09/09/2026
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In 1933, Kamala Sohonie walked into the Indian Institute of Science with a simple dream: to become a scientist.
She was 22, had topped her chemistry class at Bombay University and wanted to pursue research. But at a time when women were rarely given opportunities in India’s leading scientific institutions, her path was not easy.
Her application to IISc was rejected. But Kamala did not walk away.
She met its then Director, Nobel laureate C.V. Raman, face to face, questioned the decision and refused to leave until he reconsidered. Eventually, she was admitted to IISc, but on probation.
She spent the next year proving what she could do.
Working in biochemistry, she studied proteins in milk, pulses and legumes and completed her research with distinction.
In 1937, Kamala went to Newnham College in Cambridge and researched plant respiration. Her work on cytochrome c, an enzyme involved in cellular energy production, earned her a PhD in 1939.
It was a historic achievement for India. Dr Kamala became the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in a scientific discipline.
She returned to India and worked at Lady Hardinge Medical College. She later joined the Nutrition Research Laboratory in Coonoor and worked on vitamins and nutrition.
In 1947, she moved to Bombay and joined the Royal Institute of Science (Institute of Science, Mumbai) as a Professor of Biochemistry. She later became the first woman to serve as Director of the institute.
Through her research on Neera, she showed how its nutrients could help improve nutrition among disadvantaged communities. She received the Rashtrapati Award for this work.
Dr Kamala Sohonie passed away in 1998. Her story is more than a story of being the first. She broke through a barrier, made space for other women and used science to serve the people of India.
