'Extremely proud': Captain Zoya Agarwal reacts to PM Modi's speech on Indian women pilots

Popularly known as Bharat ki beti, Captain Zoya Agarwal, the first Indian female pilot to fly above the North Pole, on Tuesday said that she is extremely proud that India has the highest number of women commercial pilots in the world. Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address hailed the women achievers and said India has the maximum number of women pilots in civil aviation. 

PM Modi said: “One sole energy that is leading the nation is ‘women-led development’. We have the highest number of women pilots in civil aviation." 

"The one thing that will take the country forward is women-led development. Today, we can proudly say that India has the maximum number of pilots in civil aviation. Women scientists are leading the Chandrayaan mission. The G20 countries are also recognising the importance of women-led development...," said Modi. 

 

Reacting to this, Agarwal said: “PM Modi mentioned that India has the highest number of women commercial pilots in the world and I am extremely proud of this fact. This is propelling that women have led developments not only in the aviation sector but also in other sectors.” 

Agarwal led an all-female flight India pilot team and flew the world's longest air route from San Francisco (SFO) in the US to Bengaluru for the first time in 2021, crossing the North Pole, on a Boeing 777. She became the youngest woman pilot in India to fly a Boeing-777 in 2013. 

Addressing the country from the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day, Modi said India is focusing on women-led development, and highlighted the achievements made in various fields, including aviation and space missions. 

Speaking about the importance of women-led development, PM Modi mentioned how women scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are leading the Chandrayaan mission. 

"Women scientists are leading the Chandrayaan mission. The G20 countries are also recognising the importance of women-led development...," PM Modi said. 

Referring to the works being done by women SHGs in rural India, Modi said it is his dream to see two crore women become “lakhpati”, and the government is contemplating measures to realise the goal. 

"It is my dream to make two crore lakhpati didis in villages. When you go to a village, you will find 'bank-wali didi, Anganwadi didi and dawai-wali (medicine) didi. It is my dream to make two crore lakhpati didis in villages," he said. 

"We will train women in SHGs to fly drones and also repair drones. The Government of India will provide drones to thousands of Women SHGs," he said. 

Initially, 15,000 women SHGs would be covered under the scheme, he said. 

Also read: PM Modi at Independence Day: 'I guarantee that India will be one of world's top 3 economies in next 5 years'

Also read: PM Modi Independence Day speech highlights: From Manipur violence, anti-corruption fight to Chandrayaan mission