She has also been passionately giving guest lectures to colleges for the past five years at GRT, KPR College, Saveetha, and L&T EduTech. Most recently, she chaired a session and presented a paper at the Women Indian Geotechnical Conference 2024, which was organized by IGS, Anna University, and IIT. A native of Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, Mathangi’s better half is Vignesh, General Manager (Quality) at Hyundai Motor India, while their daughter, V. Akshithi, is studying at Chennai Public School. Despite her busy schedule, Mathangi finds time for gardening, career counselling, Zumba & aerobics, balances her work and family and even snatches the odd weekend getaway. “L&T for me stands for Long-lasting and Trustworthy in nation building,” she concludes contentedly.

GIVING WINGS TO HER CREATIVITY

Ira Ahuja

Principal Architect, B&F IC

Even after 13 years with L&T, Ira Ahuja still recalls with relish a training session in Tyrol, Austria, at Bartenbach – The Lighting Innovators, where it was a pleasure to learn from the best in the industry, Andreas Danler and Judith Gross. After joining L&T as a GAT in July 2011, Ira spent the first 5-6 years conceptualizing designs, creating architectural drawings, and standardising typical architectural details for ITOS & airport projects. “Later, posted at construction sites as a Site Finishes Architect, I began to oversee the implementation of finishing details such as flooring, cladding, ceiling, façades, interfaces, clash detections, prepare all the necessary fabrication/shop drawings and other aesthetic elements to ensure their alignment with the approved designs and quality standards,” she apprises. “I played a crucial role to bring architectural visions to life at ‘live’ projects and was single point of contact for all design-related discussions with external stakeholders, winning the client’s trust for getting all approvals.” Ira is particularly proud of her involvement in the IICC project, aka Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, as Lead Architect for the Convention Centre Building to implement the retractable seating systems in the 6,000+ seat auditorium, the first of its kind in Asia, having fifty-seven 6 m × 7 m colossal hexagonal ceiling light medallions suspended at a height of 16 metres with metal mesh cladding systems and the world’s finest acoustic systems from Belgium. At L&T, she has imbibed the qualities of leadership, collaboration, adaptability, embracing challenges and harnessing creativity.

STARTING ON A HIGH NOTE

Purnima Tripathi

Assistant Manager (Planning), B&F IC

Not everyone gets the opportunity that Purnima Tripathi has been blessed with to work at the iconic Ram Janmabhoomi Temple project. The experience of handling the portfolios of planning, client billing, and sub-contractor billing, have according to her, enriched her life in many ways. “Managing such a large-scale project has improved my skills at organization and collaboration, especially working with a diverse team, that have enhanced my strategic management and teamwork abilities, while the attention to detail in construction has boosted my problem-solving skills and quality consciousness,” she shares triumphantly. “Some of these lessons transcend work and will certainly help me to develop into a more rounded professional.” Like for millions across the country, the consecration of the temple on January 22^nd, 2024, was a highpoint in Purnima’s life, filling her with pride, a sense of responsibility, dedication, and devotion. “While I am proud of L&T’s reputation for its quality, personally I admire the Company’s efforts towards promoting gender diversity,” she remarks meaningfully. A native of Delhi and born to parents who are both government employees, Purnima loves to sketch in her free time. “I feel that when you love doing something, you don’t need to find the time for that activity; you automatically make time for the things you love doing,” she smiles, and as work proceeds on the temple project, rest assured that she will be spending a lot of time doing what she also loves – her job.

CHAMPIONING QUALITY

Nandita Sujit Kumar Chuckerbutty

Chief Quality Manager, HCI IC

Coming with just over a couple of years of prior experience, Nandita Sujit Kumar Chuckerbutty soon started to make her mark at the DIAL project after joining L&T in 2007. Defying gender norms, she transitioned to site quality control and assurance, proving her capabilities, and rising quickly through the ranks, playing a key part in several critical projects like Hyderabad Metro Rail and Bangalore Metro Rail. Her leadership qualities and growing expertise soon caught the attention of all that earned her a feature in Outlook Business as one of ‘She Movers of India’ in 2022. Not surprisingly, in 2017, she became the only woman Quality Head in HCIIC. “Quality, for me, means doing it right when no one is looking,” she declares, “a mantra that I religiously follow across all the projects that I have been a part of.” Handpicked by EVP & Urban Transit Head, K Bhavani, Nandita is now the Chief Quality Manager for the prestigious Chennai Metro Rail project (C5 CMRL ECV02), and enjoying a larger canvas to showcase her ability to drive Quality. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Nandita’s family plays a significant role in her life. Her spouse, Sourabh, an Electrical Engineer, shares her passion for construction, while their son, Ishaan, excels academically and athletically at the Scindia School Fort in Gwalior. Hailing from Nagpur, Nandita, in her leisure time, indulges in travelling; exploring new destinations; enjoying music, swimming, and movies; strengthening family bonds; and rejuvenating her spirit. Proudly representing L&T, she says, “We are welcomed as a family and groomed as leaders.”

