Avani Chaturvedi, 24, has become the first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet solo.
She flew a Mig-21 Bison for 30 minutes earlier this week, the air force said.
“It is the breaking of a glass ceiling,” spokesperson Anupam Banerjee told the BBC. He called it a “big day” in the history of the country’s armed forces.
Ms Chaturvedi was one of the first three female fighter pilots to be inducted into the Indian air force.
The air force tweeted a photo of her standing next to the aircraft after her flight. It took place on Monday 19 February but the news was not made public until Thursday.