Harjinder Kaur Talwar
MD & CEO, Comvision India Pvt Ltd
President, FICCI Ladies Organisation | New Delhi (INDIA)
Ancestry
Lyallpur (undivided British India)
Birthplace
Jind, Haryana (India)
Residence
New Delhi (INDIA)
THE MODERN-ERA LAKSHMIBAI
Growing up in an environment where girls don’t have independence, she decided to break the mould and carve her own. Self-made, independent, heading the Chambers of Commerce for women in India, she supports many women to walk tall with their heads held high.
I come from a state where the term ‘women empowerment’ is still in its infancy, however, this also is the state of Kalpana Chawla, Geeta Phogat and Manushi Chillar! Back in my childhood, things were very different; I remember often being vexed and helpless over eve-teasing, and wondering why in India women have been treated so.
My grandfather, Sardar Avtar Singh Behl, had migrated from Lyallpur post-partition with my father, Virender Singh, to settle in Jind, Haryana, where they were allotted some land, where I was born on 18 March 1968. Although I was born dark, something rather uncommon in Sikh families, my father, without holding back his happiness, exclaimed, “She is my lucky girl,” and nicknamed me Lucky. Growing up, I realised I was rather short too, yet another unSikh-like trait; my cousins’ good height and fair skin would often make me unhappy. But Papa motivated me by calling me his son! His words “kad chota hai tey ki hoya, kursi unchi kar le [so what if you are short, take a higher chair]” motivated me. And now I always look for that high chair in my life!
Took my own sweet time to realise my power
A student of Happy Nursery High School, I performed credibly in academics and sports, participated in dance competitions, topped in dramatics; basically I was an all-rounder. I, in fact, was awarded the national scholarship by the government of Haryana for outstanding performance in school academics, after which, I joined Government College, Jind, to study pre-Science, where too I excelled in studies. But college till 1985 was rather sad because of the gender disparity. There was always a strange fear while on my way to or from college. If I participated in cultural activities, weird things would be written on the board about me. When I got the opportunity to participate in a Haryanvi movie, my grandfather strictly refused because people spoke filthy! My mother, Sardarni Raksha Kaur, told me that girls have to behave in a certain defined way to avoid getting into any kind of trouble.
In 1986, my family shifted to New Delhi, where I joined Deshbandhu College for graduation in Computer Science. The capital city was a big culture shock to me, boys and girls talked to each other candidly, so unlike Jind, a pleasing shock.
As I had always studied in a Hindi-medium board, studying in English-medium was a rude shock. People laughed at my English. I remember being clueless when someone asked me for a protractor during an exam. I performed terribly in the first semester, yet I was a happy and bubbly girl in an environment I loved. Once, I bunked college for a picnic in Dabchick, Palwal, with my friends. I was having a perfect day, when suddenly I looked up and found Papa looking back at me! My jaw dropped as I saw him. He brought my friends and me home, telling me that I should have rather informed him and he would have taken care of me and my friends. And once the girls were dropped to their respective home, I got a good scolding from the family. “Your going out is not a problem,” said Papa, “but why didn’t you tell us?” But I was so scared to tell him as girls in those days didn’t go out alone.
Many of my male colleagues were not allowed to visit home to see me. When two boys came home to ask for notes, they were interrogated hard by Papa. The next day everyone mocked, “Better take your identification proof or get one from police when you visit Lucky else her dad won’t allow you to enter.”
I decided to walk on his path of success
Papa had a huge landholding and supplied imported thermostats to the Indian Railways for air-conditioned trains. One of his friends in railways told him that huge money was going out of India and that the country could save a lot of foreign exchange if these thermostats were manufactured locally – a great service to the country. Taking the initiative, my father himself invented one which substituted the imported supplies, for which he was honoured with the President’s Medal in 1978. The whole technique was such an innovation that he had no competitor for at least next 35 years in India, a reason enough for me to see him as my role model.
When I graduated in 1989 with distinction, I shared with my father the idea of venturing into computer business as it was new in India and there was a huge corporate need for official computer training.
Happy with my business model, he proposed to finance my venture, but I decided to take my own path and applied for a bank loan. With six computers and a staff of three, I began my business, Comvision, in 1993. But business is never easy! I failed to pay the first two instalments as I had bought a gold bangle instead of reinvesting it, which brought the bank manager to meet my father; he paid the entire loan amount then and there. Once the manager left, Papa sat me down and said, “Success and failures are a part of business but I am glad that today you have understood the value of money!” I could feel confidence building up in me again as I learnt the value of saving right.
I restarted working, smart and hard, and in 1996 was married to Bhartindu Talwar, a Hyderabad-based businessman. I joined his business but soon realised it was not my ‘calling’ and decided to restart Comvision in Hyderabad with a small capital and unending support from Bhartindu. Since Andhra Pradesh government was forthcoming in e-governance, helped by bureaucrats like Randeep Sudan and DR Garg, we took a leap into the Indian e-governance market, getting my first big government project, TWINS, which was also showcased to the then US President, HE Bill Clinton, during his maiden visit to India.
TWINS was a project under which we were working on the idea of a single platform for people to deposit their various bills. At a time, when Internet was still new, not technology but the government agencies that wouldn’t share their data with us were our challenge. After convincing the bureaucrats, I was finally able to get it. Tying-up with some world-leading technology companies, finally Comvision became a niche player in e-governance along with intelligent, traffic and transport solutions in India.
Today, I feel proud to stand tall as the only businesswoman in the arena of intelligent traffic and transport solutions.
If a woman is financially independent, none dare to misbehave
In 2000, my father passed away, shattering us. Thinking of his strength and courage, I pledged to empower other women. For a country to grow, women’s empowerment is much needed, for which economic strength too is needed. It thus becomes a vicious circle. As the government was trying to bring out many schemes, I decided that I must ensure that at least some women start reaping benefits of these schemes. I also started creating an awareness of their rights and recently started agriculture initiative for them. We also started a campaign to see that women too become a part of family landholding.
The business started growing by leaps and bounds when Bhartindu also joined Comvision. We moved to New Delhi and, since then, have grown multifold. As gifts came our two sons, Vidul in 1998 and Kabir in 2001. We ensured spending quality time with them, taking care of their studies, sports and other activities. Both have studied in St Columba’s School, New Delhi. Vidul, after studying at the University of British Columbia, is now working with DE Shaw, while Kabir is studying International Economics in University of Columbia, Vancouver. Although I feel satisfied as a mother, none of it would have been possible without Bhartindu’s support. In my weaker moments, jealousies, competitions, he has been my friend, guide and my go-to person.
Though I have been honoured with many awards, the closest to me is the Business Woman of the Year-World Sikh Award, which was conferred upon me in 2018.
When I recently headed the Indian All-Female Business Delegation in Israel, I couldn’t help feeling glad looking at the women aggressively moving forward to help themselves!
Philosophy
Business is gender neutral. It does not understand man or woman. You have to deliver what you have signed in the contract.
I love…
Empowering women, economically, so to encourage them to have a voice against eve-teasing, domestic violence, lack of education, inequality, etc. I try to stand up for them.
Success
If you want to be successful, improve your PR skills. It is your first step towards your dreams.
I’d suggest the youth…
To never say no to learning. Women, in fact, must grow to become what they desire and never compromise with their dreams.
The world doesn’t know that…
I also have gone through a #MeToo moment. Though I set the man right through court and police, I feel perturbed by all that a woman has to go through as this came quite late in my life.
AKA
Harjinder Talwar CEO Comvision | FICCI FLO National Leader Harjinder Talwar
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695