Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar: India’s Quiet Hero in Aviation Safety

In an era where scientific breakthroughs dominate headlines, some of the most transformative innovations remain unsung — until they are finally honoured. Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar is one such visionary: an Indian aerospace scientist whose decades of dedicated work have strengthened aviation safety across the nation. While her name may not be instantly familiar to the general public, her invention — Drishti — has played a vital role in guiding thousands of landings and take-offs in challenging weather conditions, especially dense fog.

Early Life and Academic Journey

Born into a large family as the youngest of nine siblings, Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar’s journey into science was shaped by both aptitude and encouragement from her family. She excelled academically, topping her class in physics and electronics and securing first rank in both her BSc (Honours) and MSc degrees from Central College in Bengaluru. These early academic achievements laid the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of scientific research — a path still unusual for women of her generation.

After earning her PhD, Dr. Iyengar joined the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) in Bengaluru in 1974. At NAL, she began what would become more than four decades of research in aerospace technology, instrumentation and environmental sensing — areas critical to aviation safety but often operating behind the scenes.

The Challenge of Runway Visibility

One of the most persistent hazards in aviation is poor runway visibility. During winter months, cities like Delhi frequently experience dense fog that reduces visibility to a mere few meters, creating perilous conditions for pilots and air traffic controllers. Before Dr. Iyengar’s work, airports relied heavily on expensive foreign instruments to measure runway visibility — systems that were costly, difficult to maintain and ill-suited to local conditions.

Accurate runway visibility data — technically known as Runway Visual Range (RVR) — informs pilots how far ahead they can see during final approach and landing. This data is a safety cornerstone: without reliable visibility measurements, aircraft risk diversions, delays or, in worst cases, accidents.

Inventing Drishti: India’s Indigenous Breakthrough

Dr. Iyengar’s most notable contribution is the development of Drishti, India’s first indigenous runway visibility measuring system. Designed and built at CSIR-NAL in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department, Drishti transformed the way visibility information is captured and used at airports.

Unlike imported devices — which could cost three times as much and often required foreign parts for repair — Drishti was engineered to be affordable, locally serviceable and robust under India’s diverse weather conditions. It measures runway visibility continuously and precisely, capable of detecting visual ranges from as low as four meters to over two thousand meters, a critical range that encompasses some of the most challenging fog scenarios.

By 2014, Drishti had been installed at major Indian airports including Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow. At Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi alone, multiple Drishti units operate across runways, feeding real-time visibility data to pilots, air traffic controllers and meteorological teams.

Impact on Indian Aviation

The impact of Drishti on aviation safety cannot be overstated. It reduced India’s dependence on imported technology, slashed maintenance costs, and significantly improved the reliability of visibility data. With real-time runway visibility readings — even in fog, rain or dust storms — pilots can make informed decisions during critical landing and take-off phases.

Several airports that once experienced frequent weather-related delays now report smoother operations and fewer diversions during low visibility conditions. The technology’s capacity to detect sudden changes — especially around dawn and dusk — adds a safety margin precisely when visibility shifts most rapidly.

Beyond airports, Drishti has become a symbol of India’s ability to produce world-class, indigenous aerospace instrumentation — a milestone in national self-reliance. It serves as a model for future homegrown technologies that combine cost-effectiveness with operational excellence.

Recognition and Legacy

In 2026, Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar’s contributions were acknowledged with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. This recognition came after decades of quiet dedication to public research and national service — a testament to her enduring impact on aviation safety and scientific innovation.

Her story caught wider public attention after industrialist Anand Mahindra highlighted her achievements as a source of inspiration on social media, emphasizing not just the technology but the perseverance and passion behind it.

Dr. Iyengar’s legacy extends beyond Drishti. Throughout her NAL career, she contributed to sensor systems that monitor aviation weather, environmental parameters and other critical aviation metrics. Her work helped shape an ecosystem of aviation tools that collectively enhance operational safety — an influence that continues through mentoring younger scientists and ongoing advisory roles.

Why Dr. Shubha’s Work Matters

In a world increasingly focused on cutting-edge technologies like AI and space exploration, Dr. Iyengar’s achievements remind us that innovation comes in many forms. Sometimes it is not the loudest breakthrough that matters most, but the one that quietly keeps millions of people safe every day.

Every time a flight touches down safely on a fog-covered runway, Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar’s work continues to play a role. Her life’s work exemplifies how science, when applied with dedication and purpose, protects lives, strengthens national capability and inspires future generations — often without fanfare.

In celebrating Dr. Shubha V. Iyengar, India honours not only a brilliant scientist but a quiet guardian of its skies — a hero whose legacy will endure as long as planes continue to soar safely through the mist.