Colonel Sofia Qureshi comes from a proud military background—her grandfather served in the Indian Army. She’s also married to an officer in the Mechanised Infantry.
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Colonel Sofiya Quraishi (born 1974) is a senior officer in the Indian Army and currently holds the rank of Colonel. She has earned national recognition for breaking new ground, both as a military leader and as a trailblazer for women in the armed forces. She made history as the first Indian woman to lead a contingent in a United Nations peacekeeping mission and rose to further prominence for her leadership during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict.
A specialist in military communications and cyber warfare, Col Quraishi has been instrumental in modernizing the Indian Army’s technological capabilities. Her service reflects a blend of operational excellence and strategic innovation.
In 1999, she was commissioned into the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals. Over the years, she has distinguished herself in various key operations, including Operation Parakram along the Punjab border following the 2001 Parliament attack, for which she received a commendation from the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
Col Quraishi first captured national attention in 2016, when she became the only woman commander among 18 participating countries at the ASEAN Plus Multinational Military Exercise ‘Force 18’, leading the Indian contingent—a first for any woman in the Indian Army.
During the 2025 Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike against terror camps following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Col Quraishi was one of the two senior women officers who briefed the media. Alongside Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, she explained how the operation, conducted between 1:05 and 1:30 a.m., targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir based on credible intelligence.
Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, to Mohammad and Amina Qureshi, Sofiya grew up in a family with deep military roots—her grandfather served as a religious teacher in the Indian Army. She completed her master’s degree in Biochemistry from Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1997. Later, she pursued a degree in biotechnology and went on to receive formal military education at:
- Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow (Technical Staff Officers Course, 1999)
- Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Master’s in Defence and Strategic Studies, 2005–06)
- Army War College, Mhow (Higher Command Course, 2013)
- National Defence College, New Delhi (Strategic Cybersecurity, 2018)
Her international service includes a six-year tenure with United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Congo, beginning in 2006—a period she describes as a deeply meaningful chapter in her career. She also received a commendation from the Signal Officer-in-Chief for her role in managing critical communications during flood relief operations in Northeast India.
Currently serving in the Mechanised Infantry, Col Quraishi continues to serve alongside her husband, who is also an officer in the same branch. Together, they represent a rare and inspiring example of commitment, courage, and shared service to the nation.
