For decades, women in science faced societal pressures to stay at home. Yet, some dared to enter labs and research fields, quietly transforming nations. One such woman revolutionised India’s sugarcane industry so profoundly that every spoon of sugar today reflects her work. Her name, however, remains largely unknown. Dr Janaki Ammal was a pioneering botanist whose innovations made India self-sufficient in sugarcane. Without her research, India might still have relied on imports from Southeast Asia. Her scientific work laid the foundation for the country to become the world’s second-largest sugarcane producer. In 1932, when most women were expected to marry young, she pursued a career in science instead. She became the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in botany from the University of Michigan. This achievement showed her determination to follow her passion for research instead of conforming to tradition. On returning to India, Dr Janaki Ammal joined the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore as a geneticist. At the time, local sugarcane varieties were low in sugar content and fragile. India depended on imports …