Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is the future. Those who embrace it wholeheartedly, both personally and within their organisations, are definitely going to be ahead in the race. Recognising DE&I’s critical role in AI, AIM emphasises its importance in harnessing diverse talents from various backgrounds to drive innovation and shape a more inclusive future.
These awards recognise the most influential DE&I champions in India’s technology sector, showcasing their outstanding leadership and innovation.
Here is the list of the winners:
Amita Mirajkar
Amita Mirajkar, a seasoned technology luminaire with over two decades of experience, ignited business transformation through the potent fusion of data, cloud, and AI. As VP at EXL, she orchestrates cloud-driven digital solutions for the dynamic realms of Retail and CPG. Her pioneering spirit doesn’t stop there; she is the co-founder and CEO of Clairvoyant India, where she spearheads a technological revolution that will reshape the business technology landscape.
Disha Deep
Disha Deep, an associate principal at MathCo, leverages over 11 years of leadership experience spearheading multi-million-dollar projects for Fortune 500 clients. With a solid electronics & electrical engineering foundation and an MBA in business analytics, she specialises in market mix modelling, marketing analytics, and product analytics. Her groundbreaking initiatives consistently drive improvements in RoI and foster innovation, all while championing diversity and inclusion initiatives within MathCo and beyond.
Ritika Dusad
Ritika Dusad, as the chief innovation officer at Nucleus Software, spearheads transformative endeavours that harmonise business strategy with cutting-edge innovation. Leveraging her profound expertise in data analytics, AI, and big data, she streamlines customer processes to facilitate data-driven consumer experiences. Fueled by a fervent dedication to market dynamics, she champions continuous innovation, fostering sustained growth.
Gnanapriya Chidambaranathan
Gnanapriya Chidambaranathan, aka Priya, is an AVP and unit technology officer at Infosys. She boasts 31 years of extensive experience in telecom and IT and spearheads digital transformation, enterprise architecture, cloud migration, and the integration of emerging technologies, actively engaging in various industry forums. Renowned for her technical acumen and leadership in technology, she has been honoured with multiple awards for her outstanding contributions.
Kaveri Gopakumar
Kaveri Gopakumar, an accomplished B2B Marketing expert, boasts over a decade of invaluable experience within the dynamic Indian tech and startup landscape. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded growth initiatives for numerous startups while fervently advocating for increased female representation in the workforce. Globally recognised for her impactful contributions, Gopakumar stands as a beacon of innovation and empowerment in the industry.
Khyati Bheda
Khyati Bheda, boasting over 13 years of expertise in consulting and technology, is a standout in strategic planning and analytics consulting. Her leadership style is versatile, as evidenced by her significant contributions to Deloitte and Tiger Analytics, where she led the charge in advanced analytics projects while overseeing the Organisation Excellence function, showcasing her dynamic capabilities in driving impactful initiatives.
Latha Chembrakalam
As the vice president and head of Continental Automotive’s Technical Center India, Latha Chemrakalam leads a dynamic team of 6,000 engineers. Her leadership is dedicated to advancing automotive technologies, particularly in Autonomous Mobility and Safety and Vehicle Networking. With close to thirty years of expertise in the industry, she is acclaimed for her inclusive leadership approach and has garnered numerous accolades within the automotive sector.
Norma Dsouza
Norma Dsouza, in her role as practice director for AI/ML at KPI Partners, harnesses her extensive expertise in AI, ML, and data science. Leading a dynamic team, she pioneers GenAI solutions, continually adapting to meet evolving client needs. Dsouza drives strategic initiatives that push the boundaries of innovation, positioning the company at the forefront of technological advancement.
Preetha Kumar
As senior director of advanced analytics at Providence India, Preetha Kumar spearheads analytics in clinical, revenue cycle, and finance domains. With a rich tapestry of 18 years in the field, she cultivates a culture of collaboration and inclusivity, guiding a dynamic team of over 65 professionals.
Priyadarsanie Ramasubramanian
Priyadarsanie Ramasubramanian serves as the director of engineering at Tesco. She is a veteran technology leader with over 25 years of experience in charge of supply chain technology to catalyse global transformation. She has a strong retail technology track record, consistently delivering substantial savings while championing diversity and inclusion. Through her collaborative leadership style, she empowers teams to thrive, fostering a culture of growth and innovation.
