Word to the W.I.S.E. #whystandardsmatter

Our guest today is fondly known as the Batterywali of India. Dr Rashi Gupta, Founder Director, Vision Mechatronics has pioneered the manufacturing of advanced lithium batteries and made herself a name to reckon with in the field of renewable energy and energy storage.

Named Asia's most influential woman in renewable energy, Dr Rashi advocates for gender equality and women empowerment at every possible opportunity.

She is a committee member of the Bureau of Indian Standards for batteries, energy storage, and e-mobility, a member of International Electro-technical Commission and the list goes on.

Through Word to the W.I.S.E, we will continue to build on our legacy: driving transformative change in pursuit of a safer and more resilient society by inspiring more young women to a career in the field of STEM.

Remember, you too can nominate more remarkable women to be part of the show. Or just send in your questions for future guests on the Word to the WISE podcast.

All you have to do is visit us on saferindiatoday.org.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Safer India Today.

Don’t forget to subscribe and like us on your favourite podcast platform

You can also read along as you listen to the Word to the WISE host Shivraj Parshad in conversation with Dr. Rashi Gupta:

Host: Dr Rashi Gupta thank you for joining me in this conversation on the Word to the WISE podcast. How does it make you feel being known as the Batterywali of India? And more importantly, can you tell us a bit about why you came to be known as the Batterywali?

Dr Rashi Gupta: Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity here today to be with you on this podcast. Well, how do I come to be known as Batterywali of India? Now this happened because I'm one of the pioneers in this segment and being a female, only female entrepreneur in a domain, that the tagline as Batterywali of India. And, you know, being the pioneer, there were not many people. When in 2015, when we started with advanced lithium batteries in India and, you know, in India, there's always a wali or wallah tag attached to your work. So that's how they describe your work profile. And then it was easier for people to just see and relate, you know? Okay; Go to Batterywali, that female who works in batteries. She'll tell you what is to be done. So, so that's how it came and and then I took it as a tagline for me as a respect and affection given by the industry. So, I said, why not adopt it?

Host: And that's in good spirit. But before we get into your work and views on the role of women in science and engineering, can you Dr Rashi, give our listeners a sense of where your love for the sciences began.

Dr Rashi Gupta: Well, right at the childhood. My love for science began right at the childhood. You know, as a female, my parents never gave me dolls, playing materials with generally girls get, I always got a computer to play with, so I was the one who was playing PC man and Pacman, at that time, And I was always into computers and you know, more things with innovation would fascinate me rather than, you know, get into the traditional. But at the same time, my mother did strike a balance to ensure that I could do everything at home. I mean, all the household chores is something that I can still do. So, you know, that was something which was fascinating. And I'm very thankful to my family, that they could allow me to take a science as a background and they always encouraged and said it's fine, you can take up science and then it really fascinated me a lot. I would love doing those experiments, I would love seeing how computers would work. In fact, when I created my first email ID I was so excited. We had those old modems in our house at that time, you know, those 144 kbps those white colors small models which would work. So that internet would give me such a big exposure to more technology and it would connect me to the world to read more and understand more. So, it goes way back to my childhood.

Host: That's so interesting. And why renewables? More specifically energy storage and lithium batteries

Dr Rashi Gupta: Why renewables? I tell you what I mean. I started in 2009 with robotics and my plate was full very soon because of the kind of work we did, very niche, very advanced. And then I was like, okay, now I'm getting stagnated. I feel stagnated. How do I give my brain some challenge to really create, innovate? Because it was on an autopilot mode for 3, 4 years. Next 3-4 years. So, what do we do? So then renewables did catch my interest. because that's where, you know, energy and power comes into play. And I loved power, somehow. It was very important for me to give back to the society at large because the society has given me a lo...

On this episode, we speak to Rashmi Urdhwareshe former director of the automotive research association or ARAI, a cooperative industrial research association by the automotive industry, as well as the Ministry of Industries. Rashmi is an automotive safety, emissions, e-mobility, and sustainable transport expert, among others. She did a graduation degree in Electrical Engineering in 1981 and completed a post-graduation in Electronics and Telecommunications subsequently. An unusual and challenging choice of career for a woman in India at the time. Rashmi is the recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar, a woman empowerment award, an annual award given by the government of India for her outstanding contribution to automotive technology.

Through Word to the W.I.S.E, we will continue to build on our legacy: driving transformative change in pursuit of a safer and more resilient society by inspiring more young women to a career in the field of STEM.

Remember, you too can nominate more remarkable women to be part of the show. Or just send in your questions for future guests on the Word to the WISE podcast.

All you have to do is visit us on saferindiatoday.org.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Safer India Today.

