Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki becomes 1st woman ADC to president

India Sep 20, 2026

Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki just broke a major barrier: she's now the first woman from India's armed forces to serve as aide-de-camp (ADC) to the president, starting her new role at Rashtrapati Bhavan in May 2025.

It's a big step away from decades of positions held almost exclusively by men.

Yashasvi Solanki inspires 2nd woman ADC

Growing up in Haryana, Solanki joined the Navy back in 2012 and worked her way through logistics and technical roles before becoming ADC.

Now, she is responsible for coordinating and supporting the president's official engagements.

Her achievement is inspiring more change: Major Navya Shekhawat followed as the second woman ADC in July 2026, showing that leadership roles for women in the military are finally opening up.