“DILIGENCE, RESILIENCE, AND PERSISTENCE PAVE THE WAY TO SUCCESS”

Poongothai Arunachalam

Manager (QA/QC), HCI IC

SMALL BEGINNINGS. BIG DREAMS.

S Padmapriya

Senior Engineer (Civil), Hydel & Tunnels, HCI IC

Her humble beginnings from a simple middle-class family in Salem, Tamil Nadu, belie S Padmapriya’s resilience, determination, and hunger to make her mark. Being part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, Package IV, with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in building India’s first undersea tunnel, and setting a world record in tunnelling, have all left a lasting impression on her. “It has not been easy by any stretch of imagination,” she shakes her head, recalling her early struggles, born to a father who is a driver and a mother who manages a modest dairy farm. Successfully overcoming gender biases and acing competitive examinations, Padmapriya landed in Mumbai and found in L&T the ideal place to live her dreams. “I am thrilled at the opportunities I enjoy,” she gushes, initially in Quality Assurance and then tunnel planning. “Yes,” she nods, “it has been challenging but I am loving the experience.” Padmapriya is proud of her personal contribution that has caught the attention of her superiors and peers. Away from work, she is keenly interested in football and table tennis, having excelled at both sports at divisional and district levels and is passionate about biking. Although still in her early days, Padmapriya has big dreams and with her strength of character and support systems, it is only a matter of time before she fulfils them and more.

AN EMPOWERED NATION BUILDER

Sudesna Biswas

DGM – Design & Head (Hydrology & Hydraulics), EDRC, TI IC (RBF SBG)

As Head of Hydrology & Hydraulics, Sudesna expanded her team’s capabilities from storm water drainage sizing to encompass bridge & structures hydrology, flood management, and protection systems as well. “In fact, we are now the centralized hydrology solution providers to multiple ICs of L&T,” she says, adding that the team is next aiming at broadening its horizons into AI-driven hydrology and water neutrality, targeting holistic water and wastewater management across all sites.

Sudesna championed the digitalization of the entire hydrology process and introduced process innovations, for which she has received several awards in L&T, including the recent Pi Gold under the Services category in 2023 for digitalizing and reducing design process time by 93% in MGEP. “This process has now become the new norm for hydrology designs,” she shares with pride.

“I feel proud to be a nation builder,” says Sudesna, grateful to the Company for the opportunities it offers, the enabling environment for executing innovations, and the leadership and development programmes that allow her to grow.

Born in the City of Joy, Kolkata, Sudesna hails from a family of engineers, with a diverse range of hobbies, including singing Hindustani classical music, playing the piano, dancing, athletics, painting, elocution, reading, yoga, meditation, gardening, and travelling. “I love them all,” she laughs delightedly. She loves pet-parenting ‘Moshai’, her 2-year-old Labrador Retriever.

“L&T HAS TAUGHT ME THE 5Cs!”

Aparna Vilas Bannore

Senior Manager (Business Development),
TI IC (RBF SBG)

Certainly, helping to procure the Dahisar Bhayander Elevated Road and the Versova Dahisar Coastal Road projects are the high points in Aparna Bannore’s association with L&T, a company, she believes is taking India to the next level globally. “My responsibilities include providing market intelligence, analysing the competitive landscape, getting new business leads, meeting my order booking targets, maintaining excellent relationships with our clients that include both external and internal stakeholders,” she shares with businesslike vigour. Having just completed a year with the organization, Aparna has been a quick learner. “L&T has taught me 5 skills, the 5 Cs that are also the reasons for my success,” she says smilingly, ticking them on the fingers of one hand. “Competence, Courage, Confidence, Consistency and Compass (Integrity).” She is proud of the company she keeps for it promotes gender equality and a culture of caring and trust. Hailing from Nagpur, Maharashtra, though presently staying with her parents in Mumbai, Aparna’s personal pursuits are gardening and photography. Every Sunday, she lavishes her plants with tender care while with her camera, she ventures into unexplored places to capture the beauty of nature and the vibrant energy of Mumbai’s bustling infrastructure sites. As she develops the business, Aparna is equally focused on honing her professional skills.

