How Women in Tech are rising to the new challenges

With emerging technologies like Gen-AI keeping organizations in a flurry of new implementations, a rapidly shifting CIO role, new innovations testing budgets and adaptability of organizations and increasing competition, a competent CIO is the ace that can change the game. And while growing slowly but surely, the league of women CIOs in technology cannot be overlooked.

Working on long-term milestones while balancing everyday obstacles, embracing the learning curve while becoming a sought-after business leader, and changing long-held perceptions, India’s women CIOs are writing a new chapter in multifaceted leadership.

Everyday Strategy

For a CIO, while the ‘big picture’ visions take focus, time is often spent dealing with the everyday challenges of an organization’s tech needs.

As Jyothirlatha, CTO of Godrej Capital tells us, “Being a pandemic-born NBFC (non-banking financial company), a technology-first approach helps us drive business growth. Since technology evolves rapidly, ensuring seamless adoption while keeping business teams aligned requires continuous change management.” Additionally, optimizing cost while investing in next-gen capabilities like AI, automation, and cloud remains a challenge.

For Kopal Raj, India CIO and VP IT of WABTEC, the motto is preventing the breach of sensitive information. “Implementing robust security measures such as encryption, regular security audits, and employee training, and partnerships with legal experts can help ensure adherence.” She achieves this by evaluating the current infrastructure and identifying areas for modernization, be it through the use of APIs, or investing in middleware to bridge old and new systems.

Another challenge is finding and retaining skilled tech professionals in a competitive market. To deal with it, Kopal says, “Fostering a positive work culture, and offer competitive salaries, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional development.”

For Namrita, Chief Digital Officer of Aditya Birla Chemicals, Filaments and Insulators, the challenge is integrating legacy wares with digital tools like IoT, AI, and cloud platforms. “To tackle this, we go in phases, starting with pilot projects to demonstrate value, followed by scaling successful initiatives, then leveraging APIs and middleware to ensure integration without disrupting existing operations.”

Boardroom conversations

Saloni Vijay, Vice President, CISO and Head – IT, _VOIS, Vodafone Group states that confidence in Generative AI across boardrooms is growing, as well as the transformational impact of technologies like cloud computing, IoT, blockchain, quantum computing, and the metaverse.

Namrita offers a useful insight – In today’s boardrooms, digital tools like AI, IoT, automation, and predictive analytics are dominating technology conversations, creating new avenues for value by heralding new, disruptive business models. For instance, AI-driven predictive maintenance and digital twins can reduce maintenance costs by 20%, optimizing production and supply chains.

Kopal has seen C-suite conversations around technology focus on digital transformation, leveraging data analytics, AI and machine learning to innovate in their business model, customer, and employee experience.

Additionally, these CIOs have also seen the growing assent for sustainable practices. WABTEC being a locomotive organization, Kopal observes, “Discussions around sustainability focus on using tech to optimize energy consumption and reduce waste.” Namrita also sees Sustainability-Driven Innovation as a sign of green initiatives in focus. “With net-zero emissions in focus, companies are investing in green chemistry, bio-based materials, and carbon capture technologies. Sustainable practices can increase revenue by 5-20%, with 60% of customers willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products.” To her, these efforts align with broader ESG commitments while creating customer value.

Embracing a multifaceted approach

Jyothirlatha aptly states, “A CTO today is a business enabler, influencing strategy and driving technology-led growth.” It’s gospel truth – the CIO role has seen an evolution from just the technical expert and is now central to business decisions.

Jyothirlatha outlines a cardinal rule – align technology with business strategy, while maintaining regulatory compliance. “Since technology is central to improving efficiency, customer service, and risk management, the alignment ensures the achievement of business value.”

Saloni Vijay places major importance on balancing innovation and stability by prioritizing iterative improvements and focusing on scalability and resilience. She also focuses on the power of collaboration across the organization to integrate new technologies to drive digital transformation initiatives to align with the company’s long-term goals.

As a CDO, Namrita contributing to discussions on leveraging digital technologies to reimagine business models and deliver business impact. “By fostering a data-driven culture, we empower teams to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and anticipate market trends.”

Tech leadership mantras

A CIO needs to focus on being enriched in technology, business and other verticals to provide capable leadership to their organization.

As an example, Saloni Vijay is focused on leveraging automation and AI by organizing and structuring organization’s data assets which enables AI’s full potential.

On the cybersecurity frontier, she speaks of maintaining an edge over cyber attackers by reducing the attack surface. “Gain visibility into the resources that need to be defended and identify unnecessary or misconfigured assets. This proactive approach improves the organization’s security posture and decreases the number of resources that require protection.”

For Jyothirlatha, the emphasis is on investment in future-ready technology without losing focus on the basics. She adds, “Proactively build strong technology stack, AI-driven, and security-first architectures to scale efficiently. At the same time, ensure that the core system stack is being upgraded to scale.”

Namrita prioritizes agility as a virtue. “An agile culture adapts quickly, experiments fearlessly, and learns from failures. Empower teams to iterate rapidly and embrace change to stay ahead of disruption.”

Changing gendered perceptions

Having women at senior leadership positions dispels myths about women’s competence, ambition or leadership abilities.

To Jyothirlatha, it reinforces the importance of diversity in decision-making. “Having a woman in a leadership position drives meaningful change by fostering a culture of inclusivity, diverse perspectives, and bold leadership. It reshapes traditional leadership narratives and encourages more women to step into strategic roles.”

Kopal highlights the importance of resilience and single-minded focus. “Identify and pursue the skills necessary for your goals. Embrace challenging projects to showcase your abilities and expand your professional network. This proactive approach not only highlights your competence but also opens doors for mentorship and support.”

Namrita advises, “Take credit for your achievements, and share ideas backing them with data where possible. Build a strong network of mentors, sponsors, and allies who advocate for you. Remember, leadership is about lifting others as you climb.”

Saloni Vijay sums it up aptly. “The tech industry is constantly evolving, and staying updated with the latest trends and technologies is crucial. Seek opportunities for professional development, whether through courses, certifications, or attending industry conferences. Women leaders often bring distinct qualities such as empathy, connection-building, and inclusiveness, which can enhance organizational success,” concludes Saloni Vijay.