Meet Rajalakshmi Hegde, a professional in Industrial Automation and a Global Ambassador for Society for Women Engineers. She worked in multiple roles in her field and currently a Strategic Account Manager in a multinational company. She is a proud recipient of International Inspirational Women’s award by GISR foundation for the year 2022. She is also a keen supporter of handloom artisans.

Tell us bit about yourself and your educational background

I am an engineer with 24 years of experience in the field of Industrial Automation (IA), currently working as Strategic Account Manager – Global EU in a multinational company, responsible for business development and sales for Global End Users. End Users in the engineering field are the ones who create the product using machines and lines supplied by original equipment manufacturers (OEM). I completed my Bachelor’s in Electronics and also a Master’s in Business Management in Executive Education, which I completed in parallel with my current job. I am also a mother to an 18-year-old boy who is currently pursuing engineering. I have lived in the historical city of Pune which is the cultural capital of Maharashtra, for most of my life.

My journey to the current role

My industrial career started immediately after completion of my graduation in engineering. Not surprisingly, when I joined the organization, I was the only woman in the organization in the area of IA. This field is predominantly male-dominated even today. This is mainly because it does involve a lot of strenuous work on the shop floor. However, women now have far exceeded the expectations of the industry and society in adapting to the field work.

When I completed Engineering, software boom (now IT) was at its peak, it unleashed umpteen opportunities for software engineers in India. This area attracted engineers from all other fields too, while jobs in manufacturing sector were on a decline. Even though, I attended a lot of interviews for IT firms, the data entry jobs and the likes did not attract me. I wanted to be in core field of engineering, So I joined a R&D centric small-scale company,  designing Printed Circuit Boards and doing programming.

A job at an IA company, was really the type of job I wanted to do as a customer support engineer. Programmable Logic Controller and Human Machine Interface – a relatively new field then, were replacing the huge relay boards and panels of automated machines and plants. However, I got into a field where manufacturing would be the key, machines would be important and I would get a chance to travel and explore various fields of IA. Thus, my journey in the field of IA started.

What are the challenges you faced as woman engineer doing core field work?

 I have more than two decades of experience in the field of IA and it has been challenging at each stage. The challenges faced at every stage of my career helped me build up my confidence tremendously. I have worked on shopfloor and got my hands dirty, done commissioning & installation of the machines. Worked at remote locations where you would not find good transport system to travel, no women toilets, no mobile phones at that time, only resort was the landlines that were present at the plant offices, which you got to if you walked several miles. Women were not welcome on shopfloors because the company did not have a female friendly environment and managers would often resist having a woman employee for commissioning. The initial phase of my career was marked with struggles not only limited with commissioning of machines and studying the nitty gritty of the profession, but involved my personal metamorphosis to become tough and face the world. At this point, I would say I managed to establish myself in the IA segment. I was well known amongst companies as a woman engineer who stayed late nights to commission and start the machine.

How has your field changed for women in the last twenty years?

The field of IA dealt with remote locations, industrial areas, extensive travel, communication with the person who was in-charge for installation of the machine was extremely difficult. Recruitment advertisements and processes clearly mentioned “no females”, as the world did not recognize equality as much as it does today. Not just the industries, but families were not comfortable sending their daughters to areas where the contact would be rare, travel would be challenging. The field of IA only saw men from shopfloors to board rooms, including the receptionist.

From that era, with so much disparity to an era where women are treated equally, where health, safety and security are mandatory when a woman travels to industrial locations, to infrastructures housing male and female toilets, is a welcome change. With reservations for women in factories from shopfloor to boardroom, everything has changed for the good. Women have evolved too, they are independent, they have strong support from families, they are open to take up these challenges and find better ways to work around these challenges and the industry is thus open to women with many more opportunities in the field of IA.

What are the challenges you face while balancing being a mother and engineer and how do you overcome them?

At a point when my son was born, I took up the job of training plus key account (which is being one point of contact for the client), this meant I had to travel extensively. The toughest time of my life was travelling for commissioning when my when my son was just 4 months old.

