SWE’s very first event was held in Bengaluru in August 2012 as a bilateral symposium on women in engineering. The event, titled Women Engineers Leading Global Innovation, brought together over 100 leaders for professional development and networking, while the program also explored the unique challenges of gender diversity in the engineering and technology workforce as well as solutions.
The program included highlights such as:
- Keynote address by Lila Poonawalla, who was the first female mechanical engineer from the Government College of Engineering, Pune, back in 1967.
- Panel discussion exploring career opportunities for technical women in India and the US with participants from Cummins, Bechtel, Caterpillar, Rockwell Collins, and GE Healthcare.
- Poster session exhibiting exciting research and innovative ideas to address challenges in the engineering space
- Keynote on “Women as Change Agents” by Tessy Thomas, Project Director for Agni-IV missile and the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India.
“As a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing experiences and strategies for different situations…the SWE symposium held in Bangalore, India had it all. The two-and-a-half day conference with delegates from the U.s. and India was an unforgettable experience.”
– Shweta Dhadiwal Baid, Symposium Attendee
Since that first event 10 years ago, SWE in India has grown into a thriving community of thousands of members and nearly 30 Global Affiliates. What is now an annual event, WE Local, attracts dozens of organizations and hundreds of engineering and technology leaders to foster the exchange of ideas and networking opportunities that were so powerful at the symposium back in 2012.
Contact us to learn more about opportunities for individuals and organizations with SWE in India at info_india@swe.org.
