True to the proverbial saying, morning really showed the day for this energetic lady of Indian Energy Sector, as she started breaking stereotypical rules in more than one ways, since a very early age.

At the age of two, she was so eager to go to school that her parents had no other option than to enroll her into nursery school, the very next year! Around the same time, she insisted on starting her dance classes too. In this case also, her parents giving to her wish, admitted her into one, as she was their only child, thus, breaking the barrier of a Bengali orthodox family, which in those days strongly disapproved of any form of musical inclination, other than the puritan Tagore’s song or Rabindra Sangeet.

Her rebellious turns of early age, her eagerness to traverse on path untrodden, only kept growing with time and she went on to become a cricketer. She played as a regular pace bowler in Deshbandhu cricket team, a local team in the city of joy, Kolkata. Receiving coaching from one of the renowned player of Indian women cricket brigade, was an experience of a lifetime and a memory she cherishes very dearly, till today.

But she did not make her career either in sports or in dance. Instead, Sanchita Banerjee, whose first choice in Pre University wasn’t science at all, set the record by pioneering as first lady Engineer of Oil India Ltd!

“I had taken admission in commerce, but the family compelled me to enroll in science, as was the norm in those days for most of the students with good marks and sound knowledge of mathematics.”

Finally, while choosing a professional career for herself, she took the life’s steering in her own hand and decided to go for chemistry, in place of medical study which her parents wished for her. She did her bachelor’s in Chemical Technology from Institute of Technology and Science, Kolkata or as it is popularly known as, Rajabazar Science College.

In the year 1985, she joined Oil India Limited and started working as Shift Engineer at the Extraction plant of LPG from Natural Gas through cryogenic process, at far off site location in the state of Assam.

How did it feel to work in a faraway plant site as the only female Engineer? And how did she break the barrier? Above all, why did the public sector oil company decide to select her, a female Engineer and post her in site Operation?

To these queries the lady candidly responded to WEI, that she had no idea of the exact reasons that orchestrated selection board to choose a woman candidate for operation.

“It could be because when I was asked on my preference of job area, I mentioned the LPG Operation. Also my performance during training at IOCL and my project on LPG might have prompted them to post me in LPG Operation. But, as far as work was concerned, there existed no such barrier. Everyone cooperated, senior, juniors and workmen, when they realized that the lady meant business! ”

As it is customary to say that behind every successful man, there is a woman, probably, now time has come when we should say that behind a successful woman, there are always men. Men in senior positions, those who thought perhaps differently, believed in capability of women, and helped in starting the journey for each first woman in any field.

Her rebel self and sense of righteousness was registered in the training days itself, when she protested against the custom of trainees not being allowed inside the bottling plant at Haldia Refineries. The rule was changed as a result of the protest, and opportunity of learning broadened for all trainees.

Her long service tenure at Oil India Ltd, one of the major public sector unit in India, encompasses diverse fields of work, like planning, operation, project management & execution, and safety etc. In a span of 33 years of service, there have been many occasions of firsts for a women in the industry, undertaken by her.  In February 1998, she was made In charge of LPG filling plant, taking charge in a difficult and delicate situation, under cloudy circumstances in which her predecessor had left the area. She worked hard to put everything back in order and was able to deliver towards her responsibility efficiently and effectively.

Safety in LPG plant is a subject close to her heart always and she has been very strict and vigilant on safety practices. As a Safety in charge as per OMR 1984, she improved safety standard of the plant: Double valve arrangement in LPG & condensate pipeline, incorporated safety check list for LPG truck Road Tanker loading, and Mastic flooring job without shutdown. She also owned two prizes for LPG Plant.

There was an incident when security in charge at the plant entrance, compromised with the safety practices and allowed a car to enter inside the premises. She stopped them and took action against the security personnel. The security agency went with their complaint against her as far as home ministry. But the lady was undeterred and her courage, determination and dedication towards safe practices, emerged as winner as at the end, the perpetrator was made to apologize and as an act of punishment, had to march past in front her!

If there was anything to see in a LPG plant, she has seen and done it all. She has been In Charge of operation in LPG Extraction Plant & LPG Filling plant, and has worked as in charge of maintenance (Electrical, Instrumentation and Mechanical) as well.

All along her career, she has been in plant operation, which is a very unique for a lady in a technical role in Energy Sector, in her time. As we see few success stories around us in the sector, mostly ladies have been in strategic or engineering roles, in Corporate Center, in cities. Not disregarding the contribution or the capabilities of these great women of Energy Sector, but, locational advantage surely helped them to go an extra mile, in comparison to Ms Banerjee, especially in managing work life balance, in terms of family and spouse’s situation etc.

But She loved her work and never considered her job location as a hindrance to her career. Instead, she had always enjoyed the challenges of field area. In fact she seems to possess the alchemic power of converting dull routine days sound interesting, with various anecdotes like stories of leopard invading the locality, etc.

Did it bring enough recognition for her? She has been not only the first lady engineer in the organization, but has been in the plant operation, leading from the front always, especially in those days, when in a sector and industry like this, women were very few in numbers?

She is very happy and contended in her professional life which she lives to the fullest, and which for her, opened many avenues. Her passion for creative activities, and her profession, are mixed in right balance, as far as she views it. Still she feels that it’s a long way for women in Energy Sector to attain fairness and equality. The glass ceiling does exist and exists in a big way, especially for women engineers, who are competing with men head on, in these industries, which are perceived primarily as male domains.

