Amaravati, January 30, 2026: Divya Surepalli, a 37-year-old environmental engineer from Visakhapatnam, has made history as Andhra Pradesh's first licensed civilian woman skydiver.
She secured her A-license the entry-level certification for solo jumps, in 2024 after completing Accelerated Freefall training and at least 25 jumps, ultimately logging 29. Training took her to Russia initially, then Thailand due to weather, where she overcame challenges like spins, crosswinds, and tricky landings near hazards.
An IIT Roorkee graduate with a master's from Germany, Divya faced limited options in India, where civilian licensing facilities are scarce, pushing her abroad at a cost of around ₹5 lakh. Family support grew over time, and she now has over 50 jumps while pursuing her B-license.
