Women in Infrastructure & Technology Conference in India Hosted by Bentley Systems 

In the first week of March, Bentley Systems hosted the Women in Infrastructure & Technology Conference in India at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai. The event celebrated the success of women leading the infrastructure and technology industries. Women leaders shared their experiences while showcasing their contributions to the industry.

Several well-known leaders from the infrastructure and technology industry attended the conference, and other industry representatives moderated sessions and discussions. The event covered the inclusiveness and diversity of women in infrastructure, as well as what it means to be a woman leader in the infrastructure sector. The panelists shared their views on how they see the industry today and how women can actively take part in design and operations. They also discussed the overall future and growth opportunities for women in the infrastructure space.

Bentley set up an exclusive virtual reality experience center that showcased the International Nuclear Fusion Research (ITER) engineering megaproject and the Tuas Water Reclamation Project (TWRP). The center gave attendees a chance to experience, in real time, Bentley's immersive photorealistic rendering technology. The focus was on enhancing the user experience through developing innovative solutions. Industry leaders also had a chance to network with their peers. Bentley’s Kaushik Chakraborty, Vice President, APAC, interacted with the audience to answer questions.

Other sessions at the conference focused on:

• How women bring a high degree of emotional intelligence, diversity of thought, and values to the workplace, and how diverse views are important to produce great outcomes. Inclusivity in a company must start with the culture, right framework, and environment, which are vital for manifesting diversity. Women should also feel that they can openly state what they want, as well as have the support that they need to identify the right opportunities. Additionally, they need to have access to the education and experience that can help them be bright leaders of tomorrow. Leadership is not a position, but rather behavior with capabilities so the right skill sets are necessary.
• The huge shift in the industry toward diversity and inclusion. While women had historically not been encouraged to enter the infrastructure and tech fields, the number of women that are pursuing careers in this field has grown exponentially. The infrastructure sector is going through a huge attrition rate and women, with their skills, at a managerial level, can create stability in the team by having a natural empathetic nature.

In a panel discussion, leaders from companies Excelize Software, Tata Projects, L&T Technology Services, Microsoft, and Cyient inspired women to enter the engineering industry by sharing their experiences and talking about the industry’s benefits. The session highlighted the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in an organization and how one’s work speaks for itself in the long run. If women are given a vision of what they can achieve, there will be greater growth.

Today, technology adoption is increasing and with robotics, digital twins, and remote controlling coming into play, it will help organizations to become efficient. Creating more opportunities will increase the number of women working in construction—both in India and around the world.

The event concluded with another panel discussion on the changing role of women leaders in India. The session discussed the unique perspectives and skills that women bring to leadership roles, how they have impacted India’s efforts toward sustainable national development, and the actions for accelerating progress of women at work.