{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-echo-js","path":"/echos/Echo_1","result":{"data":{"strapiEcho":{"title":"BITS Women Leading the Way","volume":3,"issue":3,"date":"March 2020","articles":[{"id":1,"title":"A Message from the Director","type":"message","content":"![skb](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594659145/skb_ec95173a19.jpg)\nDear Alumni, At the outset, let me share with you all the sense of delight and pride in having become a part of BITS Pilani frater- nity. I keep following ardently the contributions and the milestones that all of you have been achieving in your re- spective domains world over. I am truly proud to see our BITS women also achieving great heights of glory - be it academia or industry or civil services or entrepreneurship, they have always been at the forefront of national and international distinctions. Since this edition has been dedicated to BITS women, I salute all the women members of our alumni who have made a difference in the society with their perseverance, power and poise. It is the glori- ous deeds of their predecessors that will inspire the young girls on campus and spur them on their way to translat- ing their dreams into reality.\n\nStriding forward on this glorious march, I wish to share with you that BITS Pilani, your alma mater, has a strong action plan on all the fronts such as academic, research, innovation and incubation, state of the art infrastructure and labs so as to become one of the world’s top ranked universities. None of these activities would succeed without our alumni community’s support and we look forward to working with you all and exploring all the possibilities in expanding your involvement with your alma mater and further consolidating the bonding between the alumni, the existing students, faculty and staff members. Maintaining excellence, creating opportunities for an all-round sustainable development, seeking faculty research support, attracting foreign students and improving university rankings, would be some of the other goals that we may consider worthy of our pursuance in the years to come. I am sure that in this voyage you, as you have always been, would be with us and help us script more illustrious chapters in the glorious histo- ry of this institute of eminence with your continued support, engagement and advocacy. I thank you for your invaluable contribution in the making of this great institution and look forward to your robust contribution in the further en- hancement of its glory.\n\nSudhirkumar Barai\nDirector, Pilani Campus, BITS Pilani","cover":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":0.8666666666666667,"src":"/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/1e170/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg","srcSet":"/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/d2fbd/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 65w,\n/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/47efb/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 131w,\n/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/1e170/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 262w,\n/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/bc69a/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 393w,\n/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/2175c/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 524w,\n/static/95d7aac40afaa983d0554b37a6680176/b7496/18c7cef389f1f5a4897a3461ec643338.jpg 838w","sizes":"(max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px"}}}},{"id":2,"title":"Women Leading the Way","type":"cover_story","content":"*From doing wonders in the area of science to making inroads into entrepreneurship. BITSian women have proven time and again that science and business can go hand-in-hand. Today the successful Women BITSians are the role models for every young BITSian. In this Edition, we have brought success stories of some of the most influential women from BITS Pilani alumni community. They have stood out in the race, thanks to the dedication for their job, excellence in their work and their trailblazing approach that made them the superwomen not just in India but at the global level. Here are the BITSian women who are making ripples in their spheres and driving positive change in our world and motivating others to take the lead.