Rajalakshmi Hegde

Rajalakshmi Hegde, the Senior Director of the Program & Projects (Mining & Manufacturing) at LTIMindtree, has been championing the cause of embracing equity in the manufacturing industry. With over 25 years of experience in the industrial automation segment, she has emerged as an expert in her field, having worked with Industrial Automation companies working closely with OEMs and machine manufacturers. Her expertise spans diverse verticals like injection moulding, packaging, pharma, printing, and intelligent and adaptive lines for the CPG and F&B industries.

Rajalakshmi has held various positions throughout her career, including Strategic Account Manager, Office Manager, Key Account Sales, Head of Application, and Head of Training. But she doesn't stop at excelling in her profession but also devotes time to the benefit of society. She strongly believes in giving back to the community and has volunteered as a Global Ambassador for the Society of Women Engineers, leading numerous CSR programs. She also serves as the Chair of the Newsletter with the International Society of Automation.

Rajalakshmi's efforts have not gone unnoticed, and she has been the recipient of several accolades, including Women Leader of the Organization (2019) from the Global Institute of Women's Leadership & UBS Women Empowerment, Corporate Star (2021) from Inspired Beyond Motherhood, and the Women Employee of the Year in Business Award (2022) from GISR Foundation in IIWA. Rajalakshmi is presently volunteering at the Society of Women Engineers as a Global Ambassador, maintaining a well-balanced life while helping society and focusing on continuous self-improvement.

Rajalakshmi Hegde believes that the future of manufacturing lies in flexibility, agility, and connected systems. "Agile systems, connected factories, connected machines, and adaptive manufacturing indicate the future of manufacturing, and automation becomes a key element to achieve them to help improve productivity and efficiency," she says. Industrial automation has made significant progress in bringing equitable job opportunities for all genders and is actively working towards gender parity and women's leadership. "I have spent 25 years of my career in this interesting field of engineering, working on shop floors, machines, factories, and areas which were and remain largely male-dominated," Rajalakshmi adds.

"I believe that gender has never been a topic at home. My parents gave me and my brother equal opportunities and always supported me in taking up challenges, whether at school or while I was studying at college. It's only when I entered the corporate world that these differences became more prevalent," she shares. Rajalakshmi Hegde's interest in engineering began during her childhood in Pune when she spent hours tinkering with toys and taking them apart. Her passion led her to pursue a degree in Electronics Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1996.

Rajalakshmi Hegde kickstarted her career as an application engineer with Messung System Private Limited, where she quickly learned the ropes and progressed to become a senior engineer. She firmly believes that women are excellent multitaskers, good at handling teams, and can take the most complex jobs with empathy and leadership if given a chance. Her journey in the male-dominated manufacturing industry and her efforts towards promoting gender equality make her an inspiration for women in this field.

B&R Industrial Automation played a significant role in Rajalakshmi Hegde's career, having worked with them for almost 23 years in various demanding roles. "The challenges faced at every career stage helped me build my confidence tremendously. I have worked on the shop floor and got my hands dirty, done commissioning & installation of machines, and worked at remote locations where there were no women's toilets, no mobile phones, and limited transport systems," Rajalakshmi shares.

In those times, Rajalakshmi remembers how women were not welcome on the shop floor due to the company's lack of a female-friendly environment. Managers often resisted hiring women for commissioning. The initial phase of her career was marked with struggles, from commissioning machines to study the nitty-gritty of the profession and personal metamorphosis to becoming rigid and facing the world. However, she was well known amongst companies as a woman engineer who stayed late nights to commission and started the machine, establishing herself against all odds to be part of the industry.

"The field of industrial automation dealt with remote locations, industrial areas, and extensive travel, where communication with the person in charge of the machine installation was challenging. Recruitment advertisements and processes mentioned ‘no females,’ as the world did not recognize equality as much as today," Rajalakshmi remembers. However, the manufacturing sector has matured enough to bring diversity and inclusion, recognizing the skill sets brought in by people from various backgrounds, including rural or urban, men or women, and people with disabilities.

"Manufacturing environments now see an all-women workforce on assembly lines, recognizing that women have the structuring and skill sets from the kitchen as well as multitasking to their advantage," she says. However, Rajalakshmi believes that the industry is still not yet at the goal of diversity and equity, and more needs to be done to focus on adapting to the skills required for the job rather than who is doing it.

Rajalakshmi Hegde acknowledges that, as a woman who has succeeded in the manufacturing industry, much work still needs to be done to achieve gender diversity and equity. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the diverse skill sets that individuals bring to the table and how they can be mapped to achieve successful outcomes. "We must understand that men are not machines; machines can do monotonous work with repeated quality and process, whereas humans bring intelligence. The focus should be on mapping intelligence to various processes to remove bottlenecks and improve productivity," she shares.

Rajalakshmi believes that women inherently know how to create standard working procedures to streamline the most challenging processes, ultimately simplifying complex processes. "Making it easy to simplify the manufacturing process comes naturally to women, and we should also map the skill sets of men, people with disabilities, and people from various strata of society to the required area of need," she adds.

The global arena is pushing to have a percentage of women in every department in leadership roles, bringing emotional intelligence and empathy to the team. "Having diverse backgrounds brings about innovative thinking and aspects from varying angles. The competitive spirit is more, and each one strives towards healthy competition. Women have excelled in supply chain management, operations, and on shop floors, bringing performance to the forefront and structuring systems and processes to a large extent," Rajalakshmi highlights.

Rajalakshmi Hegde acknowledges that equity and inclusivity were not limited to women. "Many employees from rural areas faced language barriers, which made it difficult for them to advance in their careers. As a champion for diversity and inclusivity, I decided to make a difference by recommending interview panels that could speak multiple languages," she shares. "I firmly believe that policies must be implemented to ensure equal respect and opportunities for everyone, including those who work in smaller-scale industries that may not have the latest machines or advanced technology. We can create a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all employees by addressing language barriers and other obstacles," Rajalakshmi highlights.

Rajalakshmi Hegde believes that to bring more women into manufacturing, we must consider personal and family commitments, especially in light of the pandemic. "Having daycare centres to support childcare and giving equal opportunities are essential," she highlights. Women in India face the challenge of caring for children and parents, making it necessary for them to work around this aspect to pursue their careers. However, industrial manufacturing and automation are challenging fields, and the industry has opened up for diversity. "Women employees are now considered to be working at equal levels as male employees. More and more positions are opening up, whether commissioning, working at mines, oilfields, ports, or in harsh environments," Rajalakshmi shares.

Many women have misconceptions about the manufacturing industry, thinking balancing work and family is demanding and impossible. "Don't live on these perceptions. Go experience and decide for yourself. 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. Ample opportunities await, so don't shy away from hardship and challenging work environments," Rajalakshmi advises.

Rajalakshmi Hegde has been serving LTIMindtree as its Senior Director of the Program & Projects (Mining & Manufacturing) since November 2022. "I believe practical training and exposure to manufacturing environments should be incorporated into the education system. Students must have hands-on experience with manufacturing processes and shop floors to understand the industry better," says Rajalakshmi Hegde. "We also need to emphasize the importance of design thinking and innovation, encouraging students to think creatively and design efficient solutions."

Rajalakshmi is proud to have contributed to this change as the industry evolves towards greater inclusivity and diversity. "We need women at all levels, including the top, to reshape the conversation and ensure that women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored," she concludes, quoting Sheryl Sandberg.

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