A CHAMPION
SPORTSWOMAN
PURSUING
A ‘GREEN’ MISSION.

Suzan Stenita Jathanna

Engineering Manager (Environmental),
TI IC (RBG)

Back in her hometown of Belgaum, Karnataka, Suzan Stenita Jathanna is known as the ‘Golden Girl’ for all the medals she has won as an ace sportswoman. A doting mother to her 7-year-old daughter Nancita, she is a PGET from the batch of 2013. She joined TI IC in 2020 and promptly participated in two international sports events representing India, winning a rich haul of medals. Even amidst her sporting endeavours, she plays a pivotal role in monitoring the implementation of ESG initiatives identified by the RBF SBG to achieve group target-Lakshya strategy, to become Water Neutral by 2035 and Carbon Neutral by 2040. Apart from being one of the Environment and Sustainability champions in the IC, her responsibilities include coordinating with 40+ sites for Environment and Sustainability subjects and working for the Annual Integrated Report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) and so on. Life, according to Suzan, is a canvas that one can paint with as many colours as one desires. “I have learnt the merits of commitment, dedication, perseverance, passion, hard work, endurance to reach your destination,” she shares wisely, certain that honest efforts will get recognized sooner or later. “My athletic pursuits help me prepare mentally to perform consistently and think well under pressure,” she highlights. Susan’s better half in her life’s race is Udaya.

ENJOYING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE HERSELF

Suruthi S

Senior Engineer (Civil), TI IC (RBF SBG)

Ever since she joined L&T as a GET in 2022 and was posted at the CTP-3R project in Ahmedabad, Suruthi S has been enjoying the opportunity to utilize her skills productively and to be working with a bunch of talented and supportive colleagues who have successfully created a positive and motivating work environment. “Currently, I handle Contracts and Claims Management,” she informs, “and we have initiated and filed certain claims in our project which are first of their kind in DFCC Projects, and these have now been implemented in similar projects by our management.” Suruthi ticks off some of the several skills she has gained with L&T: problem solving, project management, teamwork & collaboration, adaptability, and communication. “These skills are extremely valuable and will definitely stand me in good stead both in my professional as well as personal lives,” she avers, with a punched fist.

Taking a broader perspective, she says, “I appreciate the L&T Management for recognising and appreciating the contribution of employees and nurturing their hidden talents. The way L&T gives importance and takes care of women employees is truly praise-worthy,” she says rousingly. A native of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Suruthi is still single, and her family comprise her parents and her younger sister. “My favourite hobbies are drawing and badminton,” she smiles. “In fact, every evening after work I play badminton for an hour to keep myself fit.”

As Administrative Officer at L&T PT&D’s Nairobi office, Kenya, Pauline Achieng Watanga has a load of responsibilities. “I am the first person you meet if you visit our office,” she says with a wide welcoming smile, “and, I am responsible to ensure that all the vehicles are well maintained, serviced, and fuelled, that all my colleagues traveling internationally are picked and dropped on time, organize for Visas, ensure that everyone has a valid work permit, and that the families of employees possess valid documents to enable them to stay in the country without any trouble with the authorities.” She pauses to take a breath and then adds, “I also assist in filing, drafting transfer letters, book vouchers and follow up for local county licences.” During her 3-year-long association with L&T, Pauline is happy she has learnt be resilient despite having to deal with the authorities. “We all work together as a team, like children from one mother despite our different cultural backgrounds,” she shares happily. “There is no racial discrimination, everyone is respected and given the chance to deliver his/her best. I’ve also learnt hard work,” she adds with a laugh. Hailing from Western Kenya, Pauline is married to the “loving and handsome” Dalton Mwangi, an Operation Manager at Nairobi Distillers and she is a mother of three: 14-year-old KerryIsaac, 8-year-old Darren Peter and little girl, Mitchelle Karen, who is all of 20 months. Her other loves are football and exploring new places.

