Belief in oneself is the basic mantra for women to emerge as a leader: Dipali Goenka, Welspun India

Dipali Goenka, CEO & Joint MD, Welspun India Limited, says, women's day is a day that we celebrate women but women need to be celebrated every day. During a candid chat with Swati Khandelwal, Zee Business, Ms Goenka talked about different aspects that a woman needs to have to emerge and be accepted as a leader at the workplace. Edited Excerpts:

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Q: What is your message to the young women who find their role models in you on the occasion of international women's day?

A: The important thing is why we celebrate women's day? Is it not be necessary that every day could be a women's day. Every day is a day where is equality, every day is a day where we have the right to voice what we want to. So, I hope and very soon and I think it should become an equal world, a world where everyone gets the same opportunity that the other person is also getting. So, I think, that is where it is. First of all, women's day is a day that we celebrate women but women need to be celebrated every day.

Q: But as a business leader what qualities a woman should have to tackle situations, especially in the board rooms and leadership forums? Also, there was a time, when women were not taken seriously in the board rooms. Has the situation changed now?

A: First of all, you said that women are not taken seriously, but I think that the important thing is about how much you respect yourself or believe in yourself. I think that is very very important and the day you start taking yourself seriously, the day you start respecting yourself, is the day when everybody will respect you. I think that is the first and the fundamental thing of anything we do. Secondly, the opportunity for women of this world is concerned, then a lot of doors are opening for us including the policies that are being introduced in our board room, corporate are very women conducive kind of opportunity. So, I would like to say that we should first look at ourselves, have faith then all the doors will open for us. I think it is always that if you take yourself seriously, the world will start taking you seriously.

Q: Women's importance and requirement are at both places, the home as well as the workplace, equally. So, how it should be managed without compromising any of the two?

A: The most important thing is how your whole ecosystem is supporting you. And, I would like to present an example for the purpose, we did a project with an NGO, many years ago and was in around 2011. Then in 2011, when we were talking about women in manufacturing, we did a programme with one NGO, where we did a multitasking programme. We have always seen everywhere whether it is rural or urban, we have to take care of the children in the morning, then of the home and complete all the chores of home and get out for the work and then follow the same routine after getting back to home. So, it cannot be done alone until and unless you do not have support from your family. So, we did a multitasking programme, where we did that how much work is the man going to take from his wife. I think that is something that we started doing and as a result today we have 25% women in our workforce. This multitasking programme was really successful at Welspun due to which the percentage of women started increasing at our place. So, definitely, if you are alone then nothing can happen and that is one thing that I think that I should put forward. Secondly, we talk about diversity and it is so in the corporate is that many women are needed but I think the important is how the ecosystem is supporting her. So, there is an ecosystem at the home and her support system in the family and the second at the workplace. Diversity is a very easy word but are they getting respect from their peers. There is self-esteem and respect and both come from an ecosystem are you getting it. I think that is very important. So, in short, if there is support from the family and at the workplace are the peers respect and are taught to respect, I think, this is where the system gets created.

Q: When there is a talk related to women empowerment, let us know about the types of women-related programmes that Welspun has to help women to strengthen at the leadership position? How do you see it since you are leading it from the front, any examples you want to share? 

A: The most important is creating a community for women that support each other as well. So, we have a programme called 'Women of Welspun', which actually not only support the white collars or at the corporate but also to our blue-collar associates. So, creating a community where we have sessions for nutrition, mental health any other advice or issues. So, they get together and we call the experts from the industry and they talk to them. They can also reach out to this. So, this helps to create that kind of community where you have a voice and you can reach out. You have people who can resonate with you if you are facing some problems, you can learn things from people around you. So, this is something that we have created. I would also like to add something to it that Welspun's diversity does not exist on the shop floor but we are building that kind of strength everywhere whether it is the stem, digital or technology among others. Building people to come in and making more women be part of that as well because I feel that women have that capacity not only to multitask but have the wisdom to nurture a team, the whole workforce and also to nurture the whole digitisation that is now taking the whole world forward.

Q: There are geopolitical tensions and their impact are visible across the world. Since you as a company have a presence in Europe as you have big exports to the region. What impact the geopolitical tensions will have on your business and how will you tackle it?

A: Business is one thing but the entire ecosystem, complete global scenario is looking very uncertain at this point. I mean, in terms of commodities, completely going on a rise, crude has taken another position. So, these are uncertain times and talking anything about the future in these times will be very difficult but definitely, we, the complete corporate world, will have to gear up and tighten everything now because the next year is going to be a complete difficult year for everybody, each one of us. It is about how we remain completely on the surface to balance everything, I think this will be the key thing this time.