“Increase Representation”: FedEx’s Kami Viswanathan At NDTV Summit 2024

“There is a lot more work to be done,” said Kami Viswanathan, President of FedEx for the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, as she addressed the challenges women face in traditionally male-dominated fields like logistics. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, where the theme “Women Shaping the Future” resonated deeply, she highlighted FedEx’s commitment to building a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Currently, 36 per cent of our board comprises women, and we have 26 per cent women across management globally,” she said.

As India strives to become a $5 trillion economy, the contribution of women will be vital in achieving this ambitious goal. Today, women-led businesses are thriving across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, education and e-commerce. The panel discussion at the summit showcased how women are breaking barriers and setting new benchmarks.

Kami Viswanathan discussed the importance of “increasing the representation” of women in logistics and supply chains, saying that “includes changing preconceptions and biases.”

She pointed out the critical issue of high middle management drop-off rates among women due to societal expectations around caregiving. She said, “Typically, we see a drop-off in women’s participation due to added responsibilities and societal expectations around child care, elder care and so forth.”

The panel also included Preeti Bajaj, CEO and MD of Luminous Power Technologies, who shared her insights on fostering an inclusive environment in the energy sector. Ms Bajaj highlighted that her senior leadership team comprises 33 per cent women and stressed the need for equity in access to opportunities. “The first A is access, equity of access to opportunities.”

“Make sure that you’re intentional about the calibre of women and they’re getting equal representations on recruitment lists and that we are able to address the biases sometimes that come in,” she said. 

“The second bit is ambition,” Preeti Bajaj said, adding, “Women have to aspire to field roles to get to senior leadership roles.”

Ms Bajaj also articulated a call to action for women in the energy sector, declaring, “This is a revolutionary time in energy. We should be part of it so that we are part of the 2047 Viksit Bharat, so to speak,” she said. 

Padmaja Ruparel, Co-Founder of IAN Group, reflected on her early days in the field. “When I started life in this field, there wasn’t anybody, and that was the fun of it,” she said. She emphasised how her journey involved a lot of “adaptation, education and evolution,” which she believed was tied to a woman’s intuition. 

As an early-stage investor, Padmaja Ruparel stressed the importance of entrepreneurs. She said, “I can’t be an investor if there are no entrepreneurs.” However, she pointed out the troubling reality of India’s women entrepreneurs, describing the growth as “very abysmal,” with only 14.7 per cent of funding going to women in 2022, dropping further to 9.7 per cent in 2023. She found this decline “not encouraging.”

Throughout the discussion, Kami Viswanathan stressed FedEx’s commitment to building a culture of “diversity, equity and inclusion”. “Our DEI Council sets priorities and tracks progress,” she said. 

“And we have a program called ‘Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes’ that helps build empathy for people of different diverse backgrounds and so forth. I think there is a lot more to be done. It’s an ongoing journey for us,” Kami Viswanathan added.