Who is Colonel Sophia Qureshi? The trailblazing Army officer who briefed India on Operation Sindoor

Colonel Sophia Qureshi of the Indian Army made headlines as she stepped forward, alongside Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Air Force, to jointly brief the nation on Operation Sindoor—India’s targeted cross-border strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

At a moment of strategic significance and national mourning, Colonel Qureshi’s calm presence on the dais wasn’t just symbolic—it was earned through decades of frontline service, global deployments, and pioneering leadership.

Colonel Qureshi is best known for being the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise. In 2016, she commanded India’s team at ‘Exercise Force 18’, the largest foreign military drill ever hosted by India. Of the 18 participating countries, she stood out not only as the sole female contingent commander but also as a benchmark of India’s evolving military ethos—one that values competence over convention.

Originally from Gujarat, Colonel Qureshi holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry and comes from a military family—her grandfather served in the Indian Army. She is also married to an officer in the Mechanised Infantry, reinforcing a life steeped in the discipline and service of armed duty.

Her global experience includes six years with United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), notably during the UN Mission in Congo (2006). During her tenure, she monitored ceasefires and supported humanitarian missions in active conflict zones. Reflecting on her deployment, she once described it as a “proud moment”, urging fellow women officers to “work hard for the country and make everyone proud.”

Colonel Qureshi’s rise through the ranks has never been framed as tokenism. 

As the late General Bipin Rawat, then Army Commander of Southern Command, once put it: “Her selection was based on her capabilities and leadership qualities, not her gender.”