Such has been the journey of Navy's first female pilot Aastha Poonia, know how much salary she gets?
Astha Poonia Salary: The Indian Navy has its first female fighter pilot. Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Poonia has created history.
A new chapter has been added to the uniform of the Indian Navy. Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Poonia has done such a feat, which the whole country is proud of. Aastha has now become the first female fighter pilot of the Indian Navy. With her reaching this milestone, a new era of women empowerment has started in the Navy.
Where did the historic moment happen?
This proud moment came to the fore at the closing ceremony of the 'Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course' at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam on 3 July 2025. On this occasion, Aastha Poonia and Lieutenant Atul Kumar Dhul were awarded the 'Wings of Gold'. This honor was given to them by Rear Admiral Janak Bevli (ACNS, Air).
Women in fighter stream for the first time
Till now, women officers in the Indian Navy have been serving as pilots and air operations officers in reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters. But Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Punia is the first woman to be included in the fighter aircraft stream. That is, now she will fly advanced fighter jets like the Navy's MiG-29K, which are deployed on aircraft carriers.
A New Chapter in Naval Aviation#IndianNavy marks a historic milestone with the graduation of the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course on #03Jul 2025 at @IN_Dega.
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 4, 2025
Lt Atul Kumar Dhull and Slt Aastha Poonia received the prestigious 'Wings of Gold' from RAdm Janak Bevli, ACNS (Air).… pic.twitter.com/awMUQGQ4wS
How much is the salary?
According to reports, Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Punia took training from the National Defense Academy (NDA) before being selected in the Indian Navy. Talking about the salary, the basic pay at the Sub-Lieutenant rank ranges from Rs 56,100 to Rs 1,77,500. Apart from this, they are also given Military Service Pay (MSP) as well as many allowances and other facilities.
