Leadership influences the direction, motivation, and productivity of individuals and groups. It involves guiding and inspiring others to achieve common goals, fostering innovation, building relationships, and making tough decisions. By discussing leadership, we can learn from different perspectives, strategies, and experiences to improve our own leadership skills and contribute positively to the world around us.
ADIRA 2024, now in its third edition, stands as the flagship program of CII-IWN Salem. This annual leadership conclave provides a platform for thought leaders and influencers to share insights into their professional journeys, successes, and the invaluable lessons learned. Drawing participants from diverse backgrounds, the event on Friday, 15th March 2024, at Hotel Radisson Salem, promises a day of engagement, learning, and the application of leadership principles for personal and professional growth.
The overarching theme for this year's conclave is "Reimagining Leadership: A Transformative Path towards 2030," featuring plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and panel talks on sub-topics related to the main theme.
In an era defined by rapid change and technological advancement, the landscape of leadership is undergoing a profound evolution. The tried-and-true solutions and tools of yesteryear no longer suffice in navigating the complexities of the present day. Emerging technologies have ushered in a new era, demanding leaders to adapt and align their skills with the dynamic needs of the modern world.
As we stand at the threshold of 2030, the economics, politics and socialization of leadership dynamics is changing. There is an imperative to reimagine leadership has never been more pressing. It goes beyond adapting to change; it requires a transformative approach that not only acknowledges the shifting paradigms but also capitalizes on them. Leaders, as architects of influence, play a pivotal role in shaping not just the dynamics of the workplace but also the broader fabric of society.
The increasing prominence of female leaders in India is reshaping the narrative of leadership, heralding a new era of inclusivity and diversity. Women are no longer confined to the sidelines but are stepping into key roles across industries, politics, and social sectors, challenging traditional norms and stereotypes.
This shift is not just a matter of representation but also a testament to the invaluable contributions women make as leaders. Their unique perspectives, empathy, and collaborative approach bring fresh insights to decision-making processes, driving innovation and fostering a more inclusive work culture.
Moreover, the rise of female protagonists in leadership positions is a reflection of India's evolving socio-economic landscape. With greater access to education and opportunities, women are breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings, and forging a future that is inclusive.
In conversations about leadership in India, it's imperative to recognize and celebrate the rising role of female protagonists, not just as a trend but as a transformative force driving positive change across the nation.
Be it men or women, today’s leaders must possess astuteness, foresight, and adaptability to navigate the intricate interplay of evolving tools, technologies, and people's changing needs. The essence of leadership lies in creating influence that fosters a positive and productive environment – one that resonates with the demands of the present while charting a transformative path towards the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the journey to 2030.
CEOs, executives, and decision-makers seeking insights for transforming leadership strategies.
Visionary leaders adapting to innovative approaches in evolving business landscapes.
Specialists exploring changing leadership dynamics to shape appealing workplace cultures.
Individuals driving advancements, exploring leadership implications of emerging tools.
Policymakers integrating transformative leadership for societal progress.
Academic professionals preparing the next generation with future-ready leadership skills.
Addressing social challenges with transformative leadership in the non-profit sector.
Emerging leaders learning from established counterparts in the evolving professional landscape.
Engaged individuals seeking leadership insights for positive societal change.
Subject matter experts understanding how reimagined leadership impacts their industries.
Women account for 48% of India's population, but have not been equal beneficiaries of the country's economic growth. India slipped to the 112th spot (from its 108th position in 2018) in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2020 which covered 153 economies. Only one-quarter of women compared with 82% of men, engage actively in the labour market - one of the lowest participation rates in the world. Women account for 14% of leadership roles and 30% of professional and technical workers. Female political representation remains a concern too: 14.4% of the parliament and 23% of the cabinet.
The ongoing COVID 19 pandemic has also served to accentuate the problem.
In 2013, CII launched the Indian Women Network (IWN) with a vision of co-creatingecosystems that enable women to live up to their full economic potential. Through advocacy, knowledge creation and on-ground interventions, IWN strives to promote equal opportunities for women to participate, grow and flourish in the Indian economy. With presence in 16 States, 8 Zones and 1 Union Territory across India, IWN actively engage its members on leadership, wellbeing, gender diversity, mentorship & networking.
IWN works towards enabling women to become better professionals and achievers in their respective fields through initiatives and activities to facilitate a supportive network; a platform to learn and exchange ideas and an avenue to network and grow. This is supplemented by exposing women to new opportunities presented by the ecosystem with the objective of inclusion and growth of women in the workforce and in enhancing their contribution to the progress of India.
