Periaswamy, Vehicle Director of Agnibaan SOrTeD, and K. Umamaheswari, Project Director of Mission-01 at Agnikul Cosmos, discussed the many challenges they faced during the recent launch of Agnibaan SOrTeD, the world’s first rocket with a single-piece 3D-printed engine.
Ms. Periaswamy is renowned for her in-depth knowledge of the more than 8,000 components of the vehicle. “There was no bias at my workplace. I seized every opportunity that came my way, which made me flourish and attain the position of Vehicle Director. Every woman has the potential to achieve similar success,” she said during the ‘Breaking Barriers: Beyond the Sky’ segment.
Both speakers drew attention to Tamil Nadu’s growing focus on the space sector, with a second spaceport being developed at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district, and noted how the opportunities were endless.
When asked how young women could take up a career in space-related fields, Ms. Uma Maheswari said: “There are many options with emerging start-up sectors, and many colleges offer aerospace engineering across Tamil Nadu. Youngsters can make a huge impact in this sector.”
She added that her role was particularly challenging, as she was the one who gave the final go-ahead for rocket launches.
The Hindu’s Tamil Nadu Women’s Summit 2024, in association with Guidance Tamil Nadu (TN), is being held on Tuesday. The summit is powered by Naga Foods in association with Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, KBR India and Indian Bank. Prestige, VFS Global, KPL, Port of Chennai and United India Insurance are the associate partners. Other partners include, Grundfos (sustainability partner); Apollo Pro Health ( Healthcare Partner) Chennai Metro Rail (mobility); Nippon Paint (colour); ITC Mangaldeep (fragrance); Confederation of Indian Industry & CII Indian Women Network (industry); CREDAI Chennai (real estate industry); and Puthiyathalaimurai TV (television partner).
Published - July 30, 2024 09:25 pm IST
