Dr. Harpreet A. De. Singh.
It is a number that surprises many travellers. India's Civil Aviation Minister said in August 2026 that women make up around 15% of the country's pilots, against about 5% globally, and that the government wants to raise women's participation across the aviation workforce to 25%. DGCA data tabled in Parliament counted 1,767 women among 11,775 pilots at six major airlines. Behind those figures are people who went first. One of them is Dr. Harpreet A. De. Singh.
Dr. Harpreet is India's first woman airline CEO. The journey began as Air India's first woman pilot selectee and later made Dr. Harpreet the first DGCA-approved woman Chief of Flight Safety. "Opportunities should be shaped by capability, commitment, and courage rather than gender," Dr. Harpreet says.
Over more than three decades, the work has spanned flight safety, quality management, environmental and safety management systems, emergency response and operational leadership. Helping build structured management systems has been especially meaningful, Dr. Harpreet says, because they support safer operations, stronger governance and continuous improvement. The honours include several national and international awards in aviation, leadership, quality, safety, women empowerment, environment and training, along with doctorates in Management, Pure Soul Consciousness and Holistic Healing.
Yet the lesson Dr. Harpreet returns to is not technical. "The real strength of any organisation lies in its people and the values that guide them." In demanding industries, people must make critical decisions under pressure, and organisations invest heavily in systems and technology. Dr. Harpreet believes equal attention belongs to the human being behind every decision.
That belief pushed Dr. Harpreet inward. Alongside the career, an interest grew in how inner well-being shapes the way we lead, work and relate to others. The result is a philosophy called Pure Soul Consciousness: I am a pure soul, you are a pure soul, and we all are. Spirituality, Dr. Harpreet says, is not about withdrawing from life but about living it more consciously. "My aim is not to offer quick answers to life's challenges, but to encourage people to pause, reflect, and discover the answers that already exist within them."
The ideas live in a book, Creator's Messages for The Light Within, which launched at the International Council of Authors' Conclave 2026 in Goa, where Dr. Harpreet was also recognised as an author. Dr. Harpreet says many of its messages were received directly in trance meditations. The book connects science with spirituality and business with ethics, and introduces the Pure Soul Quotient, Pure Soul Light and Pure Soul Healing, with practical techniques for everyday life. Fittingly, it borrows a metaphor from the cockpit, inviting readers to become the pilots of their own journeys, guided by faith, inner wisdom and a clear sense of purpose.
The key message is simple: the light we are searching for is already within us. Three lessons sit behind it. Have faith in the Almighty and in yourself. Remember that we are all pure souls. And every experience, including setbacks, has something to teach. Above all, Dr. Harpreet says, we do not have to choose between professional ambition and spiritual grounding.
On technology, Dr. Harpreet is clear-eyed. AI and data tools can improve efficiency, support predictive maintenance and strengthen risk assessment, but aviation is a safety-critical industry, so progress needs strong governance and human oversight. "Digital transformation can improve processes, but it cannot replace human judgement, accountability, empathy, or ethical leadership." Sustainability matters too, with airlines needing to improve resource efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.
What comes next? Dr. Harpreet is bringing aviation leadership, integrated management systems, governance and risk management together with a continuing spiritual journey. The HARPS Foundation aims to uplift people into Pure Soul Consciousness through love and service, and Dr. Harpreet plans to expand IWPA, IMS-WICCI and G100 further. Encouraging women is a particular passion: believing in their abilities, pursuing leadership, and succeeding without compromising their values.
The vision reaches beyond balance sheets. Dr. Harpreet wants more organisations to measure success not only in business results but also in the well-being of people and the integrity of decisions. "My greatest award is my direct connection with the Almighty," Dr. Harpreet says, and the aim is to be a divine instrument of that connection.
From a female pilot selectee to a CEO's chair, the route has been unconventional. The destination Dr. Harpreet describes is simple: more conscious leaders and more compassionate human beings.
