Page 32 - MACHINE TOOLS WORLD MARCH 2022 Digital Magazine

WOMEN ACHIEVERS

My vision and observation skills were very

helpful in starting my entrepreneurial journey.

Q. What are the attributes that tomorrow?
helped you to reach where you are I’d say women should stop competing
in your career? against each other. We are not women
I think my vision and observation entrepreneurs, we are entrepreneurs
skills were very helpful in starting my who happen to be women. We can’t be
entrepreneurial journey. While observing a minority leader and get to the top, we
the changes/problems around me and need to focus on the world. We need
acting on them helps me stay relevant in to accommodate more of us and raise
present times, vision helps me to predict our gender ratio in leadership positions.
and plan for future with more accuracy. Today, when you talk about a leader, you
Also, staying authentic and true to my picture a tall male figure, who graduated
purpose helped me gain trust from all the from a top university making a speech
people I’ve worked with. in silicon valley, we need to change that
vision.
Q. How far have you succeeded in
MS. BHUMIKA INDU, challenging the stereotypes? Q. In both essential and digital
Founder and CEO, I have been challenging stereotypes most functions, women suffered the
Upskul Pvt. Ltd. repercussions of the economic and
of my life. During school days, when
Q. Could you tell us something most of the girls were busy with cultural social effects of the pandemic.
about your professional activities I was participating in Maths Your comments?
achievements and career Olympiads with my male classmates, when I believe there are 2 major reasons for
progression? rest of the girls were taking part in dance this. First, women are expected to engage
After my Bachelors in Mechanical competition, I was playing chess. Then in in care giving activities, this led to a lot of
Engineering, I started my career as a college, I took up Mechanical Engineering women quitting their jobs and prioritizing
Design Engineer with Tata Technologies, without a second thought. Most of the their sick parents, in-laws or children
Pune. Within a span of 1.5 years, I started industries are still male-dominated, even during the pandemic. Second, most of the
to realize that service sector offers limited if there are women, they are supposed female-dominated careers like education,
opportunities for Indian engineers and got to work under someone. Being an retail, accommodation and food services,
enrolled into a work integrated M.Tech entrepreneur providing training courses for etc took a back-seat during the lockdown
programme in Design Engineering from the industry I have raised many eyebrows, throwing a lot of women out of jobs. Our
BITS Pilani. It helped me understand the been mocked at more than often, and have gender, especially Indian women, need
process of Design and R&D and UpSkul had to convince others much more than to focus more on work-life balance and
was born. men in the same position. I believe staying equally participate in all sectors.
UpSkul is an online R&D training confident and persistent has helped me a
Institute that where Industry professionals lot and will continue to do so. Stereotypes Q. What’s the message you
co-create course and provide mentorship perpetuate inequality and place a want to send to young working
to Engineers who want to design their significant burden on those affected. I think women?
own products, start freelance work, capable people should break stereotypes There’s a very powerful quote by an
getting Job opportunities in research and more often so the others, who are not on American footballer that says, “Never let
development and Manufacturing Industries that pedestal, can follow. the fear of striking out, keep you from
who wish to start their R&D units. playing the game.” Regardless of how the
Currently we are incubated at Jabalpur Q. How can women entrepreneurs situation looks today, we should never
Incubation centre, backed by government broaden their horizons and stop ourselves from pursuing what we
of Madhya Pradesh. become inspiring leaders of wish to and aiming for the top.

28 MACHINE TOOLS WORLD MARCH 2022 www.mtwmag.com