India has built one of the world’s strongest pipelines for women in STEM and technology, yet in the Nordics, where gender equality is a global benchmark, female representation in IT and tech leadership remains a challenge.

In this episode, Sunita Mohanty, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Invest India, shares insights on what’s driving India’s success and what the Nordics can learn. With experience leading diversity and workforce transformation at Google Singapore, Sunita discusses the key policies, corporate initiatives, and cultural shifts that have shaped India’s growing female tech workforce.

We explore:

- How India became a global leader in female STEM graduates

- The role of government policies like Vigyan Jyoti and WISE-KIRAN in bridging gender gaps in tech

- Lessons from India’s structured digital skilling programs and corporate-government partnerships

- The future of women in AI, quantum computing, biotech, and emerging tech fields

- Sunita’s personal journey and the impact of mentorship and leadership in creating lasting change

This conversation highlights the importance of mentorship, policy support, and workplace inclusion in building a more diverse and innovative tech sector.

Listen now to understand how gender diversity in technology can be strengthened worldwide.

The Nordic Council of Ministers supports this podcast.

Welcome to Challenges in Recruiting Women in India, a podcast series where we explore the barriers, cultural nuances, and innovative solutions shaping women's participation in India's workforce.

In each episode, we hear from industry leaders, policymakers, and changemakers who are driving efforts to create more inclusive workplaces and advance gender equality.

In this episode, we focus on Leadership: Paving the Way as the First. We unpack the unique challenges women face in leadership roles and explore actionable solutions to inspire change.

Annette Holte, the Country Manager at Kongsberg Maritime India, will join us. She’ll share her journey, insights on leadership in a male-dominated industry, and strategies for breaking barriers to increase the number of women in leadership.

The podcast with Parul Soni will explore the multifaceted role of women in India’s evolving socio-economic landscape, focusing on their contributions to sustainability, leadership, and innovation. As a renowned advocate for gender equality and empowerment, Parul will share insights into the challenges and opportunities for women in India and globally, offering a compelling vision for inclusive growth. The conversation will also explore strategies for fostering women's participation in the circular economy and aligning gender equity with sustainable development goals.

In this episode of our Podcast series on Challenges in Recruiting Women in India, we have with us Sohini Mishra who is the founder of Women in the Hood.

Sohini is enthusiastic, performance-driven self-starter and team player. She has passion for creating fun, compelling and addictive consumer engagement platforms.

Mishra has Strong organizational and analytical skills & attention to detail.

Sohini has over 15 years of wide experience in Brand Building & Management and direct experience in Automobile, retail, luxury industry and exposure of building start-ups.

Trailblazer in Sustainability and Gender Diversity: Seema Arora

Seema Arora serves as the Deputy Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where she has been a driving force in championing sustainable business practices and enhancing gender diversity within the workforce.

Since joining CII in 1991, she has led transformative initiatives, pioneering services focused on sustainable development and engaging Indian industry for the Earth Summit in 1992.

Her leadership portfolio at CII includes:
CII Foundation

• Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development
• CII Development Initiatives
• Indian Women Network, which empowers women to unlock their economic potential.

Seema designs innovative frameworks to make sustainability and corporate social responsibility integral to business strategies. Her work not only promotes equal opportunities but also fosters collaboration and develops solutions to societal challenges.

Through her vision and persistence, she has become a key voice in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future for India's industries.

In this podcast, Seema Arora shares her invaluable insights on driving sustainable development and promoting gender diversity in the workforce. Don’t miss her perspective on building a future that is both inclusive and sustainable.

We're excited to announce our podcast series on Challenges of recruiting Women in India. This episode is on HR Practices and Company-level Challenges, featuring Ritu Kumar, Head of P&O EDC (Global People Services) at COWI India!

With her vast expertise in HR and organizational development, Ritu has been a driving force behind people-centric initiatives, fostering inclusivity, and empowering diverse talent in the workplace. Her leadership journey is an inspiration, and her insights on sustainable gender diversity are a must-listen!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Breaking cultural barriers in recruitment
• Crafting supportive company policies
• Building environments that empower women in STEM
• Skill development and retention strategies for sustainable growth

The podcast was made possible with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, ensuring we bring you impactful discussions that drive change.

Lidten to this inspiring conversation that’s sure to leave you motivated!

In this episode, we’ll dive into 'India's role in the Arctic' and its growing significance.

We have with us President of SaGAA and Editor in Chief at Geography and You, Sulagna Chattopadhyay. She shares her insights on India's role in the Arctic and activities done by india in the last several decades.

Also, our second guest is the Senior researcher/Associate Professor in International Relations at Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Andreas Østhagen. He is a public scholar specialised in International relations, focused on the arctic, maritime disputes, resource governance and security policies/geopolitics.

Samfundet i Trondheim inviterer til møte om India.

India er et av verdens mest mangfoldige og multietniske land. Når du tenker på India, tenker du kanskje på Tikka Masala og Butter Chicken. Det er kanskje ikke så rart, for vi hører generelt lite om India i media. Men visste du at India blir omtalt som verdens største demokrati? At India har passert Kina i befolkningstall? Og at landet har vært styrt av samme parti og statsminister siden 2014?

Lørdag 7. september inviterte Samfundet til et dypdykk inn i indisk politikk, hvor vi tar for oss alt fra sosial ulikhet, til økende hindunasjonalisme og anti-muslimsk retorikk, til et demokrati, en religionsfrihet og en ytringsfrihet under press. For hva er det egentlig som rokker seg innad i verdens mest folkerike land?

For å svare på dette har de invitert professor emeritus i samfunnsøkonomi og India-entusiast, Karl “Kalle” Moene, samt forfatter, grunnlegger av Det Moderne India, og tidligere ISFiT president, Rina Sunder.

Samtalen var ledet av Borghild Rauø.