Sofiya Qureshi

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, VSM is a senior officer in the Indian Army. She is notable for being the first woman to lead an Indian contingent in a United Nations peacekeeping mission and she gained national attention for her role during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict.

Early life and education Sofiya Qureshi was born in Vadodara to Mohammad Qureshi and Amina Qureshi. She earned a degree in biotechnology at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

Military education Officers Training Academy, Chennai - 1999 Defence Services Staff College, Wellington – Master’s in Defence and Strategic Studies (2005–06) National Defence College, New Delhi (2018) – Strategic cybersecurity

Military career Commissioned in 1999 after graduating from the Officers Training Academy into the Army Signal Corps, Qureshi served in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India. In 2001, she helped develop the Army’s first mobile digital communication network.

In 2016, as a colonel, she led 40 Indian troops during exercise Force 18—the first woman to lead an Indian training contingent.

Role in 2025 India–Pakistan conflict

Qureshi led press conferences along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri about Operation Sindoor.

Recognition and awards Global Peace Gandhi Award (2019) First Provost Marshall in her unit Personal life She married Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi in 2015 and together they have a son.