Deepa Sasidharan is a communications trailblazer with nearly two decades of expertise in shaping narratives and driving impactful campaigns. She is currently the Head of Corporate Communications in India for Continental, a global powerhouse in automotive technology and components.
Her journey in communications took root at IBS Software. After a brief stint at Continental, she took charge of the communications team at Applied Materials. However, as her heart led her back to automotive, she rejoined Continental in 2017, where she assumed leadership of the Corporate Communications team for the entire group.
There’s the myth that the automotive industry is male-focused and not conducive to women. Communicators hold the power to inform that this is a very welcoming environment. She opines that any industry, for that matter, is fairly male-dominated.
Sharing her experience, she says, “In the last few years, we have experimented with different formats of communication. We work with a lot of external organisations, and I pick those that are led by women. We have to find the treasure and share it with everyone. Diversity is taken very seriously as a business priority at Continental; it is reviewed by the management periodically.”
“We started a programme called ‘Women for Manufacturing,’ to get more women to join the shop floor. During the last three years, we have trained, mentored, and successfully placed more than 1,000 women in the workforce of different companies. Problems exist; we have to find solutions for those issues,” she adds.The Women for Manufacturing initiative takes a holistic approach, creating an impact starting from the grassroots level. The programme encompasses awareness initiatives for school girls about the manufacturing industry, supports women in ITI courses through manufacturing-related programmes and internships, and provides manufacturing trade certification and job placement support for women facing socio-economic challenges.
“Problems exist; we have to find solutions for those issues,” she adds.
