Page 24 - MMI-March-April-2022

INSIDERS’ TAKE

WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM

The manufacturing industry is undergoing a transformation with more women
contributing and adding value to it, making the sector inclusive with equitable
opportunities for all. Here we have Helen Blomqvist, President, Sandvik Coromant,

and Mohini Kelkar, Director, Business Development, Grind Master Machines
Pvt Ltd, giving us a sneak peek into their roles as leaders in the industry and
challenges encountered in performing them, and also proffering wise counsel to

those seeking to tread the same path.

Helen Blomqvist Mohini Kelkar
President Director, Business Development
Sandvik Coromant Grind Master Machines Pvt Ltd

anufacturing has gen- How did you get your start in Mohini Kelkar: I studied Produc-
M erally been a male- manufacturing, and what drew tion Engineering because I was
industry,
dominated
interested in manufacturing
you to this industry?
with women accounting for less Helen Blomqvist: My PhD in methods and the types of ma-
than one-third of employees. structural chemistry was the cat- chines used. So, in general, man-
However, the industry is at a cross- alyst that set everything in mo- ufacturing technology piqued
roads, and its future is dependent tion. I then joined Sandvik Coro- my interest. Even though there
on a diverse workforce. Despite mant in 2003 as an R&D engineer were no female production en-
recent progress, women continue in materials characterization, uti- gineers at the time, I enrolled
SOVAN TUDU to be underrepresented in the lizing my PhD knowledge to sup- in the production engineering
Sub-editor
Magic Wand Media Inc Manufacturing industry. Helen port my role. My natural interest course at VJTI, which includ-
sovan.tudu@ Blomqvist and Mohini Kelkar in materials technology led me to ed subjects in manufacturing
magicwandmedia.in
share their experiences of closing Sandvik Coromant. I have been technologies, becoming the first
the gender gap, highlighting the with Sandvik Coromant for 19 female production engineer to
opportunities that abound in the years in various roles, and I be- graduate from VJTI in 1981.
sector and making an impact, lieve that as president in 2020, I
empowering and inspiring more have proven that women can do Could you please highlight some
of their clan to join forces. anything in manufacturing. of the common misconceptions

24 | March-April 2022 Modern Manufacturing India