Industrial Automation celebrates the achievements of women in technology.
In an era where technology is transforming every aspect of industrial operations, the role of women in driving innovation and change is increasingly being acknowledged and celebrated. Across sectors such as manufacturing, automation, energy, and digital infrastructure, women leaders, engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs are making significant contributions. They are not only advancing technological solutions but also paving the way for more inclusive and sustainable industrial growth. NariShakti 2025, an Industrial Automation initiative, felicitates 24 outstanding women who have been recognised for their pioneering work and leadership in promoting the use of technology in industry. Their achievements serve as an inspiration for future generations and underscore the critical importance of diversity in shaping the future of industrial innovation.
These 24 women will be felicitated at the Awards Ceremony at Automaton Expo 2025 on August 13, 2025.
1. Dr Abhilasha Vyas, Business & Technology Delivery Associate Manager, Accenture.
Dr Abhilasha Vyas, a Microsoft certified trainer and an esteemed leader in the tech industry, holds prominent positions as an executive committee member of Women in Big Data (WiBD) and Board Member, WiCyS India, showcasing her commitment to diversity and cybersecurity advocacy.
2. Anju Malik, Engineering Manager, Bechtel India Pvt Ltd.
Anju Malik, BE (Instrumentation & Controls) from Delhi University (1993) has over twenty-nine years of experience in Instrumentation and Controls. Her experience spans: Project Execution plan, Contract Management, Schedule Management, Engineering Management, Cost Management, among other skills.
3. Anuja Thukral, Director, Congmax Electro.
Anuja Thukral, an Instrumentation Engineer, has experience of more than 20 years in the field of Electrical, Control and Automation Solutions. A keen planner and strategist, she has strong skills in troubleshooting, team building and proven abilities in planning and managing resources for handling major projects and key accounts.
4.Anuradha Balasubramanian, Founder & MD, Centrado Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Anuradha Balasubramanian is a visionary leader transforming STEM education in schools. After a distinguished corporate career spanning over two decades, she co-founded Centrado in 2016 to bridge learning gaps through hands-on, project-based education.
5. Professor (Dr) Aparna Dey Ghosh, Department of Civil Engineering; and Dean (Planning and Development), Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur.
Aparna (Dey) Ghosh is a Gold Medallist in the Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Jadavpur University.
6. Bidita Barman Krishna, Chief Technical Advisor – Process Controls and Instrumentation, Kellogg Brown and Root India Technology Centre.
Armed with a BSc (Physics) and later B. Tech from Jadavpur University, Bidita joined IPCL in 1996 as Management Trainee with the objective of promoting the development of the petrochemical industry in India which later became a part of Reliance Industries Limited (Nagothane).
7. Dharini Joshi, Director of Finance and Technology, TRIO Motion Technology India Pvt Ltd.
Dharini Joshi is an accomplished Automation Engineer with over 20 years of in-depth engineering experience in industrial automation, with a robust background in both machine and process automation, with proficiency in multi-axis servo drive synchronisation, CAM profiles and master/slave configurations.
8. Falguni Sudarsan, General Manager – Customer Project Officer, SEMEA Electrical & Automation FZE, International Operations, Schneider Electric.
Falguni Sudarsan is B.E (Instrumentation), Dip in Business Management (DBM) and Human Resource Management (DHRM), as well as Master – Engineering & Project Management (European Continental University, Delaware, USA).
9. Jamuna Saiganesh, IEA SIS SME(Instrument/Electrical/Analytical Safety Instrumented Systems Subject Matter Expert) at Dow Chemicals India Private Ltd.
Jamuna Saiganesh has more than 35 years of experience in various sectors such as Chemical, Petrochemical, Power, Pharmaceutical and Oil & Gas in Instrument Design and Detailed Engineering. During the last 10 years in Functional Safety as an Instrument SIS SME. She is also a member of the global Automated Valves Technical Support team at Dow.
10. Jaslin Jaison, Senior Director, Sales and Client Partnerships, Aiden AI.
Jaslin Jaison is a dynamic leader with a proven track record in sales, consulting, and technology. As Senior Director at Aiden AI, she spearheads strategic sales plans, cultivates a high-performing team, and fosters strong client relationships.
11. Mansi Mehta, Founder & CEO, CancerMitr.
Mansi Mehta is a visionary leader and the driving force behind CancerMitr, a patient-centric health-tech platform transforming cancer care through comprehensive support from discovery to recovery. With 20+ years in business, management, and entrepreneurship, she is dedicated to making cancer care accessible, affordable, and personalised for patients and caregivers.
12. Monisha Oberoi, Director & Partner, Security Services, IBM Consulting, APAC.
Dr Monisha Oberoi is a seasoned C-Suite leader and Board member with 30+ years of expertise in Cybersecurity, IT, and Strategic Outsourcing. As Director & Partner, Security Services, IBM Consulting, APAC, she drove business growth, high-performance teams, and complex digital transformations.
