Major Navya Shekhawat Becomes President's 1st Woman Army ADC

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Indian Army officer Major Navya Shekhawat has made history as the first woman officer of the Army to be appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President of India. Indian Army Officer Major Navya has become the first female officer from the Army to be appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President of India. The promotion of her from colonel to brigadier is a major achievement for the Indian Army in its effort to promote women's participation in the military and allow them to move up the ranks.

Major Navya is one of the official military aides of the President and helps President Droupadi Murmu in state functions, investiture ceremonies, and other official functions at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The responsibility of ADCs is to maintain military protocol and ceremonial and administrative support to the President during official engagements.

It's a custom that the President of India has five ADCs, three from the Army and one each from the Navy and Air Force. Traditionally, the prestigious positions have been held by men. Changes started to occur in May 2025, when Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy became the first woman officer to be appointed as an ADC to the President. It was Major Navya's appointment, making her the first female Army officer to be part of this prestigious group.

Key Highlights:

• First woman Army officer appointed as President's ADC
• Major milestone for women in the Indian Armed Forces
• Her journey reflects merit, leadership, and dedication

Major Navya is an officer of the Army Service Corps (ASC), which works on logistics, transportation, supply chains and operational support to enable the Army to function. Her promotion underscores the importance of recognizing officers from support arms, as well, and the fact that excellence and leadership can be found in all areas of military service.

Major Navya started her military career by appearing for Combined Defense Services (CDS) Entrance Test and getting selected for Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai under Short Service Commission (Women Non-Technical). She endured high standards of military training emphasizing leadership, physical fitness, discipline and readiness for operations before being commissioned into the Army Service Corps.

She has been serving in this relatively short time in service and has thus been appointed to one of the most coveted ceremonial appointments in the country. Her success is an indicator of the faith others have in her professional skills and dedication to service.

Her success also represents the general progress of women's role in the Indian Army. Women were first inducted as officers under the Short Service Commission (SSC) in 1992 and their roles have gradually increased over the years. A significant development was in 2020 when the Supreme Court issued a landmark order to consider eligible women Short Service Commission officers for permanent commission along with their male counterparts, which has opened new opportunities for them to have better career prospects.

In this time, women officers have led units, represented India in international military exercises, taken up major operational and public facing roles, and led units in their leadership. With the induction of major Navya, the tempo has been accelerated, as the nation's most visible ceremonial and protocol officer is a woman officer.

The story of Major Navya has captured everyone's imagination, as she accompanies the President on various occasions during official functions, leading aspiring defense candidates to look up to her, especially those preparing for CDS exams and Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews, who are the young women. Her success also reflects the progressive role of women in the armed forces and reinforces the idea that merit, dedication and professional excellence are the main determinants of the future of military leadership in India.