Bengal's Mahima Chhetri becomes first female skydiver of state to jump from 13,000 feet

Mahima Chhetri, a resident of Malbazar in the Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal, has scripted history by becoming West Bengal’s first female skydiver with international-level training. Leaping from an aircraft at an altitude of nearly 13,000 feet and gliding safely back to the ground, Mahima has transformed what began as a thrill into a defining identity in the high-risk adventure sport.

Coming from a humble background, Mahima’s journey reflects determination and persistence. Her father, Arjun Chhetri, a retired Army veteran who later served in the Railway Protection Force, encouraged his daughters to pursue their dreams freely. Mahima studied Law and currently works as a Security Executive at a petrochemical refinery, yet her passion for the skies led her to chase a different path. To pursue professional training, she travelled to Thailand where she underwent rigorous instruction at an international skydiving institute. There she successfully earned an ‘A’ Category skydiving license from Batam. After returning to India, Mahima continued training with Skyhigh India and has so far completed more than 30 successful jumps—an impressive milestone for someone at the introductory stage of the sport.

Despite the achievement, her journey has been far from easy. Skydiving is among the most expensive adventure sports, with each jump and the required equipment costing a significant amount. Mahima has funded her passion through her own earnings and loans. Now she hopes for sponsorship and government support to complete 500 jumps within a year and represent India on the international stage.