3 powerful women reveal how they are going to own 2020

With the dawn of a new year and the start of a decade, three powerful women tell HerStory how they plan to make 2020 their own.

Thursday January 02, 2020 , 4 min Read

The holiday season is over and so is 2019. As we start a new year and a new decade, it is time to not just reflect upon the past but to step into the action mode.

Most people look at it as another way to set new goals, and as an opportunity to do things they failed to do in the past.

HerStory reached out to three powerful women to find out how they plan to embrace the new year.

Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

"I hope to embrace 2020 with the right mix of ambition, patience and humility.

Ambition that drives me to be hardworking and relentless with the audacious goals I have set for the organisations I lead – Emcure Pharmaceuticals (India) and Young Entrepreneurs Academy. I would like to inspire the 6,000 medical representatives I lead at Emcure to reach their full potential and I would like to influence my 11-18-year-olds at YEA! to be problem solvers and job creators of India!

My passion and sense of urgency make me impatient at times which can be counterproductive. I know that in 2020, I need to work on being more patient and on being a better listener.

Humility allows a leader to accept critical feedback with grace and I hope I am able to use the feedback that comes my way to keep learning and growing.

Honing one’s leadership skills is a continuous journey and I hope in 2020 I challenge myself to do more and be more!"

Gargi Dasgupta, Director – IBM Research India, and CTO of IBM India South Asia

“I see 2019 as a year of change as we witnessed multiple events around us, which diverted our attention in various directions. It raised many questions on basic human rights, equal opportunity for all that disrupted a lot of beliefs that I had taken for granted.

I always like to plan my day well in advance, but, every single day I encountered with something new and unexpected, which took me by surprise – a situation at work, health of a parent, need of a child or even global and local political and economic situation.

The uncertainty around these situations came in effortlessly, tirelessly, and without notice. One of my biggest learnings is the need to embrace the free spiritedness of change, be agile, unlearn, and learn. These changes need to drive towards an end vision that is inclusive and meaningful for all.

I want to embrace 2020 fearlessly with all its volatility and propensity to change while ensuring dignity for one and all. As a leader, in 2020, I want to embrace the diversity of thought and encourage my teams to think courageously and continue their mission of innovating responsibly.”

Padmaja Ruparel, Founding Partner at IAN Fund

"2019 has been an eventful year for the IAN platform, which includes both Indian Angel Network and IAN Fund. It was the year that saw a rise in the number of startups committed to driving large-scale social impact across sectors such as cleantech, biotech, healthtech, agritech, HR tech, retail tech, etc.

This is in addition to the growth registered in traditional sectors including ecommerce, fintech, and consumer goods, among others. As this year fades into a brand-new decade, our aim at IAN is to build on this year’s impressive momentum and generate even greater dividends in 2020.

To achieve this, we will double down on our focus on supporting, mentoring, and empowering high-impact sectors with the aim of accelerating positive social, cultural, and economic transformations across the country.

As such, we are committed to enabling "for Bharat, from Bharat" ventures with a special focus on rural entrepreneurs, women innovators, and startups emerging out of Tier II and III regions in India. In line with our mission, IAN Fund will continue to bolster the Indian entrepreneurship by facilitating capital support, expert advice, and strategic guidance for high-potential startups.

We also plan to forge meaningful synergies among the VC community, angel investors, and key private and public stakeholders to drive the progress of the Indian startup ecosystem."

(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)