Navigating the Road Ahead: Future Trends and Women’s Empowerment in the Automotive and R&D Sectors
CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Latha Chembrakalam, Head of Technical Center India, Continental Automotive India
What future trends do you see in automotive sector?
A lot of exciting developments are ongoing in the automotive sector. In industry parlance, it is called EASCY– Electrified, Automated, Shared, Connected and Yearly Updated. The vehicle must now go beyond the physical object. Today, it is all about connecting it to the cloud, to the digital ecosystem, and turning it into an extension of our digital spaces. These changes are transforming the overall user experience and pushing the industry to embrace technologies like AI, 5G, augmented reality, data analytics, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
Software is increasingly becoming an important part of the automotive industry and is considered the oil of the future. Today’s cars have 100 million lines of code and by 2030 it is predicted that it could be 300 million lines of code and the number of devices connected to the internet will increase significantly. According to Morgan Stanley software and application layers will make up for 60% of the autonomous vehicles of the future, The software related transformations in the industry has brought out the concept of SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) which means that we are moving away from a hardware centric approach. As the industry is moving towards EASCY, the complexity of the technology is also increasing multi-fold.
High-performing computers are taking center stage in automobiles. The electronic architecture of the modern vehicle is transforming with a few powerful servers replacing the many individual control units. They will eventually supply the vehicle’s functional domains with the necessary computing power. The key to realizing EASCY and creating the user experience in the vehicles of the digital age is a shift toward high-performance computing units in vehicle electronics. Continental’s High-Performance Computer is a flexible, scalable high-performance platform for functions and services and is a central element in future mobility architectures.
As more and more functions in vehicles are getting automated, the vehicle architecture is expected to transform. Automation will bring radical changes to some aspects of driving. Technologies like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) already allow the owners to handover the vehicle guidance to the vehicle in certain situations. Continental is using its full innovative prowess to drive forward this trend and is developing intelligent technologies that take over more and more driving functions, as long as the driver wants them to. This will result in increased safety, more comfort, more convenience, and more efficiency.
Latest technologies like advanced infotainment systems, digital voice assistant, advanced and electronic braking systems, etc. help in assisting the driver. Thus, cars of the future will provide a more personalized experience to the passengers, offering them comfort and convenience.
How do you see the participation of women engineers in the Automotive and R&D space? Can you give an overview on how advancements in technologies increased participation of women in manufacturing field?
There has been a significant perception shift towards women in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) during the recent past. In the majority of companies nowadays, the number of junior women engineers joining is almost equal to the number of male engineers in the same profile. The proportion of women professionals is gradually increasing, even at the senior and middle levels of the workforce. Even though the R&D and automotive industries are largely dominated by men, more and more female engineers are starting to work in these fields. Women have started taking up roles in previously male-dominated areas in the automotive industry. Efforts are being made to sustain the employment of women as they grow in their roles as women tend to take breaks due to family reasons that come in the way of their career aspirations.
Continental is taking conscious measures by deploying focused programs to support women to join the organization after a short career break. These programs essentially cover the aspects of reskilling, upskilling mentoring, and other leadership and career development initiatives. To promote equality, however, there is certainly a need for greater women participation, particularly given that the proportion of women working in automotive R&D is just about 18 percent at the middle-management level, despite being 30 percent at the base level.
What are the key challenges that women engineers face in the manufacturing sector, and how can these challenges be addressed?
Women engineers in the manufacturing sector face unique challenges. Engineering is traditionally a male-dominated sector, leading to gender bias and stereotypes. Lack of flexibility in work arrangements and long working hours in manufacturing can make it difficult for women engineers to achieve a proper work-life balance. Women are also underrepresented in leadership positions and young professionals miss a role model to follow.
Therefore, it is critical to address these challenges and it requires a multifaceted approach involving societal, governmental, educational, and corporate efforts. This approach aims to create an ecosystem with their help where women can pursue education in STEM fields and thrive on the opportunities available in the industry.
The government must implement a number of initiatives to encourage young girls to choose engineering. To combat social and gender prejudices in this field, mentorship programs for young girls interested in engineering, the introduction of STEM subjects in school, and early development of spatial intelligence are also essential. To motivate more women to participate, companies are ensuring flexibility in their job roles. Additionally, organizations should create a continuous process where women are given mentorship and upskilling opportunities which will help them re-enter the work setup with ease.
Share some examples of Continental to promote cultural and gender diversity?
We strongly believe in the importance of diversity to create a thriving work environment, and we recognize that diverse perspectives are a crucial factor in our success at Continental. Our goal is to inspire and support women and girls to explore careers in engineering, as well as to improve the vocational skills of women within our organization, fostering their rapid advancement and reducing gender inequality. Over the past two years, we have introduced several initiatives such as Launch-Pad, We-Lead, Unnati, and Women for Manufacturing to empower women at various levels and promote their active participation in both R&D and manufacturing sectors.
