Sarla Thakral, born in 1914, was the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft. She earned an aviation pilot license in 1936 at the age of 21 and flew a Gypsy Moth solo. After obtaining the initial license, she persevered and completed one thousand hours of flying in the aircraft owned by the Lahore Flying Club.

A follower of Arya Samaj, Sarla moved to New Delhi with her 2 daugthers after the Partition. Her husband died in a plane crash in 1939. She met her second husband after she moved to Delhi. Sarla, also known as Mati, became a successful businesswoman, painter and began designing clothes and costume jewellery. She died in 2008