5 PROJECTS. 12 YEARS. LOADS OF EXPERIENCE.

Sowmya R

Construction Manager (Civil), WET IC

From Management Trainee to Planning In-charge has been an exciting journey for Sowmya R, during which she has worked across two ICs – 4 residential projects with B&F and presently is at WET IC’s Mandya RWS project. “During my dozen years with L&T there have been several crucial takeaways,” she says with a spring in her voice. “I learnt project management techniques, to work as a team focused on team building to achieve our goal, interpersonal skills, subcontractor management, negotiation skills, problem solving techniques by taking decisions and maintaining effective communication among all the project stakeholders, adopting a proactive and assertive approach.” Having started at the Kingfisher Towers in 2012, Sowmya worked at three other residential projects for the Prestige Group, one of which was completed on time, within the given budget fetching better GM than expected. “That project received many quality and safety awards and has also been nominated for the Project Completion Bonus this year,” she shares delightedly. L&T, for Sowmya, is a great place to work. “I am proud to be a part of it for I started my career here, have grown and developed myself here too and now I am confident to take on higher responsibilities,” she shares confidently. “Shuttle badminton is my favourite sport, and I was the state level champion in both shuttle badminton and throw ball,” she shares proudly, adding that she has won several awards in sports competitions in L&T too. Sowmya’s marriage to Mohan started as a college love, and they are blessed with a 11-year-old son.

BUILDING HER CAREER, BLOCK BY BLOCK

Shweta Singh

Assistant Construction Manager (Civil), WET IC

A GET from NIT Durgapur, Shweta Singh has been steadily moving up the ranks at L&T since she joined in 2017, adding more strings to her bow by gaining both knowledge and expertise. “Every role has helped me grow and learn new skills,” she points out with a steely look. “At both the Contracts & Tendering and Operations departments, I picked up insights into project procurement and execution, which prepared me for my subsequent roles in project planning and coordination.” Presently, she is the Planning In-charge at the Varanasi Tubewell Scheme where she experienced a professional high, winning the 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Award for Best Pre-Engineered Building (Pre-cast) Code – K, after successful online and site evaluations by the CIDC team from Delhi. “I am extremely proud of the award for it highlighted my leadership and problem-solving skills.”

Shweta is quick to acknowledge that L&T has played a key role in her grooming. “I am equipped with diverse skills, from technical expertise to client relationship management that have helped me navigate the complexities of project management,” she asserts. The values of discipline and adaptability have been ingrained into her by her parents: her father, a former Indian Navy personnel; her mother, a homemaker; and her brother and sister-in-law, both software engineers. “I have a passion to travel, discover new destinations, and actively engage in extracurricular activities, from sports to arts,” she says, “that foster creativity and a sense of fulfillment. I have realized that to effectively balance hobbies and work, it is crucial to prioritize and manage your time efficiently.”

TAKING DOUBLE DELIGHT IN
PERFORMING DOUBLE DUTIES

Nalini Krishna

Assistant Manager (Chem) – EHS, WET IC

Managing EHS is more than a full-time job though for Nalini Krishna, another full-time task as a mother is to look after her one-year-old son, Avyaan, who, she says, “likes to keep me awake all night long.” A PGET who started her journey with L&T in 2017, Nalini has navigated through several roles and presently is EHS-in-charge of Delhi and U.P. O&M projects. “It’s been quite an adventure never knowing what each day brings, she chuckles. “I have however learnt with every hurdle.” The several awards her EHS & O&M teams have won are testimony to her success that includes BSC’s Sword of Honour & 5-Star International Safety Award, NSCI’s Prashansa Patra Safety Award, the ICC Environment Excellence Awards, among others. The treatment of women at the workplace and L&T’s inclusive work environment that values diversity and promotes equal opportunity for all have helped Nalini evolve into a more confident version of herself. “Some of my mantras are to perform better under pressure, focus on developing and using your strengths, work till the work is done, change the situation not the person, avoid stagnation and always look on the bright side,” she says with a sunny smile. Hailing from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Nalini’s interests range from reading, painting to watching sci-fi movies with her husband, Rohit, Senior Manager – Operations & BD at Nayara Energy. As Nalini continues her journey finely balancing work and family, she is certain that “with the right support, anything is possible.”

Sambedana is proud of having executed the first ever Aggregate Crushing Plant and modified the design of the primary mobile crusher panel to remotely access it from site. “We developed a simplified relay-based logic system for easy installation,” she adds smilingly. Sambedana’s biggest support has been her husband, Ashis Kumar Panda, who is a Project Manager in the Kansbahal Product BU. “He has not only helped me grow professionally but has also helped me to achieve my dreams.” Her dream family is complete with her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Anaya Panda.