Sandhya Chandrashekar
With over 15 years of experience in automotive engineering, Sandhya Chandrashekar is at the forefront of advanced technologies as the leader at Continental Automotive. She spearheads cross-functional collaboration, leveraging AI/ML to enhance high-performance computing capabilities, all while championing diversity in tech, particularly advocating for women and emphasising the importance of continuous learning for adaptation in our rapidly evolving ecosystem.
Sheetal Kale
Sheetal Kale, boasting over three decades of experience in organisational development, embraces a ‘servant leadership’ philosophy. As the managing director at DataArt, she spearheads India’s R&D operations while steering the company towards exponential business expansion. With over fifteen years of expertise in the IT sector, she demonstrates remarkable proficiency in niche selling and product marketing, cultivating a culture of innovation and fostering robust collaboration.
Shipra Sooden
Shipra Sooden, the global practice head for finance analytics at Fractal Analytics, spearheads financial digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 companies. With almost twenty years of expertise, Sooden leads the way in crafting analytical solutions that enhance pricing strategies, boost revenue, and optimise bottom-line results across various industries.
Smitha Hemmigae
Smitha Hemmigae, the Marketing Head at ANSR, is a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of experience. She is also a co-founder of Your Philanthropy Story and holds a position as co-trustee at Belaku Trust. Through her endeavours in marketing and philanthropy, Hemmigae demonstrates a strong dedication to driving social impact and showcasing leadership within her industry.
Sudha Bhat
Sudha Bhat, an accomplished professional with over two decades of experience, specialises in designing cutting-edge customer experience (CX) AI solutions and delivering valuable analytics consulting. Renowned as a visionary, she constantly challenges conventions in CX innovation to drive meaningful results. She is currently the senior director of conversation intelligence, industry solutions and strategy at Uniphore.
Sukanya Santhanam
Sukanya Santhanam, a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience, exemplifies outstanding engineering leadership. Serving as the director of engineering at Walmart Global Tech, she passionately champions innovation and cultivates diversity within her team. Her unwavering dedication to excellence and inclusivity establishes her as a standout leader in the industry.
Supriya Raman
With over 17 years of experience at JPMorgan Chase, Supriya Raman leads data engineering, spearheading analytics solutions and offering mentorship. As a Google Women Tech Ambassador and a member of the IEEE ICWITE Committee, she is dedicated to propelling the tech industry forward and nurturing the next generation of professionals.
Swetha Yalagach
Swetha Yalagach, as Insight India’s head of talent acquisition, spearheads workforce strategy and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. With an MBA and over 15 years of rich experience spanning Compass India Development, Microsoft, and Virtusa, she strategically shapes recruitment approaches, optimises processes, and nurtures talent acquisition expansion.
Tahira Shafiulla
Tahira Shafiulla, as senior director at Indegene, boasts an impressive 28-year tenure in healthcare market intelligence. With her strategic prowess, she cultivates influential partnerships worldwide, driving the development of pioneering pharmaceutical analytics solutions. Demonstrating unwavering dedication to advancing healthcare, she leads the way in interpreting data to generate actionable insights.
Titty Thomas
With more than two decades of dedicated service at Unisys, Titty Thomas, senior HR manager, epitomises profound expertise in HR, with a focus on consulting, coaching, and communication. Renowned as a global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), she champions inclusivity and knowledge-sharing, leading key initiatives and serving as chair of the Global DEI Council.
Unnati Gajjar
Unnati Gajjar, spearheading India marketing at Insight, brings over 15 years of extensive experience in technology marketing and partner management, gained through prominent roles at esteemed companies such as Zensar Technologies and Persistent Systems. She is a staunch advocate for women in leadership roles and actively mentors startups, playing a pivotal role in fostering transformative growth.
Sree Veturi
With over two decades of expertise, Sree Veturi emerges as a visionary leader in digital transformation, skillfully blending cloud engineering into holistic strategies. She ardently advocates for diversity and inclusion, showcasing prowess in open-source solutions and spearheading revolutionary advancements through AI innovation. Currently, she heads the cloud practice for LTIMindtree.