*\n\n__Powerful Business Women__\n\n**Revathi Adivaithi**\n\n*CEO, Flex | Pilani, ‘90*\n\n![ra](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594727554/ra_cff4f70c0b.jpg)\nRevathi Advaithi has been named as one of Fortune Magazine's the Most Powerful Women in Business. In Sep- tember 2019, Fortune Magazine (the 50 most powerful businesswomen in the US) featured her as the single Indian-origin CEO out of 50 most powerful businesswomen. Advaithi took over as CEO of Flex in February 2019. Before joining Flex, Ms. Advaithi was President and Chief Operating Officer, Electrical Sector, of Eaton Corporation Plc, a power management company. She has brought glory to her alma mater through her consistent high level of success.\n\n> \"I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. Be passionate about whatever you aspire to be and excellence will just follow you. BITS Pilani provides you the sea of opportunities and confidence. Just believe in yourself.”\n\n__Influential Women Entrepreneur__\n\n**Richa Kar**\n\n*CEO and Founder , Zivame | Pilani, ’02*\n\n![richa-kar-zivame](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594727553/richa_kar_zivame_a01c2f8e8a.jpg)\n\nZivame founder Richa Kar is known as one of the most influential women entrepreneurs of the country. She has changed the face of lingerie shopping for women through their first start-up, Zivame. Zivame implies ‘radiant me’. By her hard work and determination, she built Zivame, a leading online lingerie store of India. Company offers a variety of 5,000 styles, 50 brands and 100 sizes with a valuation of $100 million. Before entering in start-up world Richa was working with Spencers Retail and SAP as a retail consultant.\n\n> “My advice to upcoming BITSian women entrepreneurs is to dream big. When you are your boss you have to be ready to do the oddest and smallest of jobs as and when required. Always hire people who are better at what they do than you because they will help you grow faster. I believe that if you are strong, focused and passionate about what you want to do, everything else falls into place.”\n\n__World’s Analytics Expert__\n\n**Pramad Jandhyala**\n\n*Co-founder, LatentView |  Pilani, ‘93*\n\n![td-pramad](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594727553/td_pramad_b545c62eb9.jpg)\n\nPramad Jandhyala is an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker and analytics ex- pert. As Co-Founder & Director of LatentView Analyt- ics, Pramad Jandhyala leads the company's initiatives in finance, talent management & strategic planning. She has played a key role in LatentView Analytics's rapid global growth, and her strategic guidance and execution led the company recognition in the Deloitte Fast 50 Company in 2015. She has over 17 years of experience in the credit ratings and financial services.\n\n> “BITS Pilani is a place where you get the first taste of entrepreneurship. In my days at BITS, a group of us set up and managed the cooperative store completely by ourselves. It was an enlightening experience for us. In a start-up, the struggles we faced is same as any other start-up. Always remember the Mantra of entrepreneurship, getting out of your comfort zone will take you through the best of learning experiences. So, work towards making your dreams come true and have conviction.”","cover":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAALCAYAAAB/Ca1DAAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAACwklEQVQozz2S2U8TURjF+a980AQfMKCgIWwSQUWWqCiSEKG0qAmpC7jFJS4hGlfABBERFEWtiJKylU6hVVmKVCxt2QItUJlO+/NrUR5OZu43c88959wTFwkoRAIjaPMdhCbKCP+swvehDG+rjtlOA79NlbhNeryfDbje65jqrGC1txrVZkQdPyV79IScVWjO04JTxIWXB4j4LYSX+olM6Zho2I/rTRGLvceYbMqDxSoCgydQf5TBrAG8evDo4HcFTFcK9EJUTmj0mKA4SjhIFKzZWBk2Mvo4ncBQCcr1rBj5dMshVpTj2O9ks2Q+iqejEHdbPrMfD+N+XSDvufwZKUL7VYs2+1II/VHCPrFtQ3U34evMZubNAZSbaQxc2MNY/V5cTTl8rU7GbEzBdDKRT5W76D2bSFd5PF3VufhdnRAcj7mMi4i6aIaR1Qm0mfuEHNkElSImGjPxmXLwvN2H75OosBXg78mT74WsW/ey3F/M2s82Qt5u8D1EG5NYRrKiCi2Eft1G89QTmpSw7ZmSRT7q94Mwmc/iUA4/3qezYMnF2paMvX0n1rfFtDaeRTGdl3UajvYUgs4awnNRy/PvUJVk1OHdQpYhyN5E5Luo60mn5eZWnl/bwlVDPGdKE6g1pFJ7chuPLqdzubqAqzUVLLr7xPY34rS510KYQuibKHNkCTJiUB2ZG085yNeTSldDFn1tZThNR3CazzGuvMDvNeNxfsDUfhd1wQz+gajlIdQxPapluxDvEIKkDSgJgiT+2PNhpoZhk5EHN0p49ewizY03uHWlUqCj+elFLF+eEpz7Rxjr4LLkOH0PdbRClBUJCqV3pZKpVMHbjLbwGelSrAkEbQx2P6Gro46Whis8qTMK6SVYtcotD/4vttz0ij22IboOL/cT9ls3ZxFxsTmXirFqEWIF1ocJeLqZd32U2cY/fwG5CsZ14tTDewAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","aspectRatio":1.7466666666666666,"src":"/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/7a833/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png","srcSet":"/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/1b487/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png 131w,\n/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/ea52d/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png 263w,\n/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/7a833/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png 