Cummins India wins ‘Diversity and Inclusion Partner’ and ‘Outstanding Professional Development Event’ Awards at SWE 2022 WE Local Awards

Guwahati: Cummins India received the Diversity and Inclusion Partner Award as well as the Outstanding Professional Development Event Award at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) 2022 WE Local Awards. Cummins India Technical Organization's Leading Inclusion for Technical (LIFT) Employee Resource Group (ERG) won the Diversity and Inclusion Partner Award, while Cummins College of Engineering for Women’s (CCEW) The Grey Project won the Outstanding Professional Development Event Award. Cummins India is the industry sponsor of the SWE affiliate at CCEW.

On the Diversity and Inclusion Partner Award, Pradheepram Ottikkutti, Executive Director – Engineering, Cummins India said, “We, at Cummins India, are proud to receive the prestigious Diversity and Inclusion Partner Award. Today, Cummins India Technical Organization has over 100 active SWE members, who along with the LIFT ERG, are determined to support development and inclusion of women at all levels. I truly believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are vital for Cummins India to continue our journey on innovation, prosperity, and long-term success. We are now focused on accelerating our inclusion journey to achieve our objective of 50% female representation.”

Jim Fier, Vice President - Chief Technical Officer, Cummins Inc said, “Focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion is not new at Cummins. It is part of who we are and how we innovate and solve complex problems better and faster. Cummins India is a leader in the company, and in society, for taking action to create an environment where everyone is included and can succeed. This award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a great reminder that we should pause and celebrate the progress made – while we also move forward to do more.”

On winning the Outstanding Professional Development Event Award, Pradheepram Ottikkutti, Executive Director – Engineering, Cummins India added, “We are incredibly delighted about CCEW’s The Grey Project winning the Outstanding Professional Development Event Award. The project is part of SWE-CCEW’s mentorship program aimed at developing a pipeline of future women leaders equipped with the skills and competence needed to succeed in the industry. I am a strong proponent of mentorship and believe that it not only benefits the mentees in their career advancement but also assists the young mentors in propelling their leadership journey.”

Diversity and Inclusion Partner Award recognizes groups that promote diversity and inclusion and show commitment to SWE and SWE’s mission and goals. LIFT -  an Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Cummins India Technical Organization won this award for achieving progress in women's inclusion in the organization by:

• Improving women representation over the years from 28% in 2010 to36% in 2021 through structured interventions focused on attracting, developing, and retaining female talent
• Focused development programs for womento accelerate their careers such as, Women Leadership Development Program, Sponsored Higher Education Program in close collaboration with regional universities, Sabbatical Program etc
• Creating an inclusive workplace by facilitating infrastructural changes like day care facilities, feeding rooms for new mothers, dedicated parking spaces to more innovative solutions like height adjustable tables, safety gear in female and male  sizes etc

Outstanding Professional Development Event Award recognizes groups which plan and carry out a high-quality professional development event. CCEW won this award for SWE-CCEW’s mentorship program, The Grey Project, aimed at creating future women technology leaders through peer-to-peer mentoring. As part of the project, third and fourth year engineering students mentored their juniors (first and second year) to provide them with new skills and knowledge, impart career guidance and motivate them to follow their goals and objectives. While the junior students benefitted from the guidance as it provided them a headstart for their corporate career, the senior students appreciated mentoring being an excellent idea for developing leadership skills.