Rajeshwari Chatterjee

India's first female engineer who pioneered women's participation in STEM fields and became a leader in electrical engineering.

Rajeshwari Chatterjee (1914-2000) shattered barriers as India's first female engineer, breaking into a male-dominated field during the mid-20th century. Born in a progressive family in Karnataka, she earned her engineering degree from the University of Mumbai in 1937, defying societal expectations for women at the time. Her career spanned radio engineering, telecommunications, and academia, with notable contributions to India's wireless communication infrastructure. As a professor at the Indian Institute of Science, she mentored generations of engineers and advocated for women's inclusion in STEM.

Chatterjee's 1948 appointment as Chief Engineer of the All India Radio network made her one of India's highest-ranking women in technical roles. She also co-founded the Indian Women's Science Association in 1958 to support female scientists. Her work laid groundwork for India's technological advancements, and her legacy is honored through scholarships and engineering awards. Explore her story at Wikipedia or IISc archives. Despite her achievements, her name remains less recognized than her male contemporaries, underscoring the challenges women faced in STEM during her era.