Female Pilot Laxmi Joshi Leads "Vande Bharat Mission"

Ms. Joshi flees rescue flights to bring Indians back from aboard

Laxmi Joshi is setting a great example of women empowerment within the country. Everyone might think about how she sets an example of empowering women? Laxmi was just eight when she first sat in an aeroplane.

She always dreamt of becoming a pilot. and when she grew up, she worked hard to ensure her dream came true. Ms. Joshi was among the several pilots who volunteered for the Vande Bharat mission which started in May 2020 to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.

Recently, in an interview conducted by Humans of Bombay, she opened about her experience of the journey of becoming a pilot. Moreover, she talked about her childhood dream, the training she underwent to become a pilot and how she flew three flights a month during the height of the pandemic to rescue Indians stranded abroad.

During her interview, Ms Joshi revealed that her father took a loan so she could train to become a pilot. "Go for it, beta. The sky's the limit!" he told her.

After two years, during which she put her "heart and soul" into training, Ms Joshi got her pilot license. "My dreams had gotten wings, I was ecstatic! Soon after, I landed a job with Air India, the national carrier," she said.

Talking about her family, she said that the main person who was there always for her was her father. Her father continued to be one of her biggest cheerleaders. Whenever any relative asked, 'How will she settle now?' He'd reply, 'Meri beti uddne ke liye bani hai (my daughter was born to fly),'" Ms Joshi told Humans of Bombay.

Though she loved her job, Laxmi Joshi wanted to do more than just travel. So, when the pandemic hit and the Vande Bharat mission came into being, she volunteered to fly abroad to rescue stranded Indians.

When they finally landed in India, the passengers gave the crew a standing ovation. " One little girl came up to me and said, 'I want to be like you!' And I told her what Papa told me, 'The sky's the limit!'"

After that, Laxmi Joshi flew three rescue flights a month. The flights were long, and wearing a hazmat suit made it tougher, but she says the thought of Indians who were stuck kept her going. "Once, I even flew to bring medical aid to India. That was the strangest flight - instead of passengers, we travelled with hundreds of carton boxes," she said.

The pandemic is in its third year now, she says, but the Vande Bharat mission is still pretty active. Ms Joshi will soon fly out to Newark to bring home Indians who are stranded there.