Knowing that gender biases exist, how difficult is it to be a woman and thrive in your specific field?
If there is one field, which finds it most difficult to shed the stereotypes attached to it, then it has to be the supply chain and logistics segment. Having grown-up in a business family, I was exposed to the fact that while there are diverse needs and problems in the world, there were several impactful ways to help people find the right opportunities and resources. Moreover, as I got married to a business family, which is running a transport and logistics company, they have been extremely supportive in my business venture both physically and emotionally. They have played a crucial role in helping me steer through the ups and downs of this business.
What role do you think technology plays in contemporary times in your genre?
While technological advances like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), big data, blockchain, Augmented Reality (AR), and data science are adding greater efficiency to enterprise operations by reducing human hours and increasing productivity levels, the new-age jobs are calling for skilled professionals adept at handling digital tools. As a result, mobile learning is significantly flourishing in India, providing affordable, accessible and quality education to a huge populace in the country. These digital learning platforms are giving people instant access to several learning programs to study subjects that interest them. One just needs a smartphone with an internet connection to carry the entire world in their pocket. Like every other sector, our logistics industry is also rapidly transforming by leveraging digital technologies like AI and ML, thereby pushing employees to upskill themselves every now and then to stay relevant in their jobs.
Can we rely on technology solely to be the panacea for all problems? If so, how?
In the wake of digital technologies, it is clear that the future holds much greater potential to create new job opportunities for the existing workforce in India. However, at the same time, it might be critical for them to frequently update themselves and quickly adapt to the changing digital environment to give their best in their respective domains. To make this possible, several companies across India conduct weekly/monthly training sessions for their employees to help enrich skills and improve overall performances in the organization. Many of the have already started investing in learning management systems by collaborating with skilling firms and online learning platforms to ensure that they are well prepared to take the global digital disruption head-on without diminishing the value of the country’s human capital.
Our platform, Safeducate is also a dynamic learning portal offering creatively designed industry endorsed short-term programs in various high-growth and high employment sectors like Supply Chain Management & Logistics, Retail, E-commerce, Marketing & Research, etc. We are structured to meet the demands of various learner groups; be it a working professional, a student or an instructor who wants to improve industry knowledge and best practices.
What are the immediate and long-term milestones for your company like?
The corona outbreak has definitely changed the milestones for Safeducate. In the near term, we have been working aggressively on our online portal, Safejob- that essentially is an AI powered platform connecting Job seekers with jobs. We feel personalized online learning is going to be huge in India.
Challenges are an inevitable part of the business. Could you highlight some you had encountered?
The biggest challenge without doubt is the outbreak of Coronavirus. However, we are handling these challenging times head on and focusing forward towards a digitally strong future.
How can we have more women joining the bandwagon?
Women today are ready to break the boundaries. They are people-oriented, expressive, emotionally prevalent, make teamwork more natural, possess an innate capacity to multitask, and much more prone to change. Clearly, they can take up any position as a challenge and come up with the best and innovative solutions.
Although the logistics industry continues to be perceived as male dominated, more women are now being attracted to this sector. In fact, many companies are now hiring women for roles traditionally reserved for men. For this reason, we at Safeducate are fully focused on training more and more female candidates and getting them ready to face the industry head on and succeed in all such perceived male dominated industries.