Don’t forget to subscribe and like us on your favourite podcast platform

You can also read along as you listen to the Word to the WISE host Shivraj Parshad in conversation with Rashmi Urdhwareshe:

Host: Rashmi Urdhwareshe, thank you for taking the time to speak to us on the Word to the WISE podcast

Rashmi Urdhwareshe: Hello.

Host: Rashmi you did your degree in Electrical Engineering and Master's in Electronics and Telecommunication in the Eighties, but what motivated you to pursue a career in Automotive Engineering?

Rashmi Urdhwareshe: Well, my career in Automotive engineering is just by chance while I was doing already my Master's degree in the second year itself there came in an opportunity at automotive research association of India.

They had announced a position for trainee engineers. And I thought let me try and one of my friends at the time was working there and she gave a feedback that it's a good position and I should try it out. I actually did try I applied and the interview was quite rigorous. In fact, during the interview, I came to know a lot about what is expected for a new trainee engineer to work in a very, very tough environment..

I did accept the challenge. And I joined in the instrumentation laboratory. I continued there. I had various opportunities. My growth happened, the entire career span of 37 years happened. And finally, I retired from the same Institute as the director..

Host: And that's quite an amazingly long tenure to stay with one industry, one organization, but let's just go back to your time when you studied and accomplished so much in the institutions you studied in .Clearly at the time they were male bastions.It was unheard of, of women choosing such degrees, as well as choosing a career path like this. What was it like then? And what were your takeaways from your experience studying in these institutions?

Rashmi Urdhwareshe: Yes, I think the career and it's struggle started in engineering colleges. I took admission in 1977 in a regional college of engineering at Nagpur. That was truly a male dominated college and we were handful of us girls students in the class. We had to struggle. Those four years taught me a lot. And in fact, when I received my award from the same colleges, distinguished alumnus, I expressed this to the girl students there. And the struggle was really real.

And that gave me a lot to takeaway when I started the career without any fear, in fact in automotive engineering. The initial years itself we had an opportunity to visit on a fellowship for six months to United Kingdom and Germany that opened up a lot of ideas for us to work together.

It removed a lot of restraints constraints, et cetera, and brought a very healthy atmosphere, at least in the working level. And then of course, when I kind of was in a position to manage my teams much differently, much in a able manner. That made a great impact. The initial formative years were very important for me.

Host: And in those formative years looking at the way , the industry, the domain of engineering sciences has grown the way women have contributed. What do you believe is the message for women when they're up against the similar challenges?

Rashmi Urdhwareshe: I think going back and looking back at how I was able to manage it. My mindset always has been to give the best to where I belonged. Be it at family be it at personal commitments or be it at the career. I would go out of my way to pe...

Our next guest is Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founder of the country's, or perhaps even Asia's leading biotechnology, enterprise Biocon.

A pioneer of the biotechnology industry her journey began in a garage in the 1970s and with grit and determination to buck the trend of Indian women running a corporation, Dr. Kiran has turned Biocon into an innovation nerve-centre that is committed to affordable solutions in healthcare. She is living proof that girls can do anything they set their minds on.

Through Word to the W.I.S.E, we will continue to build on our legacy: driving transformative change in pursuit of a safer and more resilient society by inspiring more young women to a career in the field of STEM.

Remember, you too can nominate more remarkable women to be part of the show. Or just send in your questions for future guests on the Word to the WISE podcast.

All you have to do is visit us on saferindiatoday.org.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Safer India Today.

Don’t forget to subscribe and like us on your favourite podcast platform.

You can also read along as you listen to the Word to the WISE host Shivraj Parshad in conversation with Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw:

Host: Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. It is a privilege to have you on the Word to the WISE podcast.

Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: It's a pleasure. Thanks.

Host: Now you are a public figure and there has been so much written about you. But if I may ask you to go back to that little girl from your past, accompanying your father to the brewery, you had different ambitions back then, right?

Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: Absolutely Shivraj. Basically, I had a very different perspective on where I wanted to go. When I was a young girl, I actually wanted to become a doctor. And I can share with you that it was my inability to basically pass through the portals of any medical college that got me to basically pursue a BSc honours in biology and chemistry. And it was thereafter that, I started getting very interested in microbiology and fermentation science, which then led me to Australia, thanks to my late father's persuasion. When I took up brewing, science, which actually was a very unconventional, , thing for a girl to do, but, , he felt that it was biotechnology and fermentation science was a science that had many, many applications in different fields and he encouraged me to pursue it. And that's what I did. I went to Australia, studied doing science, you know, got very excited with what it could do. Got very interested in microbial fermentation because that's what doing science is about. It's about fermenting, various kinds of grains using yeast and then making different kinds of beers from it. And so when I came back to India to pursue a brewing profession, I suddenly hit the gender barrier and people didn't want to hire a woman as a brewer. And that's where I then changed my tack . My destiny changed and I started a biotech company instead.

