Indira Gandhi is recognized as the first female prime minister of India. Serving from 1966 to 1977 and then from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, her leadership was marked by centralizing power and implementing significant economic reforms. She pursued policies aimed at modernizing India and enhancing its agricultural productivity. Despite her controversial decisions, including the declaration of a national Emergency (1975-1977), Gandhi remains an influential figure in Indian politics, symbolizing female leadership in a predominantly patriarchal society.