Who was the first woman from India to win an Olympic medal?

Introduction / Context:
Indian women have gradually built a strong presence at the Olympic Games, winning medals in sports such as weightlifting, badminton, boxing and wrestling. The first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal created a historic milestone and inspired many future athletes. This question asks for the name of that pioneering woman.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
• Options are Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Karnam Malleswari and P. V. Sindhu.
• We consider individual events in the modern Summer Olympics.
• We assume standard Olympic records for India.

Concept / Approach:
The concept needed is to recall that Karnam Malleswari, a weightlifter, became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She achieved this at the Sydney 2000 Olympics with a bronze medal in weightlifting. Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu all won Olympic medals later in different Games. Understanding this chronological order helps in choosing the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in women weightlifting.Step 2: This made her the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic medal.Step 3: Mary Kom won her Olympic boxing medal later at the London 2012 Games.Step 4: Saina Nehwal also won her badminton bronze at London 2012.Step 5: P. V. Sindhu earned her silver medal in badminton at the Rio 2016 Olympics.Step 6: Therefore, the earliest and correct answer is Karnam Malleswari.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official Olympic reports and Indian sports history guides consistently credit Karnam Malleswari as the first Indian woman Olympic medallist. She is widely known as a weightlifting pioneer. Later, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu added more medals, but all of them came after the year 2000. This timeline confirms that Karnam Malleswari holds the distinction asked about in the question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Mary Kom is a celebrated boxer who won an Olympic bronze in 2012, but she was not the first Indian woman to win a medal. Saina Nehwal also made history in badminton at London 2012 but came after Malleswari. P. V. Sindhu achieved a silver medal in 2016 and later further medals, yet she is from an even later period. Since the question demands the first Indian woman medallist, only Karnam Malleswari fits the requirement.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu are very prominent in recent media, learners sometimes forget the earlier achievement of Karnam Malleswari and choose a more familiar name. Another pitfall is mixing up "first woman medal at Olympics" with "first woman to win a medal in a particular sport." To avoid such confusion, it is helpful to remember that Karnam Malleswari opened the door with a weightlifting bronze in 2000.

Final Answer:
The first woman from India to win an Olympic medal was Karnam Malleswari.