Meet G Madhavi Latha, Engineer Who Dedicated 17 Years To Chenab Bridge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Chenab Bridge, which is being regarded as the "world's tallest rail bridge," in Jammu & Kashmir. Bengaluru-based academic, Dr G Madhavi Latha, played a critical role in constructing this 1,178-feet-tall engineering marvel. She spent over 17 years bringing this vision to light, keeping in mind the harsh terrain of the region. Madhavi Latha, a geotechnical consultant, helped navigate the rocky topography of the mountains to construct this bridge, reportedly constructed by Indian Railways and AFCONS.

Who is Madhavi Latha?

Madhavi is currently a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The native of Andhra Pradesh's Kundukur pursued a B.Tech in civil engineering degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. She then pursued an M.Tech in Geotechnical Engineering at pursued National Institute of Technology, Warangal, where she secured the gold medal in her batch. In 2000, she completed her PhD.

In a LinkedIn post, Madhavi wrote about the Chenab Bridge project. "Thousands of people have significantly contributed in different ways to the construction of this iconic bridge. There are millions of unsung heroes to whom I salute today. My role as a geotechnical consultant to AFCONS was to help in developing slope stabilisation schemes and the design of foundations on slope... Please remember that I am one of the thousands who deserve appreciation for the Chenab bridge," she wrote. 

Madhavi has also authored a paper in the Indian Geotechnical Journal's women's special issue titled “Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge.” She has received many awards, including the Best Woman Geotechnical Researcher award by the Indian Geotechnical Society in 2021. She was also named in the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India in 2022. Her contribution to the Chenab Bridge project has received tremendous praise. 

An accomplished geotechnical engineer and Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, she played a pivotal role in the construction of the Chenab Railway Bridge.

A commitment that she fulfilled over 17 years.

Dr. G. Madhavi Latha Garu is my… pic.twitter.com/UFo4eFcQ09

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 9, 2025

More about Chenab Bridge

Chenab Rail Bridge is 359 metres above the Chenab River. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. The bridge is a part of the  272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which was approved in 2003. It reportedly aims to enhance connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time.