The Future of Women in Manufacturing industry seems Promising

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The Future of Women in Manufacturing industry
seems Promising Comfort is the most
sought-after phenomena in the world. While
majority go by the easier path to ensure
comfort, there are personalities who opt for the
less trodden path, stepping out of comfort zone
and discovering the beauty of the journey. Same
is the case with Ms. Darshana Tikle, a young,
high spirited entrepreneur who chose a different
path for herself. While mechanical is almost
assumed to be a dirty, shop floor and strenuous
job, she quit the comfortability of electronics
and delved into the labor of machines!
After acquiring her degree in electronics
engineering, Ms. Darshana Tikle worked as an
automotive electronics engineer at a firm. She
kick-started her career quite well and learned a
great deal in those five years of her career
the post which she joined her family business.
She explored the new field that she subjected
herself to and eventually mastered the new
technologies that were trending in. A constant
support from a well learned professional and
father, Mr. Arun Tikle and the team at TISA
accompanied by her own well thought
determination, resulted in her success. Now she
runs the company as the Managing
Director. Women leader receiving apprehensive
faces is not unusual in our society, but Darshana
Tikle has always had her knowledge on the
subject, answers the skeptical minds around her.
She holds a vision of having a better future for
women where each woman is independent and capable
of earning her own bread, irrespective of her
social and economic background. Could you tell
us what does Tisa Enterprises specialize in and
what are your major consumer segments? Tisa
Enterprises is a manufacturing company
specializing in the manufacture of Clamping
Solutions like Clamps, Clamping Elements, Screw
Jacks and Clamping Devices. Our products are used
in all engineering
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segments like Machine tools, Plastic Moulding,
Press-shop, Fabrication, Automotive, Textiles,
FMCG, Aerospace Engineering, Power
Generation-Flow Control, etc. Tisa participated
at the IMTEX 2017. What was the response like and
how satisfied are you as the Marketing Manager
of the company with the event? IMTEX expositions
have been grown bigger and better over the years.
Tisa has been participating at IMTEX/TOOLTECH
from the last 27 years. The response at the expo
was positive as we got to meet our existing as
well as potential customers and were able to
assist many customers with their specific
clamping needs. The customers get to see the
products, the quality, and their applications
first hand. We have received many new leads and
have converted most of the inquiries into orders.
The growing international interest in Indian
manufacturers has helped us forge many new
partnerships, local as well as foreign, at
IMTEX. What are your views about the gender
disparity at the helm of businesses in
India? The Mechanical industry has dominantly
had a male presence. However, it is encouraging
to see that many second-generation women are
foraying into the business and making their mark,
both technically and in the administrative
capacity. The future of women in this industry
seems promising and I hope to see many more
women like me breaking old notions about the male
dominance in the manufacturing industry. Manufact
uring and engineering have always been thought of
as a mans area of expertise. What motivated you
to join the manufacturing world? Tisa
Enterprises was started by my parents Mrs. and
Mr. Arun Tikle. From a young age, I have seen
both of them working hard for the company and
shaping it into what we see today. Hence, the
notion of manufacturing being a mans world was
never formed in my mind. The motivation
definitely came from both of them. I worked as
an automotive electronics engineer for 5 years to
get some experience of the real world before
joining the business. This helped me appreciate
better the nuances of the manufacturing
industry. As a woman entrepreneur, what
according to you are the major challenges and
achievements you have faced along the way so
far? When I joined the company 9 years ago,
there was some apprehension from many customers
as well as shop floor workers towards a woman
being in the lead. However, slowly I was able to
pave my way by proving myself to them. Today, we
work with mutual respect. With the exponential
growth in women excelling in all sectors, the
industry now is also more approving of women in
the lead than before.
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How far helping are the government schemes for
women entrepreneurs in India? The Government has
many subsidies for women entrepreneurs to
encourage their growth from assistance in buying
new machinery and raw material for participation
in exhibitions. However, the fine print and
elaborate paperwork is a deterrent to applying
for these subsidies. Please throw some light on
how Tisa Enterprise encourage ensure gender
parity in decision making and planning under
your leadership? Most of the key posts at the
Tisa are held by women. Further to my mother,
Mrs. Shrimantini and me being part of the
business, my sister, Mrs. Rutuparna has also
joined the business to our added strength. At
IMTEX, one of my customers wanted me to train
his operators on the precautions to be taken
while clamping. To my surprise and awe, most of
his operators were women. While women form an
important administrative and commercial role at
the Tisa, I look forward to hiring more women on
my shop floor too. What would be your advice to
young women entrepreneurs and engineers who want
to join manufacturing sector? The manufacturing
sector is ever growing at a rapid pace and there
will never be a lull in this sector. If one is
interested in the manufacturing sector but see
gender disparity / age-old notions as a
deterrent, I would encourage them to dispel
these notions and follow their dream. The
manufacturing space is filled with innovations
and we are always on a lookout for fresh ideas.
While the sector doesnt look financially
lucrative at first, hard work and commitment can
reap huge monetary benefits. I have been on the
other side of the industry as well and can
confidently vouch for the manufacturing
industry. What are your growth plans and
roadmap for your company? TISA is a well-known
brand for clamping solutions in South India. We
wish to further strengthen our business in the
rest of India. TISA is also exporting to many
countries and wish to expand its umbrella of
customer coverage. We are working towards
developing more effective, less time-consuming
clamping technologies to offset job setting time
and hence increasing productivity. Investing in
more advanced machinery and quality inspection
equipment to ensure quicker supplies and growth,
without compromising on the quality, remains our
mantra as has been for the last 36 years. About
Us
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