Sonal Bhatawadekar, Director, STPI-Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Provide some insights into your journey within the business world and the factors that played a role in reaching your current position.

I started my journey working as an engineer after my passing out year 1993 as I immediately got an opportunity to work in one of the electronic machines manufacturing companies in Pune. After an year, I found another opportunity where I learned and adopted knowledge of ISP set of Networking & Telecommunication and Automation of Processes, which is nowadays called Digital Transformation or e-Gov processing – these were emerging needs those days and there was a shortage of such high end technical manpower availability, and I got an opportunity to participate and contribute in setting up such infrastructure for promoting Computer Software Industry through STPI since 1995.

Could you discuss the challenges you have encountered as a woman in a leadership position and how you successfully navigated them?

We all know that fact. Nevertheless, I have not given any importance to this parameter as my nature is to focus only on my productivity and result oriented work to meet the objectives of the organisation always irrespective of hurdles that came in between due to nature or due to the process of society or environment we are working or living in.

In professional career or in personal life, if I come across any difficult or challenging situation, which could be due to any person or hurdle, it is in my nature to give less importance to gender-based issues. This attitude has helped me in contributing well to complete my responsibilities and to meet all my set goals towards the objectives of the organisation and my duties.

Share an experience from your leadership journey where you were confronted with a tough decision. What was your approach to dealing with it?

Yes! There are many, as my professional career is almost completing three decades. I could prioritise the responsibilities very well.

There are many situations that occurred while setting up technical infrastructures, breakdowns in telecom infra due to some natural calamities, non-availability of spares and equipment, non-availability of accommodation, non-availability alternate arrangements of human resources, non availability of superiors/seniors support and many more such challenges that I have faced. However I always keep in mind that there are invariably such problems in life and we can resolve these problems with help of money, human (i.e., good relations) and time and this helped me in facing and resolving these challenges with a positive, optimistic outlook.

What is your approach to risk and decision-making as you navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship?

While taking a decision which is attracting high risk, we should always have a Plan B with us – a decision of taking 100% risk should not be taken at the loss of 100% when navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. Preferably, to be on safer side, the decision of taking risk in entrepreneurship can be taken by keeping the vision of at least ‘no profit no loss’ and gradually can step up towards making profits.

How do you foster innovation and creativity within your business?

By studying the current market needs well and accordingly upskilling and upgrading and adopting in your set-up as per the current need of the fast growing tech industry.

What strategies do you employ in building and leading a successful team?

If we deploy the right professionals to the right task as per the skill-sets then the team also works confidently and will show good results and good productivity. We can then delegate to them the task of decision making, and executing those decisions, to let them get that feeling of accomplishment, of seeing the output of their efforts. In such a way we can create a leading, successful team.

How do you approach career development and set professional goals for yourself?

I tried my level best to upskill myself by keeping eyes open to find good opportunities within the organisation; to learn about things, and depending on the requirement, upgrading of skills for the related projects. I have taken professional courses to up-skill myself on those technical or managerial skill sets required, and applying the knowledge in the field, which has helped me a lot in my career development.

How do you balance professional responsibilities with your personal life?

Whenever there is a requirement to give priority to office responsibilities, I explain those to my close family members well so that they can understand my position and they could support and help me by taking care of them in my absence. At the same time, I was performing my professional duties very well with a sense of responsibility, ownership and with a sense of belonging towards the organisation. On the other hand, the management also considered my need when the priority was required to be given toward my family responsibilities. So I am always thankful to all my supporters in the profession as well as in the family.

How do you approach networking, and what role has it played in your career?

Yes! Networking is very important because I believe that each individual has unique qualities which can be useful for both individuals when they get connected well and come into a win-win situation for both, in any situation. Now this may not produce immediate results, not on the same day of making the right connection, but certainly some day in future.

Is there a piece of advice you wish you had received when starting your own business?

I have not gone through such a situation yet. But in case I get an opportunity, I am sure I will think of Plan B first, before proceeding with Plan A!

How would you describe your life in 3 words?

Always Smiling, Happy.

What would you write on your own fortune cookie?

‘Be Honest & Keep Working’.

A Gujarat Woman Leader Awardee and the mentor to IT Start-ups, incubatee, MSME, Enterprise Founders, IT product & Electronic Hardware manufacturers for exports, and students, Sonal Bhatawadekar is a Jurisdictional Director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India.

Sonal Bhatwadekar holds a B.E in Electronics and an Executive MBA degree. Before being posted as Jurisdictional Director STPI Gandhinagar, Gujarat in 2022, she headed many divisions for STPI – Pune (for Maharashtra and Goa Jurisdiction) like Data Communication Facility Group, Statutory Service, i.e., (EXIM) Group, Incubation Service Group & MIS Group for more than 25 years.

Sonal has extensive experience in working with eco-system partners to grow the IT/ITES & Electronics industry from the respective region. She was an active member in the implementation of the digitisation of STPI Services. She has facilitated various IT/ITES/SMEs/Start-up companies established under the STP & SEZ umbrella.

With her visionary leadership, Sonal has conceptualised and performed significantly for the creation of the Centre of Entrepreneurship for domains of Automotive Engineering and IoT based – Smart Agritech CoE, in Pune and Akola, respectively. She has also worked on establishing the LAB set-up for the project of the creation of the Centre of Entrepreneurship for Smart-Agri Tech CoE, in Akola.

Further, Sonal has facilitated the ITES companies, operating under the India BPO promotion Scheme which was for incentivising the ITES operations from Tier-II & Tier-III cities for generating employment from these regions. She successfully handled the activities as a Nodal Officer from STPI-Pune for operationalising as an implementing agency for IBPS.

Under her leadership as Director of STPI-Gandhinagar, the region witnessed 42% growth in Exports from units under STPI. She has managed to increase awareness and proper coordination with ecosystem partners in the region. She bagged the Gujarat Woman Leader Award felicitated by CMO Asia & World Women Leadership Congress.

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