Namrita Chandi

Challenges Faced:

I faced many challenges but they never held me back. I faced all sorts of challenges ranging from my personal to professional life. In my early stages I always wanted to do something different in life but such opportunities were rare. Doing something different for girls was not just unseen, it was unheard of. I always hoped to do something different from the beaten path.

My life, as a young girl, was very much the same as that of a girl from a moffusil town. But my dreams and hopes were bigger. Yes, there were challenges that stood between me and my dreams but I wasn't made to shy away from challenges, that is the reason that I gave up my studies of MCA, which was considered as a prestigious course with a bright future. Less than six months to completion of this course, I jumped at the first opportunity to become a pilot with the IAF.

Such a decision involved taking risk, risking a high-profile job and jumping into an unknown territory that I had no clue of. All I knew was that I wanted to be in uniform and I wanted to fly. My why was so clear that in spite of many challenges that I faced my way my what and how followed. It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.

Gender Inclusion In Your Field Of Career:

Flying in the Siachen is a dream of every Helicopter Pilot and I consider myself very lucky to get this opportunity to serve my country while flying at the highest battlefield in the world. Flying in the Siachen did not only give me my best flying skills but it taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life and in leadership. But this did not come to me easily. It was not just physically demanding but mentally challenging as well. Unconscious bias has always existed in various domains. But instead of waiting for external circumstances to change 

I learnt how to tackle the influence of unconscious bias and circumvent around it through my awareness, by proving my professional competence (and this had to be proved at every step), through a strong self-image, self-belief and my strong values.

Present Scenario Of Aviation Industry:

Under present circumstances the Aviation Industry has been hit hard no doubt but we know how resilient this industry is and we hope in times to come it shall bounce back/forward.

Words Of Wisdom:

Like Tony Robbins says the only impossible thing in life is what you have never tried. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind and heart to it. I have learned that failures in life are the best teachers. Those who have known true failure and have bounced back in life understand that failure in life is necessary for success.

Yes failures hurt, they cut deep like a razor, yet if you can still stand up straight after falling flat on your face and take the risk, you become unstoppable. The third lesson is that every challenge that comes your way has an opportunity hidden in it and resilience is a very important skill in life.

We all go through rough patches when life throws us off track. During such a situations it is resilience that decides whether we fight through and grow or we cave in and let our challenges defeat us. So the choices we make in our life define who we are.