My passion for ELECRAMA was at its feverish high – Mrs. Indra Prem Menon

Mrs. Indra Prem Menon

Q. In the Year 2012 you became the first lady to Chair ELECRAMA how was your experience?
It was a wonderful experience. I’ve been part of quite a few ELECRAMA organizing committees and always thought it to be a challenge delivering ELECRAMA every time. But, only when I took over as the Chairperson did I understand the real magnitude of the task. I still vividly recall the moment; it was after the CEO Summit and during a casual chat, the then President Murali Venkataraman and the then Chairman of ELECRAMA 2010 Raj Eswaran suggested to me that I should consider becoming the Chairperson for ELECRAMA 2012. I must confess that I was thrilled from the word go.

The experience to the run up to ELECRAMA 2012 had all the spices in the making of a good script that would interest any theatre savant. Amid all operational hassles we had great camaraderie amongst the core committee members. The laborious volume of hours we spent in strategizing and detailing did reflect in health hick-ups, but the spirit and energy was always high in the camp. The core committee did go the extra step to support me and it was the success of team work that ELECRAMA 2012 attained new heights.

Q. Your contribution to ELECRAMA-2014 also has been significant. How would you define your passion for ELECRAMA-2014? What motivated you to contribute?
First of all, I was thrilled that ELECRAMA 2014 is taking place in my home turf of Bangalore; I assured the ELECRAMA team that I will take it upon myself to persuade the Govt. of Karnataka to give its active support for this world class event. The Govt. of Karnataka has assured its unstinting support and as a testimony to their word they have agreed to become co-host to the event. Secondly, the grant and support from the Ministry of Commerce for the Reverse Buyers Sellers Meet [RBSM] was a great thing to have happened to ELECRAMA 2012 for the first time. The number of visits to the various ministries and its allied constituents was something that helped in multiple ways.

We meticulously planned some of the overseas visits, especially the one to Washington DC with Mr. P. Umashankar, Secretary Power, Govt. of India was truly rewarding. We had for the first time mounted a delegation to the USA and the then Indian Ambassador Mrs. Nirupama Rao had invited the entire delegation to dinner. We made good contacts and the successful Gridweek Asia edition that was concurrent with ELECRAMA 2012 was an outcome of the partnerships made there.

My passion for ELECRAMA was at its feverish high. Actually, ELECRAMA was always dear to me because it represented the great Indian engineering prowess. It was apt that we had the theme of India Power Factor in the then edition. The very many interpretations and accolades received particularly for the theme and its coinage was really moving. Even more so with the madhubani inspired design graphics that was used to present the brand. In fact, I am of the firm view that we should usurp the India Power Factor fiber as IEEMA’s proposition. With the showcase of India as the prime objective, does one need any more motivation? It was reason enough for us to be pumped up. In addition, the expectations set by ELECRAMA 2010, which we all recognized was path breaking in many ways, was a key driver to deliver a notch better. It was this positive feeling and challenge that kept us motivated all through.

Q. It is rare that we come across a lady entrepreneur & a successful one at that. What would you suggest that Industry do in order to attract more women like yourself?
I would have agreed with you a couple of decades ago. Today, entrepreneurship is gender neutral. In fact, If we closely study the successful women at the helm of affairs of leading organizations, it seems as if they are a natural to adorn that high position. The basic nature of being caring and blessed with abundant patience are virtues that are the need of the hour to make and build large corporations. In a world of fast paced existence and cut- throat competition, we seldom pause to reflect on the merits of relationships, be it with employees or peers or other stakeholders. This is where being a woman entrepreneur gives an edge.

My childhood too has a strong bearing in what I’m today. I have learnt a lot from my father, who has spent long hours in imparting the best of his infinite wisdom to me. If I’m comfortable handling the affairs of a business driven by technical products and solutions, it is because of my father’s tutelage.

Q. You are the Co-chair for IEEMA Public Policy Cell. It focuses on some fundamental need of business including changes to the policy frame work. What are your thoughts?
I personally consider that there is a huge scope for contribution here. Right from a better understanding of the scope of Public Policy cell, mapping the broad contours of IEEMA’s role and defining the critical to success factors needs to be evolved. Along with Mr. Narayan Sethuraman, Chairman, Public Policy Cell, I look forward to working on this exciting project. This is also an opportunity for me to make a long lasting contribution to IEEMA.

Q. You have been instrumental in IEEMA’s collaboration with various Govt. stakeholders, including Govt. of Karnataka being a partner state for ELECRAMA -2014. What does it mean to IEEMA and its members to have such profile collaboration & how can we leverage more?
IEEMA deserves a lot more of such collaborations. If we as ‘Voice of the industry’ have to be heard at the right places, we have to be able to address our woes, we need to reach out to the state actors. When we are in an ecosystem, it becomes imperative that we co-exist and together charter our larger purpose of existence. Today in an era of digital and instant communication, it is not such a huge task to stay connected with stakeholders across the spectrum. The Govt. and its machinery being pivotal to growth and development of the businesses, it’s a mandate for trade bodies to work closely with policy makers. The very nature of IEEMA’s member businesses is such that the role of Govt. is very critical in defining the mission and growth opportunities. The collaborative effort of Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) under the ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises and IEEMA that resulted in the recent Mission Plan 2012 -2022 is a great example of what can be done as partners.

The Govt. of Karnataka having the status of ‘Host state’ to ELECRAMA 2014 is a significant step in IEEMA cementing long term relationships with the state and the High-tech city of Bangalore. With meaningful dialogue and mutually rewarding goals, both the State of Karnataka and the Electrical industry can actually come up with exemplary projects to demonstrate the public-private spirit of entrepreneurship. If the outcome of such hi-profile collaborations is a win-win, then shouldn’t we be pursuing & replicating the same across the board?