IWN is spread around the country; in the cities of Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Aurangabad, Pune, Kolhapur, Indore, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, Salem and Erode.
With 9 active chapters across Southern States, IWN is actively engaging its members across policy advocacy, leadership, wellbeing, gender diversity, mentorship and networking. IWN works to ensure that women are an intrinsic & equitable partners in the workforce through initiatives that will have an impact on their lives, livelihood and in getting growth back. In line with the CII's theme for its 125th year, "Building India for the New World", IWN pledges to build an inclusive, sustainable and a balanced nation by instilling gender parity across all forms of economic participation.
Confederation of Indian Industry
The Mantosh Sondhi Centre
23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110 003 (India)
Telphone : 91 11 45771000 / 24629994-7
Email : info@cii.in
Website : www.cii.in
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, with around 9000 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 286 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
For more than 125 years, CII has been engaged in shaping India's development journey and works proactively on transforming Indian Industry's engagement in national development. CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes.
Partnerships with civil society organizations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, livelihoods, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and sustainable development, to name a few.
As India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022, it must position itself for global leadership with a long-term vision for India@100 in 2047. The role played by Indian industry will be central to the country's progress and success as a nation. CII, with the Theme for 2022-23 as Beyond India@75: Competitiveness, Growth, Sustainability, Internationalisation has prioritized 7 action points under these 4 sub-themes that will catalyze the journey of the country towards the vision of India@100.
With 62 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 350 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.
CII & IWN Members | INR 750 + 18% GST |
Non-Members | INR 1,500 + 18% GST |
R. Sundaram, the driving force behind The Salem Aeropark (AEPL), has steered the company to unparalleled success in the aerospace engineering sector. With a robust array of certifications including AS9100D, EMS 14001, OHSAS 45001, and DGAQA, AEPL stands as a beacon of quality and innovation in the industry. Sundaram’s academic background in Polymer Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Post Graduate Diploma in Polymer Processing and Rubber Technology underscores his deep expertise and dedication to excellence. His leadership extends beyond AEPL, as evidenced by his pivotal roles in various governing boards, emphasizing his commitment to academic and institutional advancement.
AEPL’s global recognition is a testament to its unwavering commitment to excellence under Sundaram’s guidance. His participation in trade missions organized by the British Deputy High Commission highlights AEPL’s international stature and strategic collaborations. Furthermore, the acquisition of Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Limited’s manufacturing facility at Hosur, Tamilnadu, signifies AEPL’s strategic expansion efforts, positioning it to cater to a broader clientele and enhance its capabilities in the aerospace domain.
The accolades bestowed upon AEPL reflect its relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence. From national awards conferred by the Prime Minister of India to industry-specific recognition, AEPL’s trophy cabinet boasts an impressive array of honors. Noteworthy achievements such as the development of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), and securing long-term contracts with industry giants like Boeing, underscore AEPL’s prowess in innovation and its pivotal role in India’s aerospace landscape.
Moreover, AEPL’s humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic underscore its commitment to societal welfare. By developing essential components for ventilators and compressors, AEPL showcased its agility and compassion in addressing emergent needs, further solidifying its reputation as a socially responsible entity. AEPL’s active participation in prestigious defense and aviation airshows worldwide, from Aero India Airshow to international platforms like ILA Berlin Air Show and Paris Air Show, reinforces its position as a leader in the aerospace industry. As AEPL continues to forge ahead, its journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of dedication, innovation, and social responsibility in shaping industries and communities alike.
B. Prabhakaran is the Managing Director of Thriveni, and a majority shareholder. An entrepreneur with a computer science degree, he hails from a farming background in Tamil Nadu. Beginning in 1994, he has overseen the growth and diversification of the company, from modest contracts to pioneering innovations in mining. Widely considered a visionary leader, he thrives on a profound passion for technology, engineering and execution, in tandem with a deep commitment to community welfare. Prabhakaran also holds a private pilot license and has flown various aircraft, including the Cessna-152, Cessna-172, and Pilatus PC12.
Udhaya Bharathi S A, a dynamic force as the Director of Aerospace Engineers Private
Ltd. (AEPL), is an advocate for empowering women in entrepreneurship, defence, and
manufacturing. She brings a wealth of experience and a forward-thinking approach to
the aerospace industry.
