In the traditionally male-dominated world of manufacturing, where innovation meets persistence, Purvi Sanghvi has created an opportunity of her own. As the Director of AXIS Solutions, she is not just a leader but a visionary, driving technological advancements and promoting an inclusive work environment in the manufacturing sector. Her journey, filled with challenges and milestones, stands as a testament to perseverance and dedication. As part of Machine Maker’s campaign ’30 Days, 30 Stories’, her story perfectly aligns with the 2025 International Women’s Day theme: #AccelerateAction.
Purvi Sanghvi is the director of AXIS Solutions Pvt Ltd The company was established in 1999 by Mr. Bijal Sanghvi, husband of Purvi Sanghvi, AXIS started with analytical and analyzer system solutions like CEMS, SWAS, GAS, Purge Panels, HVAC, Analyser Shelter, TOC, COD, EQMS Analysers. Mrs Sanghi’s career began in the world of academia, working as a lecturer before transitioning into the corporate sector with IBM. With a degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from LD College of Engineering, Ahmedabad, she was always drawn toward automation and industrial technology.
Despite her promising career in IT, she decided to join AXIS Solutions. Taking charge of the Research & Development (R&D) division, she combined her expertise in automation with a keen sense of innovation to revolutionize the company’s approach to analytical solutions.
Stepping into the manufacturing sector was not without its challenges, “I chose specifically instrumentation and control engineering, but that was a new field and that was a concern related to new coming up technologies in automation and instrumentation field, and initially when I graduated there were not many working ladies in manufacturing” – she remembers. Initially, when she walked into plants and industrial sites, there was resistance. “There were times when men in the plant felt uncomfortable taking instructions from a woman,” she recalls. However, with time and persistence, she gained their trust and respect. Today, she observes a positive shift where women in manufacturing are being recognized for their problem-solving skills and empathetic leadership. She says, “Initially when any woman will work in one plant, it’s used to create ego issues among them, who were there in the plant, or the labourers who were working in plant, nowadays what I am experiencing is when any woman is there, other people respect them more, when any woman is going to the plant, they respect her, they listen to her more than they will listen to their male colleagues, because the soft skills which women have, that is the ability to understand other people, ability to convince other people, ability to see through their problems, is more than man, now people are accepting women in all the fields, and it is very nice to see that they respect you a lot, instead of taking it as why any lady is giving us instructions kind of thing, that has been passed”
In a space where women once comprised merely 9% of the workforce at AXIS Solutions, Purvi agrees has increased to 20-25%, with the R&D department witnessing a remarkable 65:35 female-to-male ratio. “We also want to increase it at least to more than 30% this year ” she states.
Talking about the shift from working in IBM to joining the business she says it takes time and dedication to work as a director in the instrumentation field. So, she waited for her children to attain a certain age so that she can give her all the time and efforts to her original field of interest.
AXIS Solutions primarily caters to the oil and gas sector, offering automation solutions and developing high-end analytical instruments. Under Purvi’s leadership, the company has expanded into the water industry, developing cost-efficient water quality analyzers and pioneering automation with IOT and AI-driven technologies. The focus of their company is making their existing products smarter by incorporating AI and machine learning, enabling predictive maintenance and fault analysis. “We are trying to incorporate IOT and machine learning,” she explains.
Her efforts have led to the localization of essential products, reducing dependency on imports and contributing to India’s ‘Make in India’ vision. “Developing these products locally is not just a business goal; it’s a national responsibility,” she adds.
Like many women professionals, Purvi faced the challenge of balancing work and family. She recalls a period when her first child was born and she contemplated stepping back from her career. “at that time I was thinking of just leaving the job and continuing my role as a mother, but I got my family’s support, support from my husband and somehow I passed that time and now I feel that it was a very good decision,” she shares.
She points out that women should aspire for personal achievements beyond family responsibilities. She says we often focus on our roles as caregivers, but it is equally important to have professional goals. Women must dream bigger and aim for leadership positions, she encourages.
One of Purvi’s concerns is the decline of engineers, both men and women, entering core engineering fields. “ Not only girls, nowadays what we are facing is, even boys also, whenever they are doing their engineering, even they do their mechanical engineering, they want to go to the IT field also, they want to sit on, in front of their computer and do their job, they think that They call it white collar job, right? So the message I want to give them is core engineering is the best one”, she states.
She believes that India’s journey to becoming a developed nation hinges on the growth of its manufacturing sector. “For India to progress, we need to embrace hard work and innovation. The future of manufacturing is bright, and young engineers should not shy away from getting their hands dirty in factories and plants,” she advises.
She gets her inspiration from females like Sudha Moorthy and says never to limit yourself, always dream high and be more ambitious. Her philosophy is simple yet powerful: “Set your priorities, work hard, and never regret the sacrifices you make for your dreams.”
With her inspiring journey, Purvi is not just shaping the future of AXIS Solutions but also paving the way for a more inclusive and progressive manufacturing industry. Her story is a light of hope for aspiring women engineers and entrepreneurs, proving that with persistence and innovation, the sky is the limit.
