Mumbai: Today, women are breaking the glass ceiling in every sector. Beyond all this, there still exists a patriarchal mindset. Not many women are in the C-suite taking important decisions. And, of course, there still exists pay parity.
This Women’s Day, we, at Indiantelevision.com, are acknowledging some women leaders of the media, marketing, and advertising fraternity and also from other professions, who have given more than expected.
Mrinalini Khana, Vice President, Originals, Lionsgate
Her Journey
My journey makes me believe in miracles because when I was growing up in Delhi the thought of being in entertainment was farthest from my reality. I studied to be an Architect, I did science in school despite wanting to pursue a career in music, dance and acting but it so happened that opportunities led me towards writing and eventually I moved to Mumbai and became a producer with Endemol. I was actually a part of their ‘Think Tank’ which used to come up with formats on how to pitch ideas to broadcasters; I think my love for scripting just took over from then. Since 2012 I was pushing the company to move in the direction of scripted entertainment versus non-fiction which was our claim to fame. Eventually, in 2016, I met Ekta Kapoor for a series she wanted to put on her platform for which Samar Khan and I were co-producers and since then I have never looked back. I think the beauty was one, the city of Mumbai just allows you a shot at the life you want as long as you are willing to work hard and two, it is also the industry – it’s just invigorating, inspiring and once you feel a part of it you never want to leave.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
I have many inspirations in terms of the people I meet and work with but I think the biggest thing that inspires me is when I remind myself that what I do for a living is a privilege – not everyone in the world gets to be in a job that they love. A lot of these choices are usually out of necessity versus love and passion so the fact that I have an opportunity to wake up and do something I love every day in itself means a lot to me. Besides, I think we owe it to audiences, to our creators, to the incredible team of technicians and just the crew and the actors to give it our best every time we enter into a project. It’s a privilege to entertain people – to make them laugh, cry, remember their best moments, remind them of love and the best way to take that privilege forward is to give it your 100 per cent.
Empowerment of Women
I think the first thing we should do is teach the girls at our homes – our sisters, daughters, and mothers, that the biggest thing they can do for themselves is be financially independent. That to me is the best way we can empower women across the country – by educating and teaching them how to make their own way in the world. For women in the industry I think it’s important to know that we should be together whether we are on different sides of the table, or we do polar opposite activities on a project. It’s time for women to get together and push each other and protect each other as opposed to necessarily falling within the stereotype which is famous amongst men that ‘two women can’t be friends’. They can.. and they can be incredible friends.
Ankita Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer, KISNA, H K Jewels Pvt Ltd.
Her journey
I have spent 18+ years in the Industry shaping up some of India’s most loved brands in the beauty, personal care and men’s grooming and lifestyle space. My expertise is brands, delivering innovations that are meaningfully differentiated and appealing to consumers, helping the consumer upgrade her life in some way. My primary role has been one of a problem solver – identifying unique consumer opportunities and delivering brand and business solutions that meet them profitably.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
I have seen the Indian woman at the stage where she was seeking societal approval for the colour of her skin to navigate her way, finding her voice and asserting herself and now buying diamonds for herself! I have also seen men change from alpha to more beta version, taking better care of themselves and often being the wind beneath the wings of these successful women. Men and women have changed, the equation between them has changed and it will continue to evolve even more rapidly. The joy of listening, truly listening, to these changing needs of the consumer, understanding their pain points and aspirations and then creating a solution that will make their day better in some way, keeps me going. I aim to ensure that the mix of strategy or communication that gets signed off from my desk continues to be meaningful, progressive and uplifting for my consumers.
Empowerment of Women
At a fundamental level, women’s empowerment comes down to two critical pillars: equal opportunity as well as the freedom to make one’s own choices. It is evident from the growing number of women in the workplace that the basics are now in place. What is critical is for women to remember who they are and ask themselves basic questions – whose expectations are they working towards – their own or someone else’s? Is their decision-making framework personal or is toeing the line of “should” and “should not”? Critically, is their behaviour modelling borrowing heavily from men, particularly when it comes to showing of authority. True empowerment will come from a sustained sense of authentic self and behaviour irrespective of whether they are in the corporate space or outside of it.
Sukanya Chakraborty, Chief Communications Officer, VFS Global
Her journey
My journey started with a passion to make an impact through effective communication. With over 24 years of experience in the industry, I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of audiences across industry segments. Throughout my career, I never let my gender come in the way of my aspirations and achievements. I developed my skills and knowledge not only in communications but also in the industry segments I worked in, a trait I continue to pursue and I was fortunate enough to have some wonderful managers and allies who supported me along the way. One of the highlights was leading the global communication strategy and outreach for VFS Global during Covid-19 when travel across the world was shut down. It was a challenging and intense experience, but the responsibility to deliver real-time information to a diverse set of stakeholders was extremely gratifying.
Over the years, I have learned the importance of resilience, perseverance, and adaptability in the face of adversity. I have also kept pace with the evolving communication industry, trends and technologies, which are essential for any communicator to remain relevant.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
My inspiration comes from the power of effective communication in bringing people together and driving positive change. I believe that communication is a tool that can break down barriers and build bridges between individuals, communities, and organisations.
