CARGOCONNECT-APRIL2026 - Flipbook - Page 86
Panel 6
Shaping the Next Decade: Women putting Supply
Chains in Overdrive
“When I completed my engineering degree
in metallurgical technology, I was selected
through campus placement to join the
Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant. After initial
training, I was assigned a role in the Quality
and HR-related functions. However, after
spending four years studying core metallurgical processes, particularly blast furnace
operations, I strongly felt that I wanted
to work directly in a technical production
environment. I remained clear in my choice,
and soon after, I was assigned to the blast furnace unit. I later became the
昀椀rst female employee to be inducted into one of the operating units there.
At the time, my presence in day-shift operational roles was considered
unusual, but it gradually helped create acceptance and opened pathways
for more women to be considered for similar positions. Although I was often
viewed symbolically as a representative example within the unit, I recognise
that taking up that role helped break important barriers and encouraged
others to step forward with con昀椀dence. Over time, experiences like these
shaped my approach to leadership. Preparedness, clarity of thought and
con昀椀dence played a key role in contributing e昀昀ectively in such settings.”
SOHINI ADHIKARI, Head– Materials Management, Hilti (India)
(MODERATOR)
“In my view, the starting point for driving
alignment within an organisation is engaging
people and helping them understand the
business impact of their actions. Based on
my experience, when individuals clearly
see how certain practices can a昀昀ect product
quality, business performance or customer
satisfaction, they are more likely to become
part of the solution rather than resist change.
In roles involving audits and compliance
veri昀椀cation, I focus less on highlighting gaps
as faults and more on encouraging collaborative improvement. Instead of
presenting 昀椀ndings as shortcomings, the emphasis is placed on identifying
better ways of working that support business objectives and enhance overall
performance. This approach helps create acceptance and encourages teams to
participate actively in improvement initiatives. It is important that compliance
requirements, operational improvements and organisational initiatives are
always connected to business outcomes. Whether the objective is strengthening
compliance, improving processes or implementing corrective actions, the value
must be clearly demonstrated in terms of customer satisfaction, operational
e昀케ciency or long-term business sustainability.”
SHALINI MISHRA, Sr Manager– Quality, Audit Head– SC,
Kandhari Global Beverages
86 | CARGOCONNECT APRIL 2026
“A fundamental belief that guides
my approach is that products are
ultimately an outcome of people and
processes. I place signi昀椀cant emphasis
on understanding the capabilities
of my teams and ensuring that
organisational processes are robust,
e昀케cient and consistently followed. As
the industry evolves towards greater
integration of electronics and advanced
technologies, it becomes even more
important to ensure that processes are timely, e昀昀ective and aligned with
changing requirements. Operating with accurate data and insights allows
for objective decision-making, rather than relying on assumptions or
emotions. In professional environments, especially at leadership levels,
discussions and decisions are driven by facts, analysis and preparedness. This
approach has helped me engage more e昀昀ectively in boardroom discussions,
where I actively contribute, ask relevant questions and provide informed
perspectives. I also believe in being transparent about what is known and
what requires further clarity. Preparing thoroughly, anticipating potential
questions and structuring discussions around data-backed insights has
been central to my approach.”
ADITI SHARMA, Chief Manufacturing Excellence Of昀椀cer, Uno Minda
“In our approach, we have transitioned
from working with multiple logistics
providers to collaborating with a
smaller number of selected partners.
For example, instead of distributing
volumes across five providers, we
consolidated operations with three
key partners. This enables stronger
alignment, encourages capability
development among partners and
supports more efficient execution
of operational changes. Such strategic partnerships have also enabled us
to implement new initiatives more e昀昀ectively. For instance, through close
collaboration with logistics partners, we introduced EVs into operations and
deployed a dedicated 昀氀eet operated by women riders. These riders, whom
we refer to as pilots, have performed exceptionally well and represent a
meaningful step towards building a more inclusive and progressive logistics
ecosystem. Another important aspect of these partnerships is the alignment
of performance metrics. We ensure that logistics partners are fully aligned
with our key performance indicators and that their operational goals re昀氀ect
the same priorities. This creates shared accountability and strengthens
collaboration across the value chain.”
RUMEE SETHI, Head– Warehousing & Logistics – North, Jubilant FoodWorks
