Growth of women in engineering, especially in India might seem foolhardy, compared to the days of yore when gender prejudices, smothered ambitions & aspirations of women, and it was even rare of them to earn a Bachelor's degree. However, the stats today, depict a completely different story. According to a latest report, especially in India, the percentage of women graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) at tertiary level is higher compared to other developed nations like the US, UK, Germany and France. A B.Tech in Computer Science, Rekha Nagaraj (COO, Sidvin Core - Tech) is a Business Operations virtuoso, peeking from the same bracket.

Known for her excellent leadership qualities, Rekha has been in the industry for about 20 years, held a succession of progressive leadership roles, with a humble beginning as an Assistant in Administration & Facilities Department, went on to head the Department, and later played leadership role as VP – QA & Corporate Strategy at Sidvin Core-Tech. She later took over as Managing Director at Sidvin Outotec Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (a JV between Sidvin Core-Tech and Outotec International Holdings Oy., Finland) for 3 year term, during which she successfully turned it into a viable profitable venture. She continues to be on the Board as a Director at Sidvin Outotec. Currently she is back at Sidvin Core-Tech as Chief Operating Officer (COO) augmenting the development of the organization.

Sidvin Core-Tech is a customer focused Detail Engineering & Design Service provider for Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Process Industry, delivering exacting solution for range of facilities such as FPSOs, TLPs, MOPUs, Fixed platforms, Buoys, Chemical process plants.

Explore the following snippets of an exclusive conversation of Rekha with The Women Entrepreneur India Magazine to know more about her journey, industry experiences & stature at Sidvin Core-Tech.

Tell Us About Your Industry Experiences With Sidvin Core-Tech.

I started my career as Associate Admin in the early 2002 at Sidvin Core-Tech, more or less like a fresh out of college candidate with prior six months of experience in the IT Network Solutions domain. Getting to work in a medium-sized organization like Sidvin Core-Tech, I got exposed to several aspects of the company’s functions. Driven by passion to learn & make the most of the opportunities in there, I learn about multiple areas of the organization from Admin, QA, Operations, IT, HR to Finance, and I am still learning.

In the Admin & Facilities Department, I got the hang of facilities & infrastructure requirements of the company.  Transition to QA Department, helped me identify & harness different competencies within me and reinvent myself. Backed by my dedicated & equally passionate team, I got the company ISO 9001:2008 certified in 2011. However, this required close interaction with multiple functional heads within the organization to learn, visualize, prioritize different business scenarios, and develop clear understanding about the interconnection & contribution of each department towards overall business goal & objectives.

“Life is full of challenges & opportunities, and if you are ready to learn and stretch that little extra to work, you will have a satisfying career”

Later, to stay abreast with the industry & new technology facets, I pursued certifications such as, ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification for Internal Auditor by ABS Quality Evaluations, U.K, and QMS Lead Auditor certification- International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) certified program.

Tell Us About Your Current Critical Roles & Responsibilities As Sidvin’s Coo?

As COO, I am responsible for making sure that the key businesses are run in a smooth manner, statutorily compliant, implement organization’s strategy, analyze metrics to track organization’s growth, establish culture and ensure employees growth. Effective collaboration between the departments is the key. Amongst all the responsibilities, that I have held at Sidvin, I feel the COO role is the most crucial one, as executing this role tenaciously can determine profitability & success of the organization.

What were the challenges that you encountered during your entrepreneurial journey and how did you overcome them?

Life is full of challenges & opportunities, and learn and stretch that little extra to work, you will have a satisfying career. During my tenure as M.D. at Sidvin Outotec, although it was a stressful phase for me personally, I was able to turn around the venture into a profitable one. During 2019, I too suffered challenges, but my supportive colleagues from other departments and the management guided & encouraged me (accommodating) to lead the way. With my efforts and guidance from mentors, I overcame tough time and re-joined the parent company Sidvin Core-Tech in January 2021, after a year’s break.

How is the engineering solutions & services in the oil & gas industry in India? Also, what about the women engineers in the industry?

Globally, Oil & Gas industry went through difficult times during 2016-18 (all the big Oil & Gas chain companies suffered a setback). Also, it was during this time, Sidvin gradually implemented its business strategy of expanding & diversifying into Metals & Minerals industry. Thus, Sidvin Outotec was incorporated as a Joint venture of Sidvin in partnership with a Finland company- Outotec. I was later appointed as Sidvin Outotec’s M.D. During my tenure, the team was very supportive of my initiatives & worked hard to turn the company into a profitable one. I would say Oil & Gas Engineering is a very challenging industry, and there’s enough scope for women too if they have the bent. At Sidvin Core- Tech, we strongly believe in creating opportunities for women and as an organization we focus on recruiting women engineers, professionals & provide them with sufficient career opportunities and growth prospects. My journey with Sidvin is a testament to it.

What Are Your Future Plans?

We have pipeline for next few years, wherein we are focusing on several prestigious offshore projects, with committed involvement of the Management & the Board. We have a business plan targeting transformation in the next three years. We plan to increase the RoI and reduce revenue risk impacts. Currently, tending to make data driven decisions, we aim to strengthen our position in the industry as a leader & create long term value for our stakeholders.

Rekha N, Coo, Sidvin Core-Tech

An experienced & motivated professional having about 20 years of experience in the Oil & Gas Engineering and Metals & Minerals industry, she is currently the COO at Sidvin Core-Tech and also the Board of Directors at Sidvin Outotec.