While men have traditionally dominated the construction industry, today, women are increasingly breaking the barriers and shaping careers with their success stories. Ashwini Ananth, Managing Partner, UTTARAM INCONSTRUCT, is one such inspirational leader who is paving the way for a new style of leadership in the Indian construction industry with a global mindset.

Ashwini has 17+ years of extensive experience in the construction industry handling construction projects at all stages and being involved in client management, strategic marketing, competitive bidding, business development, and project management. She has a proven track record of managing multiple complex key initiatives, priorities, and resources and has been successful in leading cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

But success for Ashwini did not come easy as working in the construction industry isn’t without its challenge. As a woman leader, she had to face a variety of challenging working conditions and obstacles related to gender disparity. Her dedicated efforts to don the mantle of a construction expert and seize the opportunity to change the status quo enabled her to achieve professional parity and earn respect in this industry.

Today she is a strong asset to the Indian construction industry with expertise in construction managementfrom negotiating construction contracts to managing day-to-day responsibilities of project execution; she is a role model for women aspiring for a fruitful career in construction. Let’s hear it from Ashwini.

Introduce us to Uttaram Inconstruct.

UTTARAM INCONSTRUCT is a project management firm focused on the construction of industrial, educational, commercial, and residential projects. It was established in 2019, and in the past four years, it has successfully delivered 12 projects and has received the opportunity to work with many reputed corporates in this industry. With a focus on cost, time, and safety, we, at UTTARAM INCONSTRUCT, have been taking that extra mile to deliver projects and aspire to be the best-in-class project management consultants and the choice of all our clients for their future construction endeavors.

How do your previous experiences help you to lead a project management firm?

The construction industry stands on the three Cs - Client, Consultant, and Contractor. I have 11 years of experience working with a construction conglomerate who was a contractor in the construction industry executing different kinds of projects. Additionally, I have also worked three plus years in a cost consulting organization where predominantly my focus was to track projects concerning cost and budget. So, as an entrepreneur, I bring to the table holistic experience in the field of quality control, quantity surveyor, planning, and project execution with respect to Civil, Services, and interiors, which is required as a project management consultant. My previous experiences enable me to understand clients’ needs better and seamlessly felicitate delivery between clients, consultants, and contractors.

What are the challenges you encounter as a business leader in the construction industry? How do you overcome them?

The construction industry is considered a maledominated industry with men making up 89 percent and women the remaining nine percent of the construction workforce. Women who work in the construction sector feel like an outsider in such a sea of men. Especially when they are in managerial roles, the acceptance that they require from other senior leaders in itself becomes a big challenge. This sense of being different has been a tough experience for me. However, I have been consistent in proving my capability as a project management consultant, and with the successful execution of work, I have made people understand my ability as a civil engineer and that I am familiar with the integrities of this construction business.

Another major challenge has been to recruit and retain the right talents who are hardworking and at the same time honest with us. At UTTARAM INCONSTRUCT, we have implemented innovative employee-friendly strategies and schemes to retain the right people. We provide them the authority and the independence to work and take their own decisions.

What is your success mantra?

Whether it's my personal or professional journey, I have one mantra in life which is to believe that every experience in life comes with a lesson and we have to learn from it. And not just learn but also implement that learning in achieving bigger goals.

What is your opinion about women leaders’ representation in the Indian construction industry? How can more women be motivated to foray into the male-dominated field?

While other sectors have seen a real improvement in gender equality in recent decades, the construction industry has been comparatively slow to keep up. Bringing more women into the industry would inevitably bring new skill sets and perspectives into the sector, and could widen the pool of skilled professionals. The industry needs to work to address this gender imbalance, and fundamental changes will be needed to make a career in construction more appealing to women. But having said that, it is also necessary for women to feel empowered to change these stereotypical notions. Women should not let their passion and ability be affected by gender disparity and should only focus on elevating their careers and earning their share of dignity and respect in the construction industry.

Ashwini Ananth, Managing Partner, Uttaram Inconstruct

Having an Executive Management Development Program on Organizational Transformation from Essae Chandran Institute, Ashwini is a passionate civil engineer with rich experience in the core construction industry. She is also a qualified ISO auditor for Quality, Environment, and Occupation Health and Safety Management certified by Bureau Veritas. She is currently pursuing her Master in Business Law.