A graduate with a B.Com (Professional) from Christ University, Bangalore, and
currently pursuing Company Secretaryship (CS), Udhaya Bharathi draws on her
diverse experience. She specialized in complex mergers and incorporations in her
tenure in the Corporate Law Team at Guru Jana, Bangalore, which was instrumental
in shaping her strategic mindset and a solid foundation for her current responsibilities
at AEPL.
In her capacity as the Director, Udhaya Bharathi is not only at the forefront of
traditional roles such as Finance, Administration, and Customer Service but also plays
a strategic role in steering the company to new heights by taking proactive steps to
reimagine the landscape for women in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
As a second-generation woman entrepreneur, she envisions a future where women
play pivotal roles in shaping the trajectory of not just companies but entire industries.
Udhaya Bharathi is passionate about creating pathways for women to excel in
entrepreneurship, defence, and manufacturing.
S.A. Ezhil Bharathi: Championing Aerospace Excellence and Empowerment.
Meet Ezhil, the visionary Director of Operations at Aerospace Engineers Private Limited,
whose passion for aerospace engineering knows no bounds. With over a decade of dedicated
experience in quality management, Ezhil is a driving force behind every project’s journey to
unparalleled excellence.
From Strategy to Skyward Soars: At the helm of operations, Ezhil orchestrates a symphony of
strategy and innovation, propelling the company towards new horizons. With a penchant for
transforming challenges into opportunities, Ezhil’s leadership is reshaping the future of
aerospace engineering.
Commitment to Quality: Ezhil’s meticulous attention to detail and unwavering dedication to
perfection have set a new standard for quality management. From nurturing supplier
relationships to spearheading AS9100 certification, Ezhil ensures that every component meets
and exceeds the industry’s highest benchmarks.
Empowering the Next Generation: As a second-generation female entrepreneur, Ezhil is not
only a trailblazer in aerospace but also a beacon of empowerment. Through mentorship
programs and advocacy efforts, Ezhil champions the growth and success of future leaders,
particularly women, in the field.
Celebrating Accomplishments: Ezhil’s journey is marked by numerous accolades, including
recognition awards for valued contributions and successful optimization projects. With a
commitment to diversity, excellence, and innovation, Ezhil continues to lead Aerospace
Engineers Private Limited towards greater heights of success and empowerment.
Santhi Elizabeth Liju is a Chartered Accountant with a vision to create a socially relevant audit and advisory firm, boasting over two decades of professional experience. Her career highlights include providing specialized services to corporates, NGOs, and banks, underscored by her dedication to both national and international pro bono work.
As the CEO of KOLATH & CO and the Managing Trustee of KOLATH FOUNDATION, she prioritizes ethical standards, social involvement, and transformative impact. Her leadership style is characterized by a commitment to financial management, audit assurance, and active participation in the social sector, ensuring success through strategic planning and effective teamwork.
Rajalakshmi Srinivasan, or Raji as she’s fondly called, is a Director of Product Management at Zoho Corp. In her 24+ years journey with the company, she has gained extensive experience ranging from database scaling and network monitoring to application performance tracking and end-user-experience management. She currently leads a team that works on the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) product at Zoho Corp.
Her greatest asset though is the profound wisdom that she has gathered through the years on how to innovate and improvise on an idea, how to rally a team around it, and how to execute it to perfection consistently ahead of the competition.
She is also a public speaker and talks about technology, women empowerment, youth motivation and parenting. She has been invited by various colleges to deliver motivational talks and to provide career guidance to the young minds.
She has an engineering degree in Computer Science from The College Of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), Chennai. She is a fitness freak. When she is not working, you can spot her running marathons, participating in clean-up drives, and travelling places along with her 3 little ones.
Mr. Siddarth G. Sankar has been Partner at Sankar & Associates since 2003 and heads the Architecture arm at the firm along with Mr. T.S. Ramani Sankar.
He graduated in the year 1997 from Manipal Institute of Technology with a B.Arch. degree, and subsequently completed his M.Arch. from State University of New York, Buffalo, USA. Mr. Siddarth Sankar’s professional experience includes two years of working with C.J.M.W. Architects, Winston Salem, USA, where he focused on the architectural design and campus planning for universities such as such as University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University at Raleigh for their various expansion initiatives. He has also had a brief stint as a professional architect in Singapore.
Mr. Siddarth Sankar’s architectural design of Firebird Institute of Research in Management is a winner of the prestigious J.K. Award for best design in the public spaces category, and two of the residences he has designed have been featured among the 50 Most Beautiful Houses of India by White Flag Publishing. His works are a regular feature of several reputed architecture and design magazines and publications.
