Award for former Malayalee scientist Tessy Thomas
FORMER Director General (Aeronautical Systems) at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tessy Thomas, has been chosen for the Kerala Sasthra Puraskaram for 2024 for her lifetime contributions and achievements in the area of science and technology.
The award has been jointly instituted by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, and the Science and Technology Department. It carries a purse of ₹2 lakh, a citation and a memento.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will present the award during the inaugural session of the 38th Kerala Science Congress in Kochi on February 1.
Meanwhile, known for her role in shaping India’s strategic missile programme, Dr Tessy Thomas also received the eighth Paulos Mar Gregorios Award 2025 on Sunday in New Delhi. The event, held at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, honoured her for her “outstanding contribution in women empowerment, space and missile technology”.
Dr. Thomas previously served as Director General (Aeronautical Systems) at the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and was also the Vice-Chancellor of the Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education.
As Project Director for the Agni-IV ballistic missile at DRDO, she played a key role in enhancing India’s long-range missile development.
In her acceptance remarks, Dr. Thomas dedicated the honour to “the countless individuals who shaped her journey as a scientist, including her family, her co-workers, mentors and to those who dream of science and its possibilities.”
She recounted how, during her childhood in Kerala, her imagination “wandered beyond coconut trees,” captivated by aircraft leaving trails “like clouds in the sky,” and questioning whether she “could bring the moon into my room.”
Guided by former President and DRDO Director General APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr Thomas recalled his late-night brainstorming sessions with teams during the execution of more than 50 missile launches.
The programme was also the inaugural event of the Delhi Diocese’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. It brought together senior clergy and notable personalities, including the Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, and BML Munjal University (BMU) Vice-Chancellor Shymdas Balakrishna Menon, among others.
Established in memory of Paulos Mar Gregorios—scholar, theologian, and former president of the World Council of Churches—the award reflects his legacy. “His intellect had a deep spiritual foundation, one that served as a moral compass and infused his activities with a concern for the ordinary man and woman. The award is given for a life of concerted action in these fields,” according to the official statement.