13. Papia Mandal, General Manager, Engineers India Limited.
Ms Papia Mandal, M-tech from IIT-Delhi, is General Manager, Engineers India Limited – one of the leading PSUs and knowledge hub. While being associated with the Hydrocarbon Industry for more than 26 years, she has acquired vast experience in Refineries, Petrochemicals, Pipelines, Gas Processing Stations of various Domestic and Overseas projects.
14. Prasanna Chitre, DGM – Instrumentation in Thyssenkrupp Uhde India Pvt Ltd.
Prasanna Chitre is presently working as DGM – Instrumentation in Thyssenkrupp Uhde India Pvt Ltd. She began her career as an Instrumentation Engineer in 1994 after earning a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Instrumentation from SGSITS, Indore. Prasanna is passionate about working in the core engineering field.
15. Dr Priti Rao, Chairperson, Aatmaja Foundation and Managing Director, Pumpkin Patch Daycare.
Dr Priti Rao holds a Doctorate from Manipal Global University (‘Harnessing AI to enhance gender diversity in Indian Companies’) and a Postgraduate degree in Computer Science from IIT (Powai), India. Given her passion for technology and gender Diversity, her research focuses on harnessing technology to enhance gender diversity.
16. Remya P, Senior Electrical, Control and Instrumentation (EC&I) Design Engineer, Nuclear and Power Business, GTC, AtkinsRealis, India.
Remya P holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Government Engineering College, Trivandrum, and a master's in Instrumentation and Control Systems from NIT Calicut. At Atkins, she leads and reviews C&I designs, PLC/relay-based control systems, and predictive
17. Seema Gaikwad, Senior General Manager, Reliance Industries Limited.
Seema Gaikwad holds a Bachelor's degree in B.E Instrumentation from COEP, Pune. With over 30 years of experience at Reliance Industries Limited, she currently holds the position of Senior General Manager (Procurement & Contracts), and leads a dynamic team focused on Instrumentation MRO Procurement for manufacturing sites.
18. Sherry Kohli, Chairwoman of Astec Valves & Fittings Pvt Ltd.
Sherry Kohli is the Chairwoman of Astec Valves & Fittings Pvt Ltd, leading a team of 300+. She drives innovation, quality, and growth for high-tech manufacturing and designing of valves and fittings. A strong advocate for diversity and employee happiness, she is committed to advancing India's global manufacturing presence.
19. Prof (Dr) Shweta Srivastava, Professor and Head, Department of ECE, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology.
Prof Shweta Srivastava is a FIETE, SMIEEE, Dean (Academics and Research), Professor and Head of Department (Electronics and Communication Engineering) at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. She received her Ph.D degree from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India in 2002.
20. Smitha Rao, Founder of OjasQuest
Smitha Rao, Co-founder of Utthunga, has 20+ years of experience in the IT Industry and was heading Utthunga’s Europe Business until recently. She was responsible for strategic association with Industrial Consortiums like OPC Foundation, FieldComm Group, FDT Group, ODVA, PNO, etc.
21. Sonia Madan, Senior General Manager at Engineers India Limited.
An Instrumentation professional in the Oil & Gas Industry, Sonia Madan joined Engineers India Limited(EIL) in 1990 as a Management Trainee and is now designated as a Senior General Manager in EIL. Sonia has over 33 years of experience such as design, detailed engineering, EPCM, EPC/LSTK, FEED preparation and Project Management.
22. Dr Sreeja S, Associate Professor, Dept of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Trivandrum.
A B.Tech in Electrical & Electronics from the 2002 batch of College of Engineering Trivandrum, Dr Sreeja successfully pursued M. Tech in 2004 in Guidance and Navigation Control from the same institution. Later she joined College of Engineering Trivandrum Kerala as faculty member in 2007. In 2018, Dr Sreeja acquired Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from IIT-Bombay.
23. Subhi Sanil Shildhankar, Co-Founder & Director (HR), Cloud Counselage Pvt Ltd.
Subhi Shildhankar, Social Entrepreneur, Co-Founder & Director (HR), Cloud Counselage Pvt Ltd, and Advisor, CC-GAC Foundation, is a Gold Medalist in MBA (HR), a BE (Computer Science), and have a comprehensive work experience of IT consulting and recruitment with top Indian MNCs like LTI, Tech Mahindra & TCS.
24. Yogita Bilkhu, Deputy Chief Engineer, Burns & McDonnell Engineering India Pvt Ltd.
Yogita Bilkhu has nineteen years of experience in the engineering field and is presently Deputy Chief Engineer at Burns & McDonnell, engaged in oil & gas and chemical industrial projects for detail designing. She has knowledge of interpreting and applying NEC, IEEE, IEC, AS/NZS to different projects.
