This week, we are proud to spotlight our 2025 Novi Awards Bravery Award winner, Padmaja Das, Nuclear Deterministic Engineer at Rolls-Royce SMR as our Novi Woman of the Week
Padmaja’s story is not an easy one, and that is exactly why it deserves to be told.
She has spent more than a decade building a remarkable engineering career across the Royal Navy Reserves, the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems and now Rolls Royce SMR. But alongside her technical excellence, she has carried something even heavier.
She confronted racism, sexism, bullying and harassment in environments where speaking up often comes at a cost.
She chose to tell the truth anyway.
She confronted racism, sexism, bullying and harassment in environments where speaking up often comes at a cost.
She chose to tell the truth anyway.
Her courage led her all the way to Parliament and the Defence Committee. Her actions helped spark investigations, highlight systemic issues and push forward conversations that many were too afraid to start. She stood firm not for herself alone but for future engineers and service personnel who deserve safer, fairer workplaces.
Today, she continues her engineering work while serving as a committee member across REACH, GENIE and the Sentinel Network, advocating tirelessly for gender and ethnic equality. She also mentors, teaches and champions STEM pathways for young people, especially girls and those from minority backgrounds.
Padmaja’s bravery is not loud. It is steady, principled and deeply purposeful.
It shows us that leadership is not only about expertise but integrity, empathy and the choice to act even when the cost is high.
She reminded us at the 2025 Novi Awards that courage can look like standing alone so others do not have to.
Please join us in celebrating Padmaja Das, our Novi Woman of the Week and a powerful example of what it means to create change that lasts.
Read more about our 2025 winners here: The 2025 Novi Winners & Honourees