525w,\n/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/91886/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png 788w,\n/static/1b5b0cc23409cc1b6b799f7e967ffec5/2ac55/00dd0f05ecb6ede9bf28b67f737d50e7.png 1000w","sizes":"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px"}}}},{"id":3,"title":"Always be Eager to Learn","type":"alumni_success_story","content":"#### A conversation with DAA 2018 Awardee\n\n![Screenshot 2020-07-14 at 6.05.30 PM](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594730141/Screenshot_2020_07_14_at_6_05_30_PM_a599d9298d.png)\n\n*Prof. Reena (Garg) Aggarwal (Pilani, ‘79) obtained her MMS degree from BITS and subsequently did her PhD from the University of Maryland, USA in 1985. She is the Vice Provost for Faculty at Georgetown University and Robert E. McDonough Professor of Finance at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Among many achievements, she has been the recipient of “Outstanding Faculty Award\" in the Business Week Guide to the Best Business Schools and voted as the ‘Outstanding Professor’ by EMBA students, and described her as the Favorite Professor of the ‘Best & Brightest’ Executive MBAs, Poets and Quants. Here are some insights into her journey.*\n\n__Women in Academia__\n\n**What were some of the highlights of your time in BITS Pilani?**\n\nI went to BITS to study Electrical Engineering, however, I got interested in Finance. I had a talk with my professors and they allowed me to change my subject. Every day, even now, I am extremely grateful to BITS for allowing me to make the change seamlessly, There are tons of fond memories from my days at BITS: Sunday morning dosas, cassata ice-cream for Sunday lunch, a special dinner at Volga, the fun prep. leading up to the annual fest; all the plays we put on. Most importantly, I cherish the friendships with my classmates that continues to this day.\n\n**As a professor, how do you feel teaching and the curriculum has evolved over the years and how do you keep your students engaged and yourself updated?**\n\nMy expertise is in finance, this is a dynamic area that keep changing all the time and I do real-world cases with guest speakers in class. For many years, I co-taught a Private Equity course with the co-founder of one of the best private equity firms. I also serve on the Boards of financial firms that keep me grounded in the real world. There is a lot more emphasis on experiential learning these days, BITS was way ahead, we had practice school even in my time. It was a great learning experience.\n\n\n**How did you decide your line of work and what made you stick to it?**\n\nProfessor J K Mittal ignited my interest in Finance and I got solid quantitative training at BITS, that has been ex- tremely useful. I enjoy each aspect of my work - I enjoy institution building, in my position as Vice Provost at Georgetown University, I am responsible for all faculty issues, including the recruitment and retention of the best faculty. I enjoy teaching students, doing research, serving as the Director of the Georgetown Center for Financial Markets and Policy, and serving at corporate boards.\n\n**What advice would you like to pass on to female students studying in BITS Pilani right now?**\n\nI know it’s easier said than done but don’t focus too much on grades, instead focus on learning. Learning happens both inside and outside the classroom, get involved in clubs and activities that you care about and enjoy. The new generation will change careers several times in life so they should always be eager to learn, take risks, and try out new possibilities.\n","cover":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.1066666666666667,"src":"/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/7a833/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png","srcSet":"/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/1b487/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png 83w,\n/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/ea52d/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png 167w,\n/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/7a833/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png 334w,\n/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/91886/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png 501w,\n/static/9217c28ab95c9a027248609b453ddd2c/1299c/5b188718654f8ffa27cc47bd0e0ff848.png 659w","sizes":"(max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px"}}}},{"id":4,"title":"Read to Succeed","type":"alumni_success_story","content":"*Akshaya Vijayalakshmi (Pilani, ‘03) is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmeda- bad. She is a multi-methods researcher interested in consumer-related issues. She completed her PhD in mar- keting from Iowa State University. Here’s an insight into her journey so far.