“There are many factors involved in the success of a women in technical role in Energy Sector, and your professional capabilities, sadly, does not contribute much, as one climbs the ladder and competition becomes fierce.”

But does not that hold true for men as well?

“Yes, it does, but along with that a woman has to always give her 200%, when compared to 100% by a man.”

But then, she is hopeful that situation would improve for women in this sector as well, and she agrees that increase in participation along with formulation and implementation of policies rightly, is necessary.

Within and outside her organization, she has been vocal for rights of women in her sector and in other public sector companies of India. She has been active in the forum for Women in Public Sector or WIPS. She has been recently elected apex president of WIPS, a position which will be occupied by anyone from Eastern region for the first time, when she takes charge, after formal post election formalities are cleared. She has been involved in the activities of regional body of the WIPS forum, since long, and worked on different issues related to women employees in public sector companies of India.

Within the organization, she has been instrumental in bringing about policies on maternity leave, child care leave and worked on issues of foreign training and foreign posting for women employees, management training for junior employees, etc.

Amazingly, her views and thoughts are not restricted to her sector or women professionals only, but it always encompasses the progress and empowerment of women in our society, across the boundaries and borders. This was apparent in her displeasure on the child care leave policy as it exists now.

She thinks that the child care leave for women up to 18 years of age of the child in a way is a deterrent and discriminatory, reaffirming the social stand that children are primarily responsibilities of mother only! Instead of subscribing to the age old society norms, the policies should be progressive, forward looking and should project the child as equal responsibility of both parents. These thoughts have instigated her to fight for paternity leave along with maternity leave and same is behind her pushing for child care leave for fathers as well.

“It is alright when the child is an infant, mother needs to be with it more than the father. But in a period of eighteen years of child’s upbringing, role of mother and father should be equal, and equal child care leave should be attributed to men as well.”

She also feels women would be compelled to prioritize her role as mother over her profession due to child care leave. It can be used as a tool to suppress her rise instead of aiding her professional career and in question of gender equality in workplace.

“Child care leave is required but should be for both parents, and the policy along with maternity leave, should be formulated in a scientific manner, considering all stages of child development.”    

As WEI asks her on the vital issue of work life balance, being a woman, an Energy professional, Sanchita breezes through the issue. As a multitalented person, she has balanced her personal and professional life so well, keeping all her priorities in place.

“In fact, my profession, my love for dance, sport, and my concern for society, for the women empowerment, never conflicted but helped to balance the life in right mix.”

Dancing, which she started at the age of three, still remains her passion and occupies a greater part of her existence. She graduated in Kathak from Allahabad University.

With such a brilliant career in Energy industry, maintaining a passion of performing art with equal aplomb, must have posed a tough challenge?

“Oh no, it has never been a challenge or anything like that. Dance has been a part of me from very early days, and in course of time, it has become me. I am never complete without the dancer in me, and in order to engage in my profession, it had to be, the complete self in totality! Now to think of it, my passion for dance and my love for my job, actually complemented, helping me to balance my life.”

Probably, the one who does it, does it all. Her performance brought praises from likes of the great maestro of Indian dance, Pandit Birju Maharaj, who even offered her to join his academy of dance and took up a career in dance!

She didn’t opt for a profession in dance but it has always been with her, even to these days. She had been judging several dance competitions, and also participated in programs occasionally.

Continuously innovating and inventing herself has also been a part of her journey. She took a break and went back to her alma mater to earn a higher degree, after seven years. She has involved herself with training juniors, mentoring, as she believed in nurturing potential and promoting the young talents for future of the industry!

At home, she had a perfect support system extended by the partner of life, husband, who has been there throughout, right from the beginning, as a friend and colleague too. In fact each of them has been there for the other, sharing equal responsibility at home. With her son, she has been a mother and a friend, who thinks that values that she imbibes in him is more important. His achievements in education or his career is completely a credit due only to him, and she supported him more by believing in him than by being always by his side.

The professional success has not always been exactly to her expectation or perfect return of the efforts and dedication she had put into it. But then she feels that success is never one dimensional. It has variations and lot of aspects to be considered.

In her way of giving back to the society, she does an exemplary service of working with an NGO for betterment of women. She motivates and mentors young and experienced working women to be professional in both working and family life inside OIL and other PSUs. Organizing exhibition cum sale, is another of her initiatives in promoting women entrepreneurs to give them platform.  Sanchita adopted two girls for becoming financially independent in lives. It was a proud moment for her when one of them became In charge of Health Center in West Bengal.

The pioneer woman Engineer of Oil India Limited, besides winning many prizes for her organization, has won a key to a successful life for herself. She has achieved many milestones in her life not only in a career in Oil and Gas sector, but also pursuing her passions for creativity and social awareness related activities.

Women like her brings true diversity to the senior corporate positions as they think like women and think for women, enriching the visions and innovations with womanly traits, instead of emulating men in senior roles.

These are the ladies who are spearheading the future of women in Indian Energy Sector, and would always be revered and looked upon as role model for all.

S.N: This write up is based on facts shared by Ms Sanchita banerjee GM, Oil India Limited, with WEI

Picture Courtsey: Ms Sanchita banerjee