Abhilasha’s affinity with manufacturing goes back to her childhood when her father's achievements in business used to motivate her. She made it her goal to scale new heights in her family-owned business with her determination rather than occupying a parental heritage.
“The nature of challenges keeps on changing, they will always be present, but we should look at the challenge as an opportunity to grow. A proactive approach to any challenge will always give you the desired results. By nature generally, a woman has a better holistic approach to problem-solving and this can become her biggest strength in any working scenario. No job is gender-specific and it's just a mindset that needs to be changed”, said Abhilasha Ahire-Sawant, Director, AMT Group on her take on empowering women in manufacturing.
AMT Group which consists of Machine House (India) Pvt.Ltd, Globtech Metalcrafts Pvt.Ltd and Ahire Machine Tools Pvt Ltd is into manufacturing anti-vibration mounts and solutions, drilling machines, work holding solutions and component manufacturing. Her company also has collaboration and tie-ups with 6-7 German companies and is also majorly into exports.
Abhilasha is making efforts to make women realize that manufacturing is and will be good as a career path by working at the grass-root level by creating more awareness about the opportunities available. Based on the same AMT has recently ventured into the education field with AMT skill enhancement Institute focusing on enhancing employability. Here females are encouraged to undergo technical training and the focus is to empower them and make them employable.
As AMT Group, Abhilasha is a part of this remarkable vision of facilitating the inclusion of women in manufacturing.
Over the Roadblock
After completing her Chartered Accountancy, Abhilasha pursued MBA in Family Managed Business from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai. During her school and college days, she used to visit the shop floors frequently with keen interest. And this interest eventually drew her full time to manufacturing after she completed her MBA. Coming from a Commerce background, Abhilasha lacked the technical expertise of an engineering unit, but she turned her limitation of technical knowledge into a golden opportunity of learning how manufacturing operations work.
“The initial phase was very challenging, but at the same time, it was clear to me that I have to know and understand the machining operations. It made me more confident about my role and helped me to develop a connection with all my team. This clear understanding of processes helped me in my decision making and planning for growth of the organisation.” she reflected on overcoming the challenges.
Managing women talent in manufacturing
Abhilasha believes that the most important thing about managing female talent is giving them the right kind of working environment and giving them a platform to express themselves. She believes in creating a connection with her team, not only as a boss but also as a friend and a guide too. “We are a part of our team and as Management we always focus on training and helping our team perform better. Today we have females working in each of our departments and also as operators,” she says.
Abhilasha is of the view that managing women in the industries requires ensuring proper safety and a healthy atmosphere and ensuring that their roles and responsibility are clearly defined. Also, making the communication more transparent helps establish a friendly relationship with women talent at the shop-floors, rather than a boss-employee relation full of hierarchy.
Work-life balance: KPI of a Womanufacturer
The woman leader at AMT Group also shared that for women to shine exceptionally well in their respective fields of interest, equal commitment for family and profession is a must. “If roles and responsibilities at both ends are fulfilled and if a balance is maintained then nothing can stop your growth,” she said.
Instead of any external inspiration, Abhilasha takes her father as her role model, whom she believes to be a great inspiration for her in manufacturing. “His unique vision of growth for all, keeping the team together just like a family has greatly bound us with a holistic and integrated approach towards our goals. His belief of ‘Do the best and results will follow” motivate us to give our 110%. His calm approach while handling any adversity actually makes us believe All is well! ” she comments.
“The key to success and satisfaction is maintaining a balance between professional and personal life. Family can be a female's biggest strength if she maintains this balance. More than being just a Director, I am here to ensure that all our organizations run smoothly and to ensure that aspirations of all stakeholders are met”, says Abhilasha.
Ending her inspirational story, Abhilasha says, “Multitasking is a woman’s strength. In these futuristic times, no occupation is gender-specific and a woman professional is very much capable of balancing her personal life and excelling in her professional life. The sky is the limit, just give it your best!!”