Through Launch-Pad, we aim to reintegrate women who took career breaks due to reasons such as maternity leaves or post-marriage transfers. The initiative seeks to employ women who are committed and motivated to move forward in their careers. We provide them with mentorship and on-the-job training.
Our We-Lead initiative is designed to nurture women leaders within the company. This program is dedicated to building the confidence of women across India, enabling them to pursue their professional and personal aspirations. We provide them a customized six-month program that consists of assessments, workshops, webinars, and coaching.
The Women for Manufacturing initiative seeks to inspire, educate, and employ women from challenging socio-economic backgrounds, helping those secure positions on the shop floor in our manufacturing plants.
Unnati is an R&D-focused program aimed at grooming our young leaders through group coaching and providing them with the necessary leadership skills along with other competencies required for their career development.
We are attempting to give women the resources they require to be independent and empowered through our various initiatives and programs. These efforts support Continental’s goal of achieving a global 25 percent representation of women in the first two management levels by 2025. By giving women equal opportunity and elevating them to the forefront, we ensure gender inclusion in all roles across the board.
At Continental, we have many programs that engage our employees in both professional development and recreational activities. This helps in binding our employees from various cultures to stay in tune with Continental philosophy and at the same time benefit from the diverse ideas they bring to the table. This way we are providing our women employees the opportunity to learn from their peers and address any given problem statement with a different perspective and approach.
Give us an insight into your leadership journey. How have you approached leadership through your career? What’s leadership to you – a skill, ability, or trait – or a combination of each of these?
I have been in this field for almost three decades. Being born and raised in an environment where gender was not a barrier had a significant impact on my life and work. Despite coming from a conservative family, I have never experienced any gender-based discrimination. I give more weight to a person’s ideas, competencies, abilities, and attitude than to their gender. What you bring to the table and hard work matters the most
I started my career in the early 1990s with BHEL and at that time, there was gender disparity in the industry as it was heavily dominated by males. Despite this, I took this as an opportunity to establish myself and further my career. One interesting instance is when I went to Germany in the 90s, I was the only woman engineer on the floor and it was difficult for the people to comprehend that I was an engineer from India. Over time, I have gained good credibility because of my hard work, my views, and my opinions. And of course, times have changed, and we have good focus on diversity at workplace.
A couple of decades back, STEM courses had fewer female enrollment but gradually there has been a radical improvement. At present, the ratio of junior female engineers entering the workforce is nearly on par with their male counterparts in most companies. Moreover, in senior and mid-level positions, the presence of women professionals is steadily increasing.
Women are taking up meaningful roles in the automotive and R&D industries defying the past times which had more men representing the industry. To substantiate this claim, I would like to point out Continental’s example, our Technical Center India (TCI) has a representation of 32 – 35 percent women engineers.
According to me, leadership involves a synergy between skill, ability and trait. Effective leaders typically possess a mix of leadership skills, abilities, and traits that enable them to inspire, guide, and influence others to achieve common goals. I believe that leadership is a dynamic concept, and individuals can continually develop and refine their leadership qualities through self-awareness, learning, and practice and most important is the attitude and ability to upskill oneself.
How do you see the role of STEM education in empowering young engineers?
India emphasises on the importance of education, and engineering has been one of the most preferred courses and is considered important for economic growth. With the country’s rapid economic and infrastructural development, the demand for engineers is significantly increasing. India has emerged as a key location for a number of multinational companies to set up their R&D centers and manufacturing hubs because the people are equipped with STEM education and are proficient in coding.
India has the largest number of engineering institutes in the world and is considered the hub for some of the top-notch institutions that provide students with excellent opportunities. The country produces the highest number of engineers globally. The younger generation prefers STEM education as there are some promising opportunities the industry has to offer.
To further promote STEM education, organizations are actively collaborating with academic institutions. Academic collaborations with companies help organizations help in identifying the right talent, enable the industry to influence the academic curriculum and promote innovation, knowledge exchange, and co-creation. Speaker sessions, special lectures, collaboration on live projects, joint research programs, hackathon, visits to the organization during studies, internships etc. also play a critical role.
Lastly a message and suggestion for young engineers?
If one is contemplating a career in engineering, I would strongly advise them to pursue it! There are no shortcuts when it comes to hard work. Success in this field demands unwavering dedication and determination and continuous learning. Thus, it is crucial not to set limitations for oneself.
Should one opt for a path in engineering, wholeheartedly commit to it. Engineering offers a solid educational foundation unlike any other field and opens doors to a multitude of career prospects. Furthermore, engineers have the potential to shape a completely unprecedented world. However, one’s choice of engineering specialization should primarily align with their personal interests and passions. It is important to carefully assess all available options before making a decision. Continuous learning and maintaining a broad and deep knowledge base should also be considered crucial.
