Equipped with more than 22 years of rich experience in managing & leading all functions of HR, Dr. Ankita Singh understands the importance of People within an organization and works coherently to assist them in every possible way. Having realized her inner calling for the field of management midway through her engineering, she dropped off from her degree & steered 100% of her attention into understanding the domain of management.She pursued her education & alongside, joined the corporate sector for practical exposure, which molded her expertise and personality to evolve as an industry stalwart. Her primary expertise lies in leadership development, Organizational Behavior, Culture building & Employee Engagement and, in the past, she was associated with other renowned organizations, including Sahara India, Convergys, Zensar, Hexaware, and Datamatics. Currently recognized as the driving force behind CIGNEX, Ankita overlooks several verticals like Human Resources, Travel, Admin and IT. Being a single mother & the only female executive member in the company, Dr. Ankita finds herself fortunate to always have the proper support from her friends, family, colleagues, manager, and house helps & others throughout her life. She advises youngsters to have faith in their capabilities and dream big.

Dr. Ankita Engages in an exclusive interaction with the Women Entrepreneur Magazine.

What inspired you to venture into the HR domain?

Initially independent identity, then the urge to be a part of a more extensive system and contribute, and later it's all driven by passion, zeal to learn more, and giving back to the society. The start was by default, I just landed in HR, but it didn't take much time for me to realize that I appreciate being part of that function and I can sensibly learn and contribute, and then there was no looking back. I was open to exploring and it didn't take long to decide that this is where I want to exist, learn and grow. Today I lead all business enabling functions like admin, IT, travel, and PMO, but the core is still HR and will remain.

What were some of those major challenges that life had thrown your way in your journey, and how did you use these obstacles as stepping stones for your future success?

The challenges were ample, starting from being a single mother, being the only female executive member in the company, being the only child, whom parents wanted to see as an engineer or a doctor, and she was inclined more towards management, not being perfect with departments where I don't have professional degrees but heading those functions and expert team members and many more.

I managed to overcome all these obstacles with the help of people!I believed in myself and the people around me. I was always fortunate enough to have great support from my people- family, friends, team, colleagues, managers, house helps, and others. They were all there when I needed them, and I think the given support at the right time equipped me to manage obstacles and focus on relevant issues and the purpose of my life.

Share some of your significant milestones, both in terms of your personal and professional journey.

To be listed among the top 100 people manager by Forbes India and GMI is one of my noteworthy achievements so far. I also feel gratified about being able to support 175 kids for their education and food. Recently I have founded HRAI, which gives immense pleasure to be able to contribute to the fraternity.

“Don't blindly imitate trends or people; know yourself adequately and invest to the extent that you become a better version of yourself with every passing day”

What is the future roadmap you have envisaged for CIGNEX?

I see us growing and achieving newer heights as we are committed to our vision and purpose. We will continue to walk the talk, stay passionate about the way we contribute, remain focused and sensible about our employees' health and wellbeing, make our organization and employees' future-ready, and stay genuine and authentic in all these aspects. I see us as a fair team playing a fair game with a purpose and utmost passion. We won't give up, ever!

What will be your advice to the budding women professionals of HR domain, who are eager to make a mark in their career?

You are unique; stay unique. Don't blindly imitate trends or people; know yourself adequately and invest to the extent that you become a better version of yourself with every passing day. Value time and value people! You’ve got plenty of options to explore. Opportunities are in abundance; you only need to keep an open eye. Be patient, as there is a dream job for everyone. Believe in yourself, there is no shortcut to success but with determination and perseverance, you will soon be there.

Dr. Ankita Singh, Senior Vice President And Global Head Of HR, Cignex

Ankita holds a PhD in Management and is a Gold Medalist in BBA as well as MBA. She has done HR and Business Strategy related Executive Management Programmes from IIM-A, ISB-Hyderabad and XLRI. As Senior Vice President and Global Head of HR at CIGNEX, she has over 22 years of progressive experience in managing and leading various aspects of Human Resources spanning across high paced business domains of ITES.

Awards and Recognitions

Women Leader of the year Gujrat Icons 2022 by Times of India

“Asia’s 100 Power Leaders in HR 2022”,

"APJ Abdul Kalam National Award 2021",

"Woman HR Leadership Awards 2021, Awarded by Ms. Kiran Bedi”,

Global women Award 2021, “40 Under 40 for the year 2021”,

“CHRO of the Year 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017”,

“Women Personality of the Year 2019 and 2018 by Femina”,

“Business Person of the year 2020",

“Most influential Corporate Personality-2019”,

“Indian Business Woman of the Year 2019”,

“Indian HR Champion of the year 2019”,

“Women Leader of the year 2019”,

“Inspiring personality of the year 2019”,

“Most Influential HR Leader of the year 2019”

“Best employee engagement project designer of the year 2019”