*\n\n\n![Screenshot 2020-07-14 at 6.10.43 PM-min](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594730496/Screenshot_2020_07_14_at_6_10_43_PM_min_d79a84b450.png)\n\n**How do you think BITS gave you the necessary skills to become an academician?**\n\nBITS gave me my first taste of freedom and responsibility in any real sense. The opportunity to meet, interact, and live with people with impressive talents was a huge learning experience for me. It set me on a path of lifelong learning and desire to engage with the world more critically. Moreover, in BITS, the administration treats you like an adult holding you responsible for your actions (e.g., lack of mandatory attendance, student-run OASIS and APOGEE, etc.) which was helpful. BITS also helped me meet my husband, who further contributes to my development professionally.\n\n**Some of the articles written by you reflect your strong opinions you have regarding several contem- porary gender issues. What are your views regarding the representation of women in the corporate sector?**\n\nThe numbers clearly show that Indian women have been dropping-off the workforce in the last few years. It is documented that many women pay the “marriage penalty”. That is, we have a significant number of people who are educated and qualified, but not present in the workforce. Women are not just absent in corporate or business or academic spaces but also in public spaces. You don’t see women hanging out in parks or footpaths in the same numbers as men. Primarily, women are relegated to their houses and even within that, specific spaces. It will take a lot of work to make women more visible in various spaces. We can begin by pushing for the representation of women as members and leaders in our committees, clubs, and labs. If we start small and early, we will go on to see women in boardrooms, parliament, and as Nobel prize winners.\n\n**What advice do you have for a prospective MBA student? Do you think the motivation that a lot of engineering students have towards pursuing an MBA is problematic in any sense?**\n\nRead a lot and as widely as possible is my only advice to a prospective MBA student. I would suggest that students use their time at BITS to evaluate their higher studies options and if unclear, maybe work for a short while, as that sometimes provides clarity.\n\n**From writing articles and blog posts to featuring on podcasts, you seem to be involved in a lot of activities besides your professional career?  How do you strike a balance between job and interests?**\n\nThese activities are an extension of my professional work. Most of the articles that I have written so far have been related to my research interests or work. So the only additional demand on my time is to craft my message clearly and coherently. I consider writing for the papers as a part of my job, as it makes research more accessible. Having said all that, I must admit that these additional pursuits are very demanding, but in Kon Mari’s words - they spark joy.\n\n**You pursued your PhD from Iowa State University. What differences and similarities did you notice in the teaching practices adopted in India and the west?**\n\nI can only comment on PhD education since that’s the degree I obtained abroad, and I can compare it that to PhD courses at IIMA. The main difference is that in the USA, the Business School is part of a University, which meant that one could take a wide range of courses. For example, I took classes in Statistics and Psychology from the respective home departments.\nThere are very few places in India where you can get that kind of education. This exposure to various colleges and the courses that they offered helped me widen my research pursuits. Moreover, my roommates during my PhD program were in non-business disciplines, which again led me to much broader engagement with research and teaching practices.","cover":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.6533333333333333,"src":"/static/09e285fda8429f4e8a581a0139192578/7a833/0149626bb6f7c664956009baa849acec.png","srcSet":"/static/09e285fda8429f4e8a581a0139192578/1b487/0149626bb6f7c664956009baa849acec.png 124w,\n/static/09e285fda8429f4e8a581a0139192578/ea52d/0149626bb6f7c664956009baa849acec.png 247w,\n/static/09e285fda8429f4e8a581a0139192578/7a833/0149626bb6f7c664956009baa849acec.png 494w,\n/static/09e285fda8429f4e8a581a0139192578/06068/0149626bb6f7c664956009baa849acec.png 499w","sizes":"(max-width: 494px) 100vw, 494px"}}}},{"id":5,"title":"Changing Global Employment Trends in the 21st Century","type":"alumni_event","content":"#### Changing Global Employment Trends in the 21st Century\n\n![Screenshot 2020-07-14 at 6.19.03 PM-min](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594731024/Screenshot_2020_07_14_at_6_19_03_PM_min_bb8ad3e652.png)\n\nOn the 10th February, 2020, Mr. K Vijay Rao, an alumnus of BITS Pilani, addressed the students of Hyderabad campus about the changing trends in the employment scenario. Currently, the President of the All India Professional Congress (AIPC) for the Gurgaon Chapter, Mr Rao is a professional turned entrepreneur, with many years of experience in the industry.