I have always believed in this one thought, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Challenges make us dive deeper into our capabilities and bring out our hidden virtues. Two months old in Accelo, when I learnt about a new CSR project to build a primary school building, I sought it as a challenge and asked to get involved. The trust placed in me by my seniors fuelled my confidence to lead the project end-to end. Now, whenever I pass the school near our plant in Kanhe and see young students run into it to learn, it swells me up with pride. Since then, I have completed over 15 projects on manufacturing units which are core to our business. With each new facility, come new obstacles that continuously feed me with the zeal for fresh learnings and help me evolve. This passion of accepting all opportunities that come my way has moulded me into a more refined version of myself. Saying yes to these challenges that scare me, has empowered me to climb mountains! So, believe it when I say, I am a challenge seeker, therefore I rise.

I am passionate about making learning an ever-present part of my journey. Apart from learning by way of education – learning from experiences, from failures and from everyone I come across has served me well. I believe that continuous learning helps me be a better leader as well.

Since childhood, being firm and voicing my opinions came naturally to me. Charting my course through the legal profession, then known to be a man’s world, was certainly challenging. From early on, I set out to be diligent, not only at a personal level but also whilst handling diverse legal matters. In order to stay true to myself and my career spanning over 24 years, I have made a consistent effort to work with utmost integrity and have come to realize that is really what the Company and clients value the most.

As Yoko Ono once said, ‘You can change the world by being yourself.’ Being one’s own complete self is easier said than done. This quote both humbles me and helps me attempt to accept myself and work on myself. With the growing exposure and rising comparison, women are more prone to the ‘Imposter Syndrome’ than ever before. Believing in oneself and knowing that we are giving our best helps us stay grounded. I have found amazing freedom and strength in being my whole self in many areas of life. If I were to share one message to all women, it would be to acknowledge and accept their gifts, and empower others to do the same.

One of my favourite quotes is by Martin Luther King Jr. - 'If you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward'. It helps me remember who I truly am and aligns me with my purpose. There was a time when financial success was the only kind that mattered to me in the corporate world. When I started 15 years ago, the entire corporate world including M&M was taking baby steps to define and adopt diverse ways of measuring and achieving business success and concepts like ESG, the 3Ps (People, Planet, Profit) were just being conceived. My passion and zeal helped me drive the organisation’s ESG intent into actions. From publishing M&M’s 1st Sustainability Report way back in 2010 to M&M being recognised as the 1st Indian auto company in the ESG world index (DJSI) in 2021 - both the organisation and I have come a long way.

I have always taken big chances professionally. What was once a big leap of faith to venture into something new and out of my comfort zone has now become second nature to me. Moving out of your comfort zone is like starting all over again. Making mistakes, stumbling over words, phrases and simple questions. But I wouldn't have it any other way. A big move from a successful career in hospitality to real estate and now the Mahindra Group, has had me thinking about how often do we tend to put off big adventures or even little life changes out of fear of what could go wrong! We worry ourselves out of trying that piano, or trying a new sport, or taking a leap with a new job, a new country or even a new life and starting all over again. We stop. I have hesitated too, but my fear of not trying has always been far greater than my fear of failing. What’s the worst that could happen? I can always go back to doing what I was doing, But, where’s the fun in it? I believe that we only live once. And our dreams, they're ours alone. It is up to us to chase them. Hold them, pursue them. Big or small and anything in between. Yes, so much could go wrong. And yes, we will make so many mistakes along the way, But we will have great adventures, and great times. And, maybe just maybe, it could all turn out to be so very, very right!