19 March 2025
Flight Lieutenant Tanushree Das grew up overseas in a region troubled by militant groups. It was an environment where shops closed early and people lived in fear of extortion and violence.
It didn’t help that her family wasn’t native to the area.
“Despite these challenges, my father encouraged me to pursue education as a means to a better life. He often shared stories of his uncle, an engineer, who had achieved great success,” Flight Lieutenant Das said.
Inspired by those stories, Flight Lieutenant Das aspired to become an engineer herself.
“I am proud to have achieved that dream,” she said.
The electronics engineer believes a diverse Air Force enables the service to leverage a wide range of ideas, skills and approaches to contribute to mission success.
Diversity also allows Air Force to adapt to changing global environments.
“I believe diversity is a key driver to innovation. Different experiences and viewpoints foster creativity, enabling Air Force to stay ahead of emerging threats and adapt to changing global dynamics,” Flight Lieutenant Das said.
“People from different backgrounds bring unique problem-solving methods, innovative solutions, and diverse approaches to leadership and teamwork; all of which are essential when facing complex, high-pressure situations.”
Flight Lieutenant Das’ career in Air Force has included postings to 37 Squadron and the Integrated Air Missile Defence Program. In 2019, she used her language skills as a native Hindi speaker to support the Australian Border Force and Indian Coast Guard during an exercise, building closer working ties between the two maritime agencies.
Flight Lieutenant Das has also spent time within the Airbus Asia Pacific Group engineering team, working on C-130J Hercules sustainment projects.
“Embracing diversity is crucial for effective global operations, as it helps aviators understand different cultures and strategic priorities,” Flight Lieutenant Das said.
“Having a diverse workforce is also essential for the Air Force to maintain its credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness as a defender of the nation and its values.”
Flight Lieutenant Das draws inspiration from Sanskrit to illustrate her perspective on diversity, and uses this lens to enhance teamwork and build relationships in her Air Force career.
The word namaste is a combination of two Sanskrit words: nama meaning ‘bow’, and te meaning ‘you’.
“Namaste literally means ‘I bow to you’,” Flight Lieutenant Das said.
“It means, I bow to the divine or sacred in the other person, acknowledging the interconnectedness and equality of all beings, irrespective of cultural, racial, gender, age and ethnic backgrounds.”
