Sai J Becomes First Female Graduate from Indian Military Academy

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 16 December 2025

• Sai Jadhav is the first woman to graduate from the Indian Military Academy located in Dehradun
• She was commissioned into the Territorial Army with the rank of Lieutenant
• It is an historic moment for women in the armed forces of India

Sai Jadhav, 23, has created history as she is the first woman officer to pass out from the prestigious Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun after a 93-year-old wait. More than 67,000 officers have passed out from this academy since its inception in 1932, and all of them were male officers until now.

Sai carries on her family tradition of military service. Her great grandfather was in the British Army, her grandfather was in the Indian Army, and her father, Sandeep Jadhav, is presently in the Indian Army.

With her commissioning, the Jadhav family achieves the distinction of being the fourth generation in the Indian Defence Services.

She was commissioned into the Territorial Army with the rank of Lieutenant and is the first woman from IMA who joined the Indian Army. The Passing Out ceremony at which her parents awarded her the stars for the ranks that she attains was a moment of renown and was shared all over social networking sites.

Everyone considered her success an accomplishment for the younger generation of women and the Indian Army's pursuit of excellence.

At the moment, eight women officer cadets are undergoing training as part of the initial group chosen through the National Defence Academy recruitment process in 2022.

Sai’s recruitment into the IMA involved a special entry and six months of intense training along with male cadets, based on all requirements of the regular course.

She completed her initial schooling in Belgaum and then in various states depending upon her father’s assignments in the Army. After that, she cleared a national-level exam to get an opportunity to sit for the Service Selection Board, which made her sit in the IMA.

Yet her success has brought to the foreground the growing ambitions of the Indian Army to provide new opportunities for women. In June 2026, Jadhav will take part in the parade in front of the Chetwode Building. This is a rare honor for the IMA grad, adding diversity to the dynamics of the military forces.