Her quest for practical knowledge beyond theories motivated her to explore deeper in many areas. By exploring so, she also found her innate skill to connect with people & their lives with a great deal of empathy. Today, Amrapali Dubey manages people operations at one of India’s largest Beverage manufacturing companies, Sula Vineyards, successfully.
The foundation of any successful company or organization is the well-sought relationship between the employees and employer. If this base is not concreted firmly, the entire system can collapse. People like Amrapali Subhash Dubey, Deputy General Manager of People Operations at Sula Vineyards, reinforce this foundation with experience and proficiency in Human Resource Management and Admin Skills.
Quest for Knowledge
Even though she is highly successful in her profession, Amrapali prefers to stay rooted in her humble upbringing. For a girl born and brought up in Nashik without much exposure to the broad spectrum of career choices and leverage of technology, she took maximum use of whatever she had without complaining. An affinity for Laws of Physics led Amrapali in her quest to find out more about the theories of Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, etc. she opted for a B.Sc in Physics at Gokhale Education Society's Science College which is situated at Nashik.
Amrapali says that she is grateful for how her parents supported her throughout her journey, “My parents struggled hard to make our ends meet with strong determination & focus towards their children’s education, they believed in their daughter enough to let her be free & choose to explore educational avenues outside Nasik to pursue her master’s in business administration, which was a big step from their side at that point of time. Especially my mom (Pramila Dubey) stood behind me every step of the way while I was completing my education” says Amrapali.
She completed her bachelor's degree as a topper of physics and was advised by her Physics professors to pursue her master’s in physics & take up the job of a Junior Professor at the same college in Nasik. But she wanted to do something different, something which gives her exposure to the Corporate World. She is spiritually inclined & has been conducting meditation sessions & courses for healing. She also noticed that people tend to open up to her more genuinely & connect easily with her.
Sourcing the Resources: Excelling in Human Resource
Amrapali did her MBA in Human Resource Management as a major from Neville Wadia Institute Of Management Studies and Research Pune. She, remembers one of her HR professors had once stated that choosing an HR Profession, is not easy, unlike other functions, this is a most thankless job. But she never, for once, doubted her choice and trusted her instincts. After more than 16 years of experience in the field, Amrapali Dubey is more than proud to say that she doesn't regret her choice in pursuing HR.
She says, “Now looking back, it is silly to say out loud that I didn't have many choices. We are talking about a generation who had to rely on cybercafes to access the internet, with limited access to what’s happening outside her world. The current generation might not understand this dilemma in its full gravity, as the answer to any question they can get right under their fingertips.” During her Master's, Amrapali joined BOSCH Group for her summer internship program and that's where she met her mentor, Colonel Prabir Roy.
“I am grateful for how he guided me throughout the internship and not only in technical aspects but he gave me insights into valuable life lessons which I use and cherishes. Even now, how to meticulously dissect an issue & go to the root cause of any problem that we might face be it in personal or professional front, and most importantly, how to resolve those fragile issues without hurting both parties most diplomatically,” she says. Later, she worked in HR at many different companies such as ICICI Bank Mumbai, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Mumbai, Wockhardt Group Mumbai, Taiba Pharma Muscat (Oman) & currently with Sula.
Inspiring People at Sula Vineyards
Sula Vineyards, established in 1999 by Rajeev Samant, is a well-known company with its winery and vineyard located in the Nashik region of Maharasthra – 180 km northeast of Mumbai. Sula Vineyards has grown to become the most prominent and most awarded wine brand in India with multiple recognized brands popular around the globe.
Sula has become one of the most eco-friendly companies in India with a significant amount of its resources committed to sustainable winemaking practices and vineyards and also ensuring fair livelihoods for Sula's community of farmers across Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sula has catered to companies around the world with its distinct style and blends that satisfy the customers.
In Sula, she is the lead HR and Admin for their Wineries in Maharashtra & Karnataka, leading a team of 8 to 9 people, she feels all of her team members and seniors have been supportive and kind to her.
Managing end-to-end employee life cycle, Talent Development & Performance Management are her core areas. She believes in having a personal level; one-on-one connection with the employees and also as the Admin Head, she manages Staff Welfare, Cafeteria, Transportation facilities, etc. “The little things can make a big difference,” adds Amrapali.
The Secret of Building a Successful Career
Amrapali points out how grateful she is to have a supportive husband in Mohit Sharma and her in-laws, as well just like her parents. When it comes to taking care of her 10-year-old son and hustling between her job, she says that her family was always there. “Never, for once, did they stereotype me or asked me to give up on a career that I have been carefully crafting through the years. Unfortunately, not all women are blessed with such family support even though that is the pillar of a successful woman,” she says adding “A married working woman is nothing short of a Superwoman.
She is carefully holding together all aspects of family life & professional life. But why do women have to be that superwoman category, cant the household chores be distributed equitably, it is not about me, but a whole lot of women out there, who cook meals for the family, clean the house, do the laundry, and rush for work at 8 ‘o clock in the morning and after coming back again the chores are waiting for her to get completed” says Amrapali.
She adds “to change this system, we must start by Parenting our children in much better ways & not to condition the mind of our future generation, that taking care of the house is not just a women’s responsibility. India, being a versatile country, you would see, a woman living in the metropolitan cities and a woman living in a small town, are having completely different kinds of treatment, exposure & values”
She also says “As I was reading about the transformational change that some of the developed Nations have undergone, it was because, from a gender diversity/gender equality perspective, those Nations have changed the way to perceive the woman at home, at the office, etc., we need to let our advertising gurus know that portraying a woman happily washing the dishes or doing the laundry is putting conditioning of the minds of people that this is what is the job of a woman only. Children should grow up believing that homely duties should be equally divided by the family.
To raise a socially responsible generation, we need to be careful about these little things. Just like I said earlier, little things like this can make a big difference!” She showed her deepest appreciation towards her husband, that, unlike other women, she doesn’t have to be in the grind of being the superwoman who makes everyone happy except for herself. It’s only because of her husband and parent’s support that she doesn’t have to carry any guilt of not being perfect at home.
