Women At The Helm.

Power Lady

During the pan-India Covid lockdown, L&T MHI Power Turbine Generators supplied a 1070 MW supercritical steam turbine - the highest rating manufactured in India so far - right on time to meet its Japanese customer's schedule.  It was a moment of triumph for L&T - and for Abha Sheth, Project Manager for Exports Projects.

An electrical engineer from Birla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalaya, Vallabh Vidyanagar in Gujarat, Sheth joined L&T as a Graduate Engineering Trainee in 2009.  Rising rapidly through the ranks, she acquired experience on a variety of prestigious power projects and manufacturing assignments, beginning with a stint at L&T Power.

Her achievements are many. For instance, she single-handedly implemented and executed the Database Management System for the Koradi team and L&T Power. She played a key role in the development and in-house manufacture of 660 MW generator stator coils for supercritical generators. And so on.

Her inquisitive mind led her to MELCO's factory in Japan, where she gained in-depth knowledge of the technology - and successfully established the manufacturing process at L&T's mega facility at Hazira.

Sheth comes from a family where women reign supreme! One of three daughters, she is married to a manager in a famed steel company. The couple has a five-year-old daughter. 

A nature lover, Ms Sheth finds gardening a stress-buster. She is a keen implementer of Japanese 5S learning. Inspired by books such as Ken Blanchard's Whale Done and Hector Garcia and Francesca Miralles' Ikigai, she dreams of continuing to power her journey to the stars.

Metro Mover  

When 23-year-old Govu Susrutha stood at the hi-tech console at the head of an air-conditioned metro rake at Hyderabad's Nagole station on a January day three years ago, she had reasons to be nervous- yet confident.

After all, she would be responsible for the passengers who would ride on the L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail train. As they rushed in to occupy the seats, Susrutha whispered a brief prayer but knew that the microcontroller would guide the system.

She gently pushed a small gear-like shaft, pressed a couple of buttons, the automated PA system made the announcement, and the train, on the Blue Line, slowly slipped out of the platform for Raidurg.

Susrutha now makes three train-trips a day on the 28-km stretch, with as much ease as she shoulders her part of her family responsibilities while ensuring care for her little son and in-laws. 

“An engineer with B.Tech degree, I began working as a train operator after undergoing a special training course by LTHMRL for three months. This included hands-on driving practice in operating the metro rake, customer relationships, firefighting and first-aid,” says Susritha, who originally hails from Telangana's Mahbubnagar.

She recalls that her parents were “very proud and happy” when she landed the job with LTHMRL. “My parents supported me immensely. Their grooming made me confident that I can achieve all that I dream of.”

Welding Excellence

L&T's rocket motor casings, defence missile systems, nuclear equipment for pressurised heavy water reactors and fast-breeder reactors and equipment for process plants, refineries, fertilisers and petrochemicals segments have one thing in common…they have been all in a day's work for Dr Renu N Gupta, Head - Design QA and Design for Manufacturing at L&T Heavy Engineering, a post she has held since last year. Earlier, she was Head - Welding and Metallurgy.

A BE (Metallurgy) from IIT-Roorkee, she holds a Diploma in Internal Welding Engineering from the International Institute of Welding and a PhD from IIT-Bombay.

In her 16-year journey with L&T, she has been involved in critical fields such as manufacturing motor casings for ISRO, defence missile systems, nuclear equipment for reactors and apparatus for process plants, besides being involved in refineries, fertilisers and petrochemicals.

Along the way, she garnered a bouquet of awards and accolades. For significantly contributing to the field of welding, the Indian Institute of Welding (IIW) presented her the Prof Placid Rodriguez Memorial Lecture Award in 2012. For being a business enabler, she picked up the Innovative Woman Leader of the Year award during the Women Empowerment Summit in 2019.

Structuring Beauty

The next time you wait for a flight at Mumbai airport's T2, take a look at the roof. For, the coffered canopy and the intricate steel trusses behind the façade were designed by Sindhu Nair as part of the L&T team that constructed the terminal building.

Posted as the Chief Engineering Manager with the Engineering, Design & Research Centre (EDRC) of L&T's Buildings & Factories arm in Mumbai, she holds a BE Civil from VJTI Mumbai and underwent a management education programme at IIM-Ahmedabad. 

Nair's wide-ranging experience spans 18 years and covers design of airports, commercial and residential buildings, water treatment plants and bridges. 

She is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India), a Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Engineers and a Project Management Professional (PMP). She is also the Chairperson of Institution of Civil Engineer's (UK) 'Women in Engineering' initiative in India.

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