ON A STEEP LEARNING CURVE

Adithya U R

Senior Engineer (Plant & Machinery),
M&M SBG

One word that describes U R Adithya’s association with L&T is ‘learning’. A GET from the 2022 batch, she is learning the ropes at M&M’s JVML project, Bellary, handling P&M, which involves managing MIS, Asset Management, Inventory Control, and digitalization. Her eagerness to contribute has found expression in the creation of a comprehensive dashboard to analyse equipment health and performance, “because I recognize the significant impact of equipment utilization and availability on project profitability,” she says with a wisdom far beyond her age. Obviously passionate about the initiative, Adithya adds, “Once fully implemented, this dashboard will help us make data-driven decisions to optimize equipment usage, reduce downtime, and ultimately enhance project profitability,” she grins, rubbing her hands in anticipation. Training and personal development programmes, onsite learning opportunities, working in diverse environments & cultures and challenges have enhanced her adaptability and problem-solving abilities. “Working with teams to solve challenges has improved my ability to communicate ideas clearly, listen actively and work collaboratively towards common goals.” Hailing from God’s own country, and still single, Adithya’s nuclear family includes her father, Raju Pillai, a retired Kerala Government employee, mother, Usha, who works in a private pharma firm and brother, Anandhu, who as a Sales Manager with Bajaj Finserv. Adithya is proud of her culinary talent to whip up delicious traditional Kerala dishes and loves to explore new destinations. With L&T, she has many more opportunities to explore and milestones to achieve.

For an EHS professional, achieving safe manhours is a matter of immense pride. For Devika Rajesh, a moment to cherish was achieving five million safe man hours without LTI at her Blast Furnace #2 project. “It reflected our team’s commitment to safety and the meticulous implementation of EHS protocols,” she shares enthusiastically. “Additionally, winning the prestigious British International Safety Award and the EHS Rolling Trophy were a testament to our collective efforts towards creating a safe work environment.” Having started her association with L&T in July 2022 as PGET-EHS at the Coke Oven Battery Project at Kalinganagar, Odisha, Devika’s second and current assignment is at the Blast Furnace #2 Project, AMNS Hazira, under the guidance of Mr. A. Dhanasekar, Project Director, and Mr. Satish Chandra Yadav, EHS In-charge, where she completed her training period and has been designated Senior Engineer (EHS). “Currently my roles and responsibilities include the effective implementation of the OHS&E Management System at various levels of the project to create and sustain a safe and healthy work environment,” she declares with a definite air of purpose and happy that she has been able to hone her EHS and technical knowledge in blast furnace construction. “I have also strengthened my communication, problem-solving, and time management skills while adapting to a dynamic fast-paced environment.” From Kollam, Kerala, Devika hails from a family dedicated to education: her father is a retired headmaster, her mother a retired high school teacher, and her grandmother a retired headmistress. A lover of sports, she loves dancing too, and she finely balances her creative and fun-filled physical activities with the demands at site.

Eutectic. Welding Systems. General Administration. Personnel. Corporate Communications. Corporate Social Responsibility. This has been Subhalakshmi Anand’s ports of call with L&T in a career spanning over two and a half decades. While she has enjoyed the enormous variety of her roles, Subha, as she is better known, declares, “The best part of working with L&T is that we get the freedom to spread our wings, explore a lot and embrace more portfolios to prove our potential.” Her two major stints have been first with Corporate Communications where she was busy printing and distributing marketing collaterals, managing new year compliments; organising media meets, & corporate events, maintaining databases, handling finance and budgeting. Moving to the CSR department in 2013, though a trifle late in her career, was a watershed moment for suddenly, as she says, “passion became profession. I got the opportunity to visit more than 100 villages, connect with communities at the grass root level, interact with special children, work with mentally challenged women, record audio books for visually challenged students and so much more,” she shares with a profound sense of fulfilment. At the corporate level, Subha connects with thousands of employees across L&T Construction through various Employee Volunteering activities, branded ‘L&T-eering’. On her home front, Subha’s better half, Anand, is a financial professional working for a UK-based firm while, daughter, Akshaya is pursuing MS in Communication Engineering in Germany. Her eclectic interests include cooking, exploring diverse cuisines, and reading. “I read a lot of mythology and Kavitha Kane is my favourite author,” she smiles.