Even today, many women give up their careers due to family responsibilities…

Ritu Lal- (Client Partner- Infrastructure and Energy Amroop India)

Today, some women, through their extraordinary talent and hard work, have made a name for themselves and established their positions in fields once considered male-dominated. Ritu Lal is one such pioneer. Driven by her desire to continue her research, Ritu earned a degree in Botany and, after completing her MBA, has become a prominent figure in the solar power industry.

By having a meaningful conversation with Ritu Lal about her life journey, education, career choices, and success, we want to present some aspects for students and their families that can bring positive changes to their career paths.

Tell us something about your family and childhood.

I grew up in a nuclear family. My father was in the civil service and was frequently transferred. As a child, I lived in many different environments: Sikkim, Kolkata, and Delhi. Back then, in the 1980s, there was no television or anything else to distract me. From the age of four, I developed a reading habit that fueled my imagination. I loved Agatha Christie. I also loved comics like Amar Chitra Katha, Archie, and Tintin. I remember having fights with my sister over the monthly issue of Reader’s Digest. There was a fight over who wanted to read it first; the same fight happened with Time magazine because it had jumbled words and other puzzles.

Where did you receive your primary education?

At that time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I was a good student, so I chose science. I also enjoyed biology. When it came to further studies, I realized that I wasn’t enjoying physics as much, so studying for engineering exams didn’t make sense. I liked science as a subject, and I loved biology, but it wasn’t my career goal. However, I had no interest in medicine. I was just memorizing MBBS books and didn’t consider any kind of surgery. I considered a few options like history and journalism, but my inclination was still toward science; however, I was clear that I didn’t want to become a doctor. So, I chose Botany, graduated, and then pursued an MBA because many of my friends were doing it at the time.

I earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing. I applied for jobs in banks and FMCG companies—I applied for almost every job available. After a while, I joined an FMCG company in finance called SmithKline Beecham. It had brands like Horlicks, and that was my first job. I joined treasury and finance. Within two years, I moved to strategic sourcing and procurement because they saw strong negotiation skills in me.

What were the turning points in your career?

There was a time when I wasn’t happy with a change in my position. I discussed it with my superior: “Why are they moving me to purchasing? I don’t like the crowds there.” He told me that I should try the work, and if I didn’t like it, I could come back—this work was now global. I agreed, believing that I was moving forward. I ended up loving my procurement career.

After some time, I came across a solar startup whose founder, Sanjiv, knew me. We met through friends and pitched the idea for a solar startup. My husband and I created a presentation and presented it to him, which he loved, and we made a small investment in the company. But I liked the startup more as a business idea. I went to him and said, “Sanjiv, I don’t know anything about renewable energy or solar energy. I’ve even forgotten what the unit of measurement for electricity is, but I want to come on board. I can play a commercial role here.” He said, “We can’t pay you right now.” I said, “Okay. Let’s start first.” At that time, the business center was operating from a single room. There were four people: two founders, one technical person, and one finance person. At that time, I was managing my profession while raising my young child. I loved my work. I had knowledge of other fields, but at that time, I had no knowledge of solar. But I took it as a learning opportunity and learned everything related to solar: customers, technology, industry issues, challenges, what we need to do as a country, what the risks are, and how we can avoid them.

How do you see the women workforce and its challenges?

I noticed that energy is a male-dominated industry. There are very few female CEOs and CXOs. I also led initiatives for women there. I served as an advisor to some management firms, both within the solar industry and outside of it, that were not as well-established. Today, companies and industries are increasingly focused on creating work environments that promote gender diversity. However, the sad truth is that women remain a minority.

What other facilities do you think women should get?

Even today, many women abandon their careers to take on family responsibilities. The burden of children, family, and aging parents falls on them. Many offices today offer flexible hours, and some even offer work-from-home options. But most jobs don’t have this facility, forcing women to retreat. In this predicament, government jobs offer significant support to women. So, why doesn’t the private sector adopt this type of work-from-home approach? Even today, private-sector work-from-home practices create problems for women.

— Rajni Prasad