After a few years I was given the opportunity to establish the training department in my company which I did on the National level. I also moved on to take care of all India project management for customers. At this phase, I also did my MBA working almost 18-20 hours a day every single day till I completed my course as I could not let my studies hamper my job. This gave me an opportunity for switching to sales which opened up many doors for me and I held the office manager position before I switched to strategic Account manager position for Global End Users working with a global team which is my present position.

I appreciate my leaders in the various companies who were also men, for providing the opportunity and supporting me as much as possible. We do have to prove our worth, and when men around you see the results, they do accept and work shoulder to shoulder with us.

What are the attributes in your present job that attracted you in deciding for this role? What excites you about your job?

Main attributes I would say is a global collaboration, working closely with clients and understanding their requirements, providing them the right solution that is techno commercially viable and working on strategies to expand the market share for my company. This job helps me to stay ahead with the technology and innovations trends in the market and my company. This also keeps me tuned to my main profile that is Sales.

How do you unwind after a hectic day/week at work?

Work-life balance is a very important aspect and my mantra has always been working hard and party even harder. After a hectic day, I generally turn off my communications from office and do what I like best, it could be cooking together with my family at times, or listening to music, or reading a book. If I have something important, I make sure I get back to work after I have had my relaxation time. Also setting aside limited time for work when you are with family is important. There is no end limit to work completion and there are always things that can wait till tomorrow.

I am very passionate about Carnatic & Hindustani Classical Musical and also love to follow my yoga routine as much as possible, I strongly support handmade and handloom artisans to promote their creativity and always like to explore new areas of art and handmade crafts. This is my ‘me time’. I connect to weavers, artists and those who support the artisans and help promote handloom and handmade articles. That’s my way of giving back to the society.

In spare time, I work for the Society of Women Engineers to support young women in STEM area. I would always advice to take up mentoring, or helping other women or networking with women from diverse job functions to help you with your career too. I work as a global Ambassador to Society of Women Engineers and promote STEM to female students within India. In 2019 I was awarded the Women leader of the organization by the global institute of women Leaders and UBS Women Entrepreneur.  In 2021, I was awarded the corporate star award by Inspire beyond motherhood.

In your opinion, what are the means of finding job in manufacturing?

Participate in lot of events organized by the companies. It does push you to the edge but at the same time the companies are also trying to recruit good talent. Keep your CV updated and keep upskilling while you are studying. LinkedIn and other platforms offer a lot of online courses and it is much easier than it was in the past to acquire new skills. Linkedin is very important as far as the professional job search is concerned as it opens up doors to many opportunities. Experience interviews, even if you are not selected you always learn from your experience and increases your network. Networking is the key, helps to connect with people in the industry and helps understanding the requirements before you take up a job. Connect to people, visit exhibitions, attend symposiums and conferences all these platforms help to connect.

What is your professional dream and your motto in life?

My main motto in life would be to inspire other women, guide and mentor women in science and engineering to achieve new heights. On the professional side I have achieved a lot and I am happy with what I have done. I would like to take up opportunities that will set me to the next level in my career path and I have not really defined an end yet.

What would be the advice you would like to give young girls who are keen to join the manufacturing / automation sector? 

Industrial manufacturing and automation are challenging fields and the industry today has opened up for diversity. Woman employees are now looked up to be working at equal levels as male employees. More and more positions are opening up, whether it is commissioning, working at mines, oilfields, ports or in harsh environments. There are lot of perception among women at graduate level that the manufacturing industry is demanding, and you cannot balance work and family and so on, do not live on these perceptions. Go experience and decide for yourself! Many presume they are super women and can do a lot of multitasking, could be true but be realistic, you need to gather as much support from family, friends and others to achieve a balance. Finally, it is you who will decide and make an informed choice, there are ample opportunities waiting, do not shy away from hardship and challenging work environment.

I conclude with a quote:’ “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored. – Sheryl Sandberg”