Our People
"Why are you wasting a seat? Your family will never allow you to work."
Swati Suman heard this discouraging statement every single day from her batchmates in engineering college.
Hailing from Burdwan, West Bengal, Swati is the first girl in her family to be allowed to work, and that too 2,000 km away from home. She is one of three daughters from a conservative, well-to-do family. “That is probably why my parents never paid heed to my ambition to work, despite being a rank-holder throughout my academics. Both my elder sisters are married, and I was next in line,” she says.
When placement time came, her parents were clear that they would only allow her to attend job interviews if the work location was near their home. She was heartbroken as she was so close to fulfilling her dream. After much persuasion from her teachers, Swati’s parents eventually allowed her to attend an interview, whereupon she got her first job offer.
“My dream had come true, and somewhere I think my father could see that in my eyes. I don't know what made him change his mind, but he agreed and convinced my mother,” she shares. They supported her decision to join the company and complete six months of training there. Her next opportunity came from Hindalco at its extrusions plant in Silvassa, where she has been working as a quality engineer for over 2.5 years.
Today, her parents are very proud of her achievements, and she has become accustomed to living away from home. With excitement, Swati says, “I know that my journey has just begun!”
