As the age-old gender biases across the corporate dynamics are gradually taking a backseat, we are increasingly envisaging more competent women ascending the executive positions across the globe. With the world rooting for more feminine phenomena to take the reins in their hands, there are exemplary women leaders like Pallavi Bishnoi who appeal to and inspire the budding female talents of the present era to chase their dreams. A quintessential engineer equipped with more than a decade of experience in the field of Environment and Water, Pallavi has successfully delivered projects in the UK, USA, Europe and India, catapulting her comprehensive background in the Water and Waste sector.

From a very early stage in life, I developed a fascination towards environmental solutions, probably embedded in my DNA, being a Bishnoi! It was my calling and I gradually designed my career trajectory to be able to reach where I am today”. avers Pallavi when asked about her motivation behind plunging into this segment. An international consultant with an extensive background in Sustainable development and Integrated Water Resources Management, Pallavi has been able to craft her identity as a diligent woman entrepreneur developing pioneering ideas and contemporary solutions for her clients. Pallavi engages in an exclusive interaction with the Women Entrepreneur magazine, here’s a highlight from the same.

Define Real Time Renewables as an organization. How are you currently positioned in the industry?

An endeavour supported by a great combination of highly experienced board members and a proficient technical team in the field of Water Resources Management & Planning, Sustainable Development, Stakeholder Engagement, High-level Government interactions, Real Time Renewables (RTR) has successfully been handling projects related to EPC in Water Resources Management, Wastewater Treatment, Rainwater Harvesting, Waste-to-energy, and Renewable Energy. Apart from serving as a Director at RTR, I also engage in independent consultancy projects with various international organisations seeking expertise in the Water and Sustainability domain.

Highlight some features of your work that make it so distinct.

Our USP lies in the profound understanding of Water Governance Mechanisms as well as Stakeholder Engagement for designing programs to combat water scarcity issues and improve livelihoods across water- stressed regions. We have facilitated many high-level multi-stakeholder dialogues for conceiving water- security projects through collective action. These projects include high-value agriculture, aquifer mapping and rejuvenation, wastewater treatment and recycling, river-basin analysis, and water quality monitoring. Our services are constantly evolving to incorporate the latest disruptive concepts and technology available globally.

In your opinion what have been some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved so far in your professional journey? What has been the driving force behind your success as a business leader?

There are numerous significant milestonesin my career so far, the top few would be following. Getting an opportunity to undertake my post-graduate studies at Virginia Tech with my mentor has been the cornerstone of my career. The global exposure I got while working with Cambi in Norway, USA, and many parts of Europe was an enriching experience for me and it certainly goes on the list. The decision to move back to India, cofounding RTR, and winning the Award for Top 10 Women Entrepreneursby Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India & Indo- US Science and Technology Forum are some of the best happenings in my life that I will forever be proud of. Working as a Water Expert with the World Bank Group has also been momentous in my professional journey so far. My never-ending love for my profession is the only driving force that I need to keep going; success is merely a by-product. I do what I do because there is nothing else that I’d rather do in this lifetime.

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within your respective field of work and the tech landscape?

I have an ever-growing network of professionals in my field which keeps me abreast with the latest developments happening across the globe. Being a member of many professional groups and organizations in my sector, I also attend relevant events and read scientific reports/papers/proceedings to keep myself updated. I regularly enrol myself into professional courses to keep up my learning curve.

What are some of the most pressing challenges that you face as a new mother and how do you successfully tackle them?

Embracing motherhood is the most beautiful experience in a woman’s life and yet ever so challenging at the same time. For a career-driven, love-my-work kind of woman entrepreneur, it is a significant decision to go on a maternity break during an upward career curve. The pandemic only made things worse. But my son, Neer, made it all so worth it. Today, I’m back at work and loving every moment of juggling between my work-life and mom-life. And I’m not the only one doing this, I come across numerous inspiring stories of business women who seamlessly manage these two facets of their lives. Surely, work from home culture has been a boon for all working moms. I also cannot be more grateful for having been blessed with an extremely strong support system as family and friends who give me unfaltering motivation to overcome challenges each day and deliver my best. Being a mother transforms a woman into a much stronger version of herself; we just need to recognise and re-purpose that strength into our work as well-that’s the mantra!

“My never-ending love for my profession is the only driving force that i need to keep going; success is merely a by-product”

What would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

It will never be a cakewalk but if you love your work, be persistent because it will be worth it. There are no shortcuts to success and no alternatives for hard work. As a woman in business, you have to be extremely driven to shatter those glass ceilings at every stage in life and keep growing.

Pallavi Bishnoi, International Environmental Consultant,  Real Time Renewables

Apart from a MastersDegree in Environment & Water Resources Engineering from Virginia Tech, USA, Pallavi holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law And Policy from National Law University, Delhi & Centre for Environmental Law, WWF India. She has also earned Professional Certificates for Courses On Water, Environment and Climate Changefrom Globally distinguished institutes such as IHE Delft Institute For Water Education, Netherlands, Griffith University, Australia and United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, Tokyo, Japan. Pallavi is currently positioned as Director, Real Time Renewables and also works as an independent consultant for various international organisations where she is continuously leveraging her vast industry expertise to craft Pragmatic Solutions.