In a moment of pride for the Northeast, Assam-native Priyanka Das Rajkakati, an accomplished artist and aerospace engineer based in Paris, accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron during his recent visit to Bharat.
The young professional, hailing from Dhemaji in Assam, was spotted as part of the French delegation, showcasing her versatility as she fluently conversed with the delegates in French during their visit to Delhi, a video of which has since gone viral.
This isn’t Priyanka’s first encounter with President Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2023, she was among the 250 specially invited guests when Macron hosted Modi for a dinner at the iconic Louvre museum in Paris.
Priyanka’s multifaceted achievements include being selected as part of a team of 80 women scientists, who undertook a remarkable journey to Antarctica, sponsored by the Assam Government and Tourism, making her the first Assamese woman to set foot on the frigid continent.
Currently residing in Paris, Priyanka, an Alumni Ambassador of the France Alumni program, boasts accolades such as Forbes India 30 under 30, the Karman Fellowship, and India Today’s Next 100 Innovators.
An alumna of St Stephen’s College (Delhi), Ecole Polytechnique (Paris), and ISAE-Supaéro (Toulouse), she describes her work as an intersection of art, science, and society. Her passion for space exploration led her to co-found The Exploration Company, a Franco-German space startup, and she is currently exploring new frontiers with her art-tech studio, Atelier Arth.
Presently, Priyanka serves as the Head of Special Projects at vorteX-io, a company dedicated to developing flood warning systems, showcasing her commitment to leveraging her skills for societal benefit. Her overarching goal is to explore how traditional artistic and cultural practices from around the world can contribute to sustainable space exploration.
