SARIC Rising Tide

shipra kharwal The NHPC currently operates 24 power plants across India that work to generate clean power at international standards. There is no getting around it: Uri is a tough posting—one that is guarded by military personnel. Manpower management and the ability to weld a team by gaining the trust of her male workforce has been one of her biggest accomplishments to date. The constraints in a place like Uri are, not unexpectedly, limited awareness of — and connections with—global professional networks and programs that support the growth and development of female engineers. Nominated to the SAR100 program, Shipra initially thought it was for a week in Bangkok, only to quickly realize that this was an expansive and rigorous program spread over many months. “I had to figure out how to make this work—like a river, how to carve my own path,” she concedes wryly. “It was very tough. There were days I could not attend because of work and family commitments, but I love having access to world-class resource materials that I can watch while I handle everyday chores like cooking! I realized I was doing something special for myself and I was going to commit to it.” Determined to push through, Shipra tapped into course content that gave, and continues to deliver, a broader outlook on industry developments and the workings of the global renewables market. Training has also allowed her to deepen her professional networks, people she connects with regularly. 10 11 carving your own riverbed Shipra receives an award at the SAR100 Program The SAR100 course has also helped me be a better mentor to new recruits on the job, counseling them on how to take initiative, be a leader, and set a good example. Illustrating her point are her own actions, not least of which is her willingness to, quite literally, get into the trenches with her team as needed. Baramulla is a small town, and Shipra is often called in by schools and colleges to speak with students, familiarising them with career options in STEM, and other fields. Remote areas in Kashmir struggle with access to education, and she draws on her own history to emphasise the importance of learning. This support includes sponsoring a young girl through to her graduation. As she looks out at the Jhelum, Shipra also looks ahead to her next posting—potentially another equally mountainous region. “It feeds my sense of adventure. I have no issues at all in moving every three years as our posts require. With every step, I realise I am building something better for myself professionally, and more importantly, for my own country. Now that’s a legacy I can live with.” “Admittedly, this has been hard, but I also see how it is shaping me professionally. I am looking forward to additional opportunities.”