Who was the first woman to become prime minister of India

Indira Gandhi was the first woman to become Prime Minister of India, assuming office on January 24, 1966. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, and became a towering figure in Indian politics, serving as PM for a total of 15 years across two separate tenures—from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Her rise to power was initially facilitated by senior Congress Party leaders who underestimated her political acumen and believed she would be easy to control, but she quickly proved herself to be a formidable and independent leader who centralized power and dominated Indian politics for nearly two decades.

Indira Gandhi was also one of the world's first female heads of government in modern times, breaking gender barriers at a time when women in leadership positions were extremely rare globally. Her political career was marked by both significant achievements and serious controversies, but her impact on Indian politics and society remains undeniable. She transformed the Congress Party, implemented major economic and social policies, and played a crucial role in shaping modern India's trajectory, though her authoritarian tendencies during the Emergency period remain a major stain on her legacy.