“The WE Local Bengaluru conference was exceptional! I found my way back to my identity, and it taught me to pave my career path without fear.” – 2023 WE Local Bengaluru Attendee
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) organizes multiple WE Local conferences each year to create connections among engineers, thought leaders, industry partners, and employers.
On April 27-28, 2023, 1,300+ attendees gathered at the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center for our WE Local Bengaluru Conference.
The very first WE Local conference in India was held in the city of Pune in 2016. After three years in Pune, the conference moved to Bengaluru, which is one of the world’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
2023 WE Local Bengaluru: By the Numbers
While the majority of WE Local Bengaluru attendees came from Bengaluru (76%), Pune (13%), and Chennai (6%), the event’s reach was vast, with over 17 states and unions across India represented. WE Local Bengaluru also had a strong global presence, with attendees hailing from Nigeria, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.
In Bengaluru, the largest proportion of conference-goers were individual contributors (39%), followed by technical specialists (24%), mid-level managers (23%), and senior managers (14%).
Many registrants had 6-15 years of experience (47%), with a smaller percentage having 16-25 years of experience (25%). Those with 26 years and more represented 15% of conference attendees.
The event included 27 partner organizations and keynotes from inspiring speakers such as:
- Anshu Sharma Raja, CIO, Consumer Private Business Banking at Standard Chartered Bank
- Neeraja Ganesh, TEDx Speaker; Head of Education Initiatives, Aspire For Her
- Sarika Naik, Chief Marketing Officer & Chairperson, Diversity – India, Capgemini
You can learn more about each WE Local Bengaluru keynote speaker in this article.
Keynote speaker Neeraja Ganesh was also a guest on Diverse: a SWE podcast for International Women in Engineering Day, and you can listen to her episode here.
Additionally, the conference featured a large career fair where attendees could meet directly with employers in the engineering space, as well as a large networking reception, 49 professional development sessions, and nine poster presentations.
Couldn’t make it to Bengaluru this year? Explore our two Flickr albums to relive the excitement: Album 1 | Album 2
In addition to WE Local Bengaluru, SWE held WE Local conferences in Detroit, Hartford, Seattle, and Barcelona in 2023. You can read our recap of the WE Local U.S. conferences and of the WE Local Barcelona conference.
Want to join us at our next WE Local conference? Or are you wondering if SWE is planning a conference in your area? Visit our WE Local website to find all the updates on our 2024 WE Local conferences.