\n\nTalking about the state of today’s employment sce- nario. Mr. Rao emphasized on the fact that technology and globalization control employment opportunities across the globe. The impact of technology, as rightly pointed out by him, could be seen in every field, ranging from construction and logistics to the cutting-edge ones like biomedical and bio-engineering. He stressed on the importance of updating and honing one’s soft skills, including communication, teamwork and problem solving, to ensure enhanced job security and professional growth.\nThis informative and interactive talk by Mr. Rao provided meaningful insights into the ever-growing competitive world and also the importance of continuous upskilling to ensure a successful career.\n\n#### BITS Colloquium Talk\n\n![Screenshot 2020-07-14 at 6.19.56 PM-min](https://res.cloudinary.com/bits-echo/image/upload/v1594731025/Screenshot_2020_07_14_at_6_19_56_PM_min_862ba91fa5.png)\n\nThe first Institute Colloquium of the semester was held in the Hyderabad Campus on 28th February, 2020 and featured Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, an alumnus of the Pilani Campus. He is the Director of the Indo French Centre for Applied Mathematics and also the Convener for the Indian Institute of Science Mathematics Initiative. His colloquium address explored various ways of measuring research output of individuals and institutions and elaborated on practices that could help institutions increase their rankings on the global scale. He explained the use of impact factor in evaluating individual researchers. Initially designed for librarians to choose between which journals to keep, it slowly developed into a metric to measure an individual’s as well as an institution’s research capabilities. However, as he stated, the impact factor had its demerits. It varied from subject to subject and between sub-topics within each subject. Furthermore, he shared how a small chunk of papers published in a journal contributed majorly to its impact factor.\n\n#### Interactive session with Alumni\n\nAn interactive session with Pranav Ramarao, a Computer Science alumnus of the 2011 batch was organized at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus on January 24th, 2020. Pranav is currently working on monetizing Youtube in NBU countries at Google, Mountain View.\nHe shared his various experiences of his college days - how he spent the first year focusing on his CGPA, developed an interest in competitive coding and delved deeper into it in his second year, and also how he tried to convince as many people as he could to join him. In his third year, he breezed through his Microsoft interviews and got a PPO from Microsoft soon after his internship there. Further, he added that he appeared for the GRE and wanted to pursue his desire of doing an MS from abroad. Pranav narrated the story of how he was rejected from all the universities he applied to and how it felt like he'd hit rock bottom. He then had to formulate an entirely new plan.\n","cover":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4266666666666667,"src":"/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/7a833/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png","srcSet":"/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/1b487/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 107w,\n/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/ea52d/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 214w,\n/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/7a833/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 429w,\n/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/91886/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 643w,\n/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/117a6/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 857w,\n/static/122ba0a1510b3ca2b2b546aa5c2e5fdc/4968c/d7e6027ec53382796e8ad1db5f8b251d.png 896w","sizes":"(max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px"}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"id":"Echo_1"}}}