To inspire my team, I always demonstrate the importance of clear and concise communication in everything we do. I prioritise listening, empathy, and collaboration, and encourage my team to do the same. I also seek out opportunities for professional development, whether through training programmes, workshops, or mentorship, to ensure that we stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in communication.
Another way I try to inspire my team is by fostering a positive and supportive work environment. I believe that when people feel valued and supported, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work. I regularly acknowledge and celebrate our team’s achievements, big or small, and encourage open communication and feedback to ensure everyone feels heard and respected.
Empowerment of Women
I believe that the empowerment of women is not only a moral and social imperative but also a strategic imperative for any organisation or society. Women make up nearly half of the world’s population, and their contributions are critical to economic growth, social development, and political stability.
Enabling women means equipping them with the necessary tools, resources, and opportunities to reach their full potential. This can include providing access to education and healthcare, advocating for gender equality in the workplace, supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, and promoting women’s rights and representation in all areas of society.
From a communication perspective, elevating women means highlighting their voices and experiences, dismantling stereotypes and biases, and fostering supportive environments for women to connect. This can contribute to the creation of a more fair and equitable society for everyone.
Inclusion has to be real, not mere tokenism.
In short, empowering women is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. By investing in women’s advancement, we can unlock their full potential, create more inclusive and prosperous societies, and build a better future for all.
Sowmya Iyer, Founder DViO Digital
Her journey
My journey in the last 15 years has been very fulfilling. Today we are in four countries, serving six markets, and a team of two hundred professionals working across digital, creative and technology. We are one of the largest independent digital force, marketing and tech firms with a multi-country approach.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
About my inspiration, really. I think any woman who’s trying to break the gender stereotypes that have been built over the last so many years purely by her self-expression, right? Not as a rebel or not as someone who’s trying to prove a point, but as someone just through her self-expression, her ambitions, and her motivations, breaking the gender stereotypes is an inspiration for me. On how I inspire my team. I believe in giving my best to the team. My role is to give my best to the team. And when the team sees you giving your best, or when the team sees your inaction, they reciprocate equally or more. So that is how I inspire my team.
Empowerment of Women
Well, about women empowerment, I think we need to stop using this word, women empowerment. Empowerment, in its very essence, means somebody is empowering you. Why should anybody in the world empower women? Right? Women should find the power within themselves to do what they need to do. They don’t need empowerment to be granted to them by anybody. We haven’t heard of anything called man empowerment, of men empowerment. So why should we speak about women’s empowerment? And I also think to women at large, when they hear of terms like women empowerment, automatically, we settle into the belief that somebody will come and give us something. Nobody is going to come and give us anything. We must find our power within ourselves and get the world.
And in the context of Women’s Day, I’d like to highlight that as I have grown through this journey, I’ve been fortunate not to experience gender-based or gender-biased decisions in my entrepreneurial experience. That speaks a lot about how far we moved, even as a society. The Middle East is one of our significant markets. And quite contrary to the general perception, I’ve only received much encouragement as a woman entrepreneur in this region and also business on merit. So, that makes me feel very proud. And I am in a happy space with this experience that I’ve had.
Rajeshree Naik, Founder, Ping Network
Her Journey
It’s over 20 years of being a communications, marketing and now a business owner. Many hats, many roles and many brands. As an agency person and on the consulting side I have had the ability to be part of several brands across categories. That has held me in good stead because it has made me naturally curious and interested across industries. A huge news junkie – and here may I clarify, I do not watch television news and I get what I have to from newspapers and high-quality long form magazines. I have had the privilege of working about eight years in the diamond industry which gave me a strong perspective of both the luxury world and a unique insight into consumer behaviour, especially women. Having taken a mid-career study programme – I strongly recommend this to people who are 12-15 years into their careers. This helps rejuvenate and give a newer perspective. This pursuit of a general management and leadership programme at INSEAD was the start of my own interest in pursuing an entrepreneurial venture. As a marketing and communications person, media was a very easy and natural choice for me. 10 years as part of the founding team at Ping digital broadcast and working in the digital ecosystem has been extremely rewarding and a significant learning curve. In these ten years, with an unwavering belief in the power of video online, the influence of creators, and the belief in utility and knowledge-driven categories like food have seen us build a brand that is today truly a catalyst for creators – monetising through content and commerce.
We still have quite a distance to cover because it’s early days – but we do know with the work with creators, our food education vertical Start2Bake, our product venture with Kabita’s Kitchen with the launch of her spice range, our publishing platform India Food Network network and also what we do for Tastemade in India – is a unique spectrum and we know we are building something very unique. We continue building our vision of the most valuable catalyst for creators through content and commerce.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
My inspiration is some amazing entrepreneurs and business heads – I easily turn to them for advice and an exchange of ideas.
I have tried to inspire my teams more through my own actions. I feel when they see my passion, commitment and also will to do, they will be inspired by my actions.
Today Ping is a woman-dominated organisation – but this has less to do with a gender-driven effort at recruitment and more with the skills we have got on board.
Empowerment of Women
I believe women need to be empowered not just professionally but personally – this will come when all stakeholders at home and at work see them as equal. I would like to believe what we are building at Ping is an environment where all feel empowered – irrelevant of gender. Good entrepreneurial ventures benefit significantly when employees across levels feel empowered. It’s something we consciously encourage because we believe it’s critical to success.
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