General Manager- Marketing
Inspite of being from a small town girl from Jalandhar, Punjab, I had a vision to achieve something in life. My mother - a housewife believed in my dream and gave me the initial push and the self- confidence. She helped me become strong and independent.
After gaining some work experience, I moved to Airtel, which was the real beginning of my career. I will always be grateful to Airtel for believing in me. Growing, learning and getting rewards were a regular part of my work life. My hands were always full and I got opportunities to work in diverse verticals, geographies and businesses.
From the many professional mentors I have had, I picked up qualities from everybody. Looking back at my initial days, Sandeep made me understand the importance of looking out for opportunities. He insisted on moving forward. I look up to Ajai Puri, who I worked with in WBO (West Bengal & Orissa) circle and learnt business skills from, which meant going micro and striving to be on top of every problem. Saurabh Goel who was my last COO (Chief Operating Officer), from him I learnt the significance of having a balanced approach and importance of working in a team. Dhruv Bhagat taught me to ‘Keep it simple’!
Two things have been instrumental in my growth is thinking positive and linking my thought process around Airtel’s values. Be inclusive – Immerse yourself completely in your job while respecting your team. I followed the disciplines and values of the organizations and worked around it.
My husband is ex Airtel and I have completed 15 years here. A lot of emotions of our family are attached with Airtel. Having two young daughters, Airtel has always supported me. Also, with the unstinted support of my family I have been able to manage my kids. I give my cent percent wherever I am. My 7 year old understands that when mom is in office. She calls me up and at the end of the day and I appreciate that even my daughter is independent. She has learnt to take decisions when she needs to take them, early in life.
In order to maintain a work life balance do one thing at a time. When you are in office, you should be completely connected. And when you’re at home, it is family time. I insist to live by those values. It makes life less complicated.
My advice to entry level and mid management women is to be positive. Live by the values of the organization. It pays off. Today’s mothers are quite connected and they are influential. Do make use of it. Talking about women leaders, I read a lot about Indira Gandhi in my younger days. I still reflect back and admire her. I feel ‘Mastery Manual’ by Robin Sharma is a book, which should be read by young professionals. I believe in this mantra “Don’t leave things for tomorrow, do it as if it’s the last day of my life!”
