Avani Chaturvedi Age, Height, Family, Career, Net Worth, Lifestyle & Facts

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Profession: Indian Air Force officer (fighter pilot)

Date of Birth: 27 October 1993 (Wednesday)

Age (as of 2023): 29 Years

Birthplace: Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India

Zodiac sign: Scorpio

Nationality: Indian

Hometown: Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India

Marriage Date: November 2019

Age: 29 Years

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EDUCATION

School: Adarsh Higher Secondary School in Deoland, Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh

College/University: Banasthali University in Rajasthan, India

Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science (2010-14)

PHYSICAL STATISTICS

Height (approx.): in centimeters – 163 cm in meters – 1.63 m in feet inches – 5’ 4”

Weight (approx.): in kilograms – 50 kg in pounds – 110 lbs

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Black

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

Marital Status: Married

Husband/Spouse: Vineet Chikara (a flight lieutenant in Indian Air Force)

Parents: Father – Dinkar Chaturvedi (a superintending engineer in the Water Resource Department of the Madhya Pradesh government) Mother – Name not known (homemaker)

Siblings: She has an elder brother, who is an officer in the Indian Army.

Husband: Vineet Chikara

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Awards, Honours, Achievements: • 2018: Honored with the doctorate degree from Banasthali Vidyapeeth • 2018: Became the first woman fighter pilot to undertake a solo flight in MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft • 2020: Became the first Indian female fighter pilot in India, along with Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh • 2020: Received Nari Shakti Puraskar by former President Ram Nath Kovind • 2023: Became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to take part in an air combat exercise.

OTHER INFORMATION

Hobbies: Painting, sketching, playing chess & table tennis

Statesman: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Game: Chess

Sport: Table tennis

INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Avani Chaturvedi, a trailblazing figure in the Indian Air Force, has become an inspiration for many as one of the first women fighter pilots in India. Born into a family with a rich legacy of military service, Avani’s childhood was imbued with a strong sense of duty and aspiration. Growing up amidst army officers, she naturally gravitated towards the Indian Air Force, motivated by the stories and values instilled in her by her family. This early exposure to the military nurtured her ambition and set the stage for her exceptional career in aviation.

Her educational journey began with a move to Rajasthan, where she enrolled in Banasthali University to pursue a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science. While at Banasthali, Avani not only excelled academically but also actively participated in various extracurricular activities. She was a Core Team Member of Mayukh, the university’s annual tech fiesta, showcasing her leadership and organizational skills. Moreover, her membership in the college’s flying club ignited a passion for aviation that would define her future. During her time there, she gained invaluable experience flying planes, which solidified her desire to become a pilot. Avani also completed a six-month internship as an Associate Software Engineer at Ranosys Technologies Pte Ltd, further honing her technical skills before transitioning into a role as a System Engineer at IBM, where she worked for over three years.

Driven by her dream of serving as a fighter pilot, Avani took a decisive step towards her goal by taking the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) and successfully clearing it. Following her recommendation by the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), she embarked on a year of intense training at the prestigious Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad. There, she trained alongside 43 male counterparts, navigating the challenges of a traditionally male-dominated environment. In interviews, Avani has expressed her sense of camaraderie with her classmates, emphasizing that the experience of flying is universal, transcending gender. She stated, “Every flight, every landing, and every take-off is different,” underscoring the shared struggles and triumphs that bond pilots, regardless of gender.

In a landmark moment for gender equality in the Indian military, Avani Chaturvedi, along with her fellow officers Mohana Singh and Bhawana Kanth, made history in July 2016 as they became the first women to be commissioned as Flying Officers in the Indian Air Force. This milestone was part of a five-year experiment by the Government of India to incorporate women into combat roles, challenging long-standing societal beliefs that combat was inherently male. Avani shattered stereotypes when she made headlines in February 2018 by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo, taking the controls of a MiG-21 Bison from the IAF’s Jamnagar base. Her achievements have not only paved the way for future generations of female pilots but have also sparked conversations around gender discrimination in the military.

Continuing her trailblazing path, in January 2023, Avani participated in the first-ever air combat exercise between India and Japan, making her the first female fighter pilot from the IAF to engage in such aerial war events abroad. Flying a Sukhoi-30MKI jet, she demonstrated her exceptional skills at the Hyakuri Airbase in Japan, further showcasing her capabilities on an international stage. In addition to her military accomplishments, Avani has a passion for music, particularly the violin, and has even been featured in an Indian Air Force recruitment advertisement, inspiring countless others to consider a career in aviation. Avani Chaturvedi’s journey reflects dedication, resilience, and the breaking of barriers, making her a remarkable figure in modern Indian history.

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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.