Samruddhi Vaman: The Story Of A Pune Girl’s Journey From Village Roots To IAF Flying Officer
Vaman lives at the foothills of Narayangad fort in Khodad's Gadachiwadi.
Published : December 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM IST
Pune: Samruddhi Ajit Vaman, a 23-year-old from Gadachiwadi (Khodad) in Junnar taluka near Pune, has been selected as a flying officer in the Indian Air Force. Her hard work and dedication have helped her achieve her childhood dream. Early this week, as she returned from this achievement, Samruddhi was given a warm welcome and cheered by her family and neighbours.
Vaman lives at the foothills of Narayangad fort in Khodad's Gadachiwadi, her hometown. Her mother, Aruna, works in the police department and is posted in Mumbai. Her father, Ajit, works as an insurance advisor. Samruddhi works as a Lead Engineer at Tata Power, and she continued her Air Force preparation alongside her job. Samruddhi said, "I have achieved my dream with discipline, consistent efforts and determination.
Samruddhi completed her schooling from the Atomic Energy Central School (AECS), Tarapur. She later pursued Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Amrita University, Coimbatore. She received a lot of guidance from retired defence officers, and her college helped her chalk a clear roadmap for Samruddhi.
After graduating in Aeronautical engineering, she was determined to pursue her childhood dream, to join the air force. She appeared for the Air Force examination and has now been appointed as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force.
After Samruddhi cleared the Air Force Common Admission Test, she received a call for the SSB interview. She completed the five-day SSB selection process successfully. The five-day SSB selection involved psychological tests, interviews, and GTO tasks. After the final evaluation, she received a recommendation from the Air Force Board, which marked the beginning of her journey as an Air Force officer.
After the written tests, Samruddhi underwent an interview, which she cleared. She was then notified by the Indian Air Force that she had been appointed as a flying officer.
She credits her family and others who helped her realise this dream. "I give credit to many people, including my family and teachers, who have helped me achieve my childhood dream of getting selected in the Indian Air Force. In fact, I even studied from many YouTube videos that helped me prepare for the written exam without enrolling in any classes," said Samruddhi.
Samruddhi will now undergo training at Dundigal, and she motivated her neighbours with her words. "Everyone should have ambitions, but one needs to put a lot of effort into achieving them. Once you are determined and dare to dream, your dreams definitely are fulfilled," she said.
Aruna was one proud mother, beaming with immense joy. She appreciated the immense work her daughter had put in to achieve her goal. "Samruddi has put in a lot of effort into realising her ambition and dream of joining the air force. Her uncle also worked very hard on this project and helped her every step of the way, and gave her whatever she needed right away.
She went on to say that their whole family is overjoyed. "We are immensely pleased with her achievement. It makes us proud of the fact that, because of her, the name of our community is now known throughout the country." Samruddhi now prepares for the new chapter in her life.
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