I am Rebecca Herbert, a seasoned professional with a strong foothold in the apparel industry, serving as the Business Head at Skilift Consulting and the Managing Director of KaiterFly LLC, a US-based apparel distribution company. My academic background includes a B.Tech in Fashion Technology from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, providing me with a solid foundation in the intricacies of the fashion world.
Professional Experience:
Skilift Consulting: As the Business Head at Skilift Consulting, I am deeply involved in collaborating with apparel factories globally. Our primary objectives revolve around enhancing the competitiveness of these factories and fostering positive change in the lives of their workers. Through initiatives focused on skill enhancement and lifestyle improvements, we aim to catalyze transformation within the industry. Additionally, I am honored to serve as a United Nations Consultant, contributing to initiatives aimed at sustainable development and social progress.
KaiterFly LLC: In my role as the Managing Director of KaiterFly LLC, I am driving efforts to introduce Indian brands into the US market. Our current flagship venture, JusCubs, is a testament to our commitment to offering high-quality, innovative kidswear. With plans underway to launch Muyal, a home brand, distinguishing baby home textiles for the domestic as well as an international market. By the end of this year, we are dedicated to expanding our portfolio and showcasing the richness of Indian fashion to a global audience.
At Yi: My alliance with Yi Salem started around February 2023. In the past year, its been a great journey and opportunity to give back what best I can to the society.Also, being in the Massom vertical its been a pleasure to educate children on different safety programs. Being the first certified Massom trainer I’ve also been given the responsibility of being the Massom Chair for Yi Salem this year. I hope and dream to provide my all possible assistance in nurturing young children towards positiveness and self morale.
Personal Interests
Beyond my professional pursuits, I find immense fulfillment in my family life. I am blessed with three loving boys including my husband who bring immeasurable joy and happiness into my soul every day.
Joshua Samuel is the Managing Partner at Antano & Harini Excellence Installation Businesses and First Gen Contributor to Excellence Installations – the technology that’s revolutionizing Personal evolution and Health. The technology that has already impacted more than 1 million people across 100+ industries like Education, Medicine, mental wellness, preventive health, Entertainment, cancer pain relief, psychosomatic health, Music & Art etc. and is predicted to be a Trillion dollar industry by Forbes.
He is also the winner of Businessworld Wellbeing Award – 40 Under 40 and known to be one of the top leaders in the area of wellness in the country. With Excellence Installations Businesses, he envisions a future where thousands of businesses across industries are enabled with Excellence Installations Technology to create disruptive outcomes in 500+ niche areas across 150+ countries.
Exuberating depth in his multi-fasceted pursuits, he is also a bass guitarist and percussionist. Joshua Samuel, an Evolution Artist at heart and a passionate engineer, is relentlessly working towards R&D, innovation, growth hacking and ecosystem engineering necessary to positively impact 1 billion + people on this planet with Excellence Installations – revolutionising Personal Evolution.
Dr Sudha Karthish is a medical doctor with specilisation in Anaesthesia. He has received his medical education from one of the most premium institute of the state and then practices his acquired knowledge in the small town of Sankarankoil. Juggling between roles of an Anesthetist and an Intensivist (specialist in critical care) in the town, he has done 15,000+ surgeries and saved countless number of patients in the ICUs.
Coming from a family of 40+ medical doctors, growing up in clinics, and being an accomplished doctor himself, he felt that modern medicine is extending lives of his patients but not necessarily extending the qualify of their life.
In his search for improving the quality of life , he came across Excellence Installations – the technology that can ‘install’ superior capabilities and develop new choices, mindsets, capabilities and traits in days, instead of decades. He felt that this could not only improve the quality of lives of his patients but also his fellow medical doctors and family members, while naturally evolving their core nature, abilities and even character.
Hence, he committed years to mastering Excellence Installations. He went on to become one of the top 5 Excellence Installation Specialists in the world. Today he is playing vital roles in building several of the Excellence Installation Businesses as well as in the scientific research of the technology itself. He is also a co-pioneer in Creating Excellence Installations models for creating unparalleled results in Health including reversing auto-immune conditions, overcoming psychosomatic health challenges, helping couples conceive, relieving cancer pain and so on.
His vision is to make the field of Medicine Excellence Installations enabled, thereby improving the quality of life for both doctors and patients. Just like there are 10 Mn doctors around the world, he aims to enable the creation of 10 million Excellence Installations Specialists, creating groundbreaking Outcomes in Medicine.