I had to work very hard to prove my worth
Published on : Sunday 08-03-2020
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering? Did you have a mentor?
I was drawn towards the engineering field by my parents and a few female relatives in the extended family who had already completed their engineering studies, considering my ability to apply logic. However, as any normal engineering student, I was always concerned regarding the type of future direction I should take. My career options were many, but being connected to the innovations in the field of Instrumentation & Control was close to my heart, which directed me to start my career from the field of Technical Support. Subsequently my guiding force was my boss in the first job who mentored me by giving responsibilities that enabled me to develop a seeking mind. He also motivated me to go out in the industrial world and offer real time resolutions in the automation industry and apply my engineering know- how as well as product management skills to offer new solutions.
Field work and projects involve extensive travel – how did you handle the pulls and pressures?
Being an engineer my job entailed travelling to remote plant locations which was initially not easy. However, with each such travel my enthusiasm for technology grew only further and as a result I was able to become a better engineer with a hands-on exposure in the practical conditions of Indian industry domains.
Handling the project related site activities not only presented me with practical problems butalso at the same time created many opportunities to develop new industrial solutions as a pilot. This in turn also made me capable to represent Indian business strategies on
international platforms. Astute sharing of Indian needs made me an experienced Product Manager. As result I was able to introduce trailblazing technologies designed abroad but designed exclusively to cater to Indian market demands.
A career woman needs an understanding family. What is your experience in this regard?
The family is always the backbone for any individual and my case was also no exception. I can proclaim that I was fortunate to have super-supportive parents and at a later stage in life a very responsive husband, also from the engineering background, who pushed me to alwaysdo my best without being restricted due to social conditions.
Even now as an entrepreneur, as a parent and as an active member of society, I am being able
to create value in each area due to unparalleled family backing.
Often projects demand stay away from home. Was this difficult to adjust to?
I had to travel countrywide as well as outside the country and that too mostly to industries in remote locations. Staying away from home although was tough in secular conditions but the outcome of such fieldwork was always an enriching experience.
Each travel away on site is like breaking barriers – both physical and mental – in personal as well as professional life. With each journey I enhanced my acumen and focused approach towards the futuristic trends of industry. Also, I am able to bring on board innovations to bridge the gap of need Vs availability in the industrial domains of power and process automation, machine controls, etc.
Did you ever regret the career choice and wish it were different, say opt for a change?
Yes, there were times when faced with gender biases, I was in two minds about my career path. However, I decided to shift and fortunately it was even towards a more challenging endeavour of starting up my own business and that too in the same engineering field, which is close to my heart.
It is definitely not an easy task, for it demands not only technology management but also managing the various compliances and dealing with male dominated officialdom. But I enjoy this career as a proprietor of my own company. Hence I can clearly state that given a choice to change I would not like to change to anything except a career in the engineering field.
You mentioned gender bias. Any specific instances?
Gender bias is a universal phenomenon in many working fields including the industrial sector, where females are expected to do desk work with negligible physical labour. I was initially not taken as a serious candidate for field related work and as result was not able to get enough growth opportunities. I had to work very hard to prove my worth as a capable individual who could do any task irrespective of the gender.
Has the situation changed for the better during the last few years?
Things have not changed much in the last decade with respect to the attitude of the society. As in the past, in today’s time also, a the female gender faces more resistance while being hired, less acceptability in handling travelling jobs and above all, viewed differently by the peers if given better positions.
How is the situation when it comes to leadership roles?
Indian industrial sector still carries the prejudice against women taking lead, typically in the sectors of core industrial work related to project management, on-site work, sales and marketing, maintenance, etc.
What would be your message to the youth, your children for that matter, in career choices?
My message to the youth or my children would be to choose any career path to your liking but strive to become an excellent professional in that field by setting trailblazing examples.
How would you describe your career or life in 3 words?
Follow Your Heart!
Anuja Thukral has spent 15 years in the Automation Industry. During this period, she has launched new technologies in India, developed customised solutions suitable to Indian market demands, mentored engineering students for industry readiness and hosted Technical Meets in ISA.
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