Host: And I gather it all began in a garage in the 1970s with a very small, dedicated team, but it wasn't easy. You've often described yourself as an accidental entrepreneur. Why is that?

Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: Well, I just mentioned to you that I was unsuccessful in, in pursuing a career in brewing. And I was all set to basically pursue a brewing career anywhere in the world, when an accidental encounter with a, an Irish biotech entrepreneur changed my fate. Because he wanted to set up a biotech company in India. He had tracked me down because of my Australian brewing days and discussed what he wanted to do in terms of developing and researching enzyme technologies. And, , just because I wasn't that successful in getting a brewing job I thought, why not try this out? And that's how I decided to become an entrepreneur instead, even though I felt it was a foolish thing for me to do, because like I had explained to my Irish partner, I said, you know what? I don't have any business knowledge or acumen. I don't have money to invest in this business. And, you know, I'm a woman, which is very difficult in a country like India to run a business with. So that was my perspective, which of course, then he did not agree with and encouraged me to pursue an entrepreneurial journey.

Host: And as you pursued your entrepreneurial journey, I gather you came up against a lot of hurdles in terms of investment, in terms of growth. And then of course you acquired the company yourself. Could you describe how you then overcame all of those challenges?

Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: Yeah. I very soon realized that whether it was about getting a job or starting a company, there was a huge gender barrier, gender bias, whatever you might call it. And, it all basica...

In this episode we meet someone who leads from the front when it comes to the world of international safety standards, Sonya Bird, Director, International Standards at Underwriters Laboratories. Sonya, began her career at UL, 30 years ago, as a technical standards program manager and now leads teams across the globe. She was named Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Underwriters Laboratories in recognition of her significant and sustained contributions to fulfilling UL’s public safety mission.

Sonya serves on various national and international forums, representing the United States on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), as well as on various leading IEC task forces to harmonize best standards practices globally. Significantly, task forces on diversity and gender responsive standards and attaining the UN’s Sustainable Development goals. Sonya is a recipient of the IEC Thomas A. Edison award, for her exceptional achievements and dedicated service.

You can read along as you listen to the interview with Sonya here:

Host: Sonya Bird, thank you for speaking to us on the Word to the WISE podcast. Such a rich and varied experience but take us back to where it all began, from being a student of STEM to choosing a career path in safety and performance standards. How did that happen?

Sonya: From a young age, I loved math and science, and in my spare time I enjoyed puzzles, especially logic puzzles. I was a member of the competitive Math team in my high school, so I was one of those people who stayed after school to do more Math. Math and Science just made sense to me! I was lucky that my school counsellor and my father both steered me towards considering engineering when I went to college. Based on aptitude and interest tests, I ended up in electrical engineering. The labwork and power problems associated with electrical engineering really were just another form of logic puzzles! It all made sense to me!

When I was set to graduate from university, I saw an advertisement for an engineering job that also required good writing skills. I thought this was perfect descriptor for me – solid engineering degree with a desire and aptitude for writing. So I applied! That job was for an introductory engineering role in the standards department at Underwriters Laboratories. I applied, and in the process learned about Underwriters Laboratories and its long history of working for a safer world. The job – and the company – was such a perfect match for me! That was nearly 33 years ago, and I have been thrilled to be at Underwriters laboratories ever since!

Host: Your role is also not just a national or international one but also to lead global harmonisation of performance and safety standards. How challenging or satisfying has that been? What keeps you going?

Sonya: Initially, my role as standards project manager allowed me to focus on the safety requirements for a number of traditional UL standards, including ceiling fans, battery chargers, and portable tools. A number of industries – and the portable tool industry is a good example – desired to have requirements that were more global in nature. I began working with the portable tool industry on common requirements in the US and Canada, and that effort extended to more international work. It’s definitely satisfying to know that through standards development I could have a positive affect on a country’s safety system – but it is even more gratifying to know that my work addresses safety globally. Once I got involved in international standards, I actually became secretary for IEC TC 61 responsible for addressing safety of appliances for household use. This committee covers all types of appliances – from washing machines and clothes dryers to coffee makers and beauty care. I recall one issue that we addressed within that international committee. A delegate to the meeting had data that showed potential excessive surface temperatures on an oven door. While an adult may touch the door and feel the heat and pull away, a child may not recognize the danger immediately. The delegate had pictures of children’s hands that had received burns from touching the hot oven door for too long of a period of time. The committee was able to look at the requirements in the standard, as well as requirements in other related standards (such as UL’s standard for ovens) and introduced a change to the text to protect children from burns. You ask what keeps me going? This is what keeps me going – to recognize that standards have a direct impact on safety around the world. Through our work we hopefully have reduced the chance of other children burning their hands.

Host: And standards are a rather niche area, so if you were to break it down for our listeners, what would you say are the key requirements (especially for women ...