When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UK lately, a putting picture went viral, not of the Prime Minister himself, however of a poised lady officer standing proper behind him. Meet Adaso Kapesa, the first-ever lady officer within the Particular Safety Group (SPG), India’s most elite safety pressure tasked with defending the Prime Minister.
Hailing from Kaibi village in Senapati district of Manipur, Kapesa’s journey is as exceptional as it’s historic. Presently on deputation with the SPG, she beforehand served within the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), particularly with the fifty fifth Battalion in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Her induction into SPG—historically a male-dominated bastion—alerts a turning level in India’s safety panorama. “Ladies aren’t simply making safety inclusive—they’re making it smarter,” stated Sudeep Lakhtakia, a former senior SPG officer, to Deccan Chronicle.
The SPG, identified for its precision, secrecy, and high-stakes assignments, hardly ever makes headlines about its personnel. However Kapesa’s inclusion has executed simply that, difficult norms and setting a strong precedent for ladies throughout India aiming for careers in elite safety roles.
From a distant village in Manipur to standing behind the PM as a part of the SPG – what a journey! Saluting Inspector Adaso Kapesa for rewriting what’s doable for Indian ladies in uniform. @narendramodi @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/MqVc0Dbcwg
— Manasi Kirloskar Tata (@M_KirloskarTata) August 4, 2025
Kapesa joins a worldwide league of pioneering ladies in safety. Kimberly Cheatle, the previous US Secret Service Director, rose from trainee to Director of the US Secret Service in a 30-year profession. Although she resigned after the failed assassination try on former President Trump, she left behind a permanent legacy of management.
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Again dwelling, Tamil Nadu can be main change. Since March 2022, skilled ladies police personnel have been a part of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s core safety crew. These officers are skilled in unarmed fight, firearms, and bomb detection, a mannequin that different states are slowly starting to duplicate.
The story of Veena Gupta, India’s first feminine bodyguard, additionally resonates on this context. Having based Seam Group Companies, which gives safety for companies like Adobe, Barclays, and Bell Helicopter, Gupta recollects her unconventional journey: “Most individuals would count on a safety officer to be bodily cumbersome. I’m neither. I don’t look intimidating—however that’s precisely what offers me the sting,” she informed Deccan Chronicle, referencing her work with the Prince of Hungary throughout Liz Hurley’s wedding ceremony in India.
Ladies like Adaso Kapesa are proving that elite safety roles are now not outlined by gender however by excellence, adaptability, and braveness. As India redefines its safety equipment, Kapesa stands tall, not simply behind the Prime Minister, however on the forefront of change.
