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Meaning of Women in Leadership

India ranks 24th out of 135 countries in regards to women's political participation. In the

world's largest democracy, women still hold a mere 10% of seats in India's Parliament.

Yet at the same time, the struggle to enact the Womens Reservation Bill, which would

allot 33% of seats in state legislatures and parliament for women, continues. As of today,

the passage of this bill is close to becoming a reality. Although women politicians will

continue to face different barriers and certain disadvantages before and after taking

political office, it is imperative that they are able to receive sufficient training and

knowledge with which to prepare them for greater political involvement.

Women who aspire towards becoming effective politicians in India must acquire

specialised knowledge and experience in order to win elections and pursue inclusive

policies at the local, state and national levels. The India-Women in Leadership (i-WIL)

programme provides women with the knowledge, skills and tools essential for becoming

a leader in Indias shifting political landscape.


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Introduction

Naina Lal Kidwai, a chartered accountant by profession, is an Indian banker and business

executive. She is currently the Group General Manager and Country Head

of HSBC India. She is the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce

and Industry (FICCI). She also holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from University of

Delhi and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1982. Kidwai was the first Indian

woman to graduate from Harvard Business School and also the first woman to guide the

functioning of a foreign bank in India. She has also completed her Bachelors of Arts in

the year 1977.


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Profile of C.A. Naina Lal Kidwai

Early YearsFrom 1982-1994 she worked ANZ Grindlays, where her assignments included Head of

the Investment Bank, Head of Global NRI Services and Head of the Western India,

Retail Bank. From 1994 to 2002, Mrs. Kidwai served as the Head of Investment Banking

in Morgan Stanley India and JM Morgan Stanley.[11]She also served at Standard

Chartered Bank from the year 1982 to 1994 and as Chief Manager of Retail Bank from

1984 to 1991. From 1989 to 1991, Mrs. Lal was the Chief Manager and Head of

Investment Bank India and as Manager of North India of Investment Bank from 1987 to

1989. Naina Lal has also served as the Manager of West India of Investment Bank based

in Bombay from 1984 to 1987. From 1977 to 1980, she worked at Price Waterhouse &

Co.

Current PositionsAlong with serving as the Chairman of HSBC Asset Management (India) Pvt Ltd and

HSBC InvestDirect (India) Ltd, her other positions include being a non-executive

director on the board of Nestle SA, Chairwoman, City of London's Advisory Council for

India, Global Advisor, Harvard Business School. She is on the Governing Board of

NCAER, Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and on

the National Executive Committee of CII and FICCI.


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Career HighlightsMrs. Kidwai serves as the Group General Manager of HSBC Holdings Plc since 1

October 2006. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC India of HSBC

Holdings Plc since 5 May 2006. Since 15 April 2009, Mrs. Kidwai also served as the

Country Head of HSBC India. She also served as the Head of Corporate & Custodial

Services of HSBC Bank. Naina also served as the Group General Manager of HSBC

India until 15 April 2009. Mrs. Kidwai also served as the Deputy Chief Executive

Officer of HSBC Holdings Plc since 21 May 2004. Besides, she also served as Managing

Director of HSBC Securities and Capital Markets India. She has also served as Deputy

Chief Executive Officer of HSBC from November 2002 to 5 May 2006.

Personal LifeNaina is married to Rashid Kidwai who runs an NGO named Grassroot Trading Network

for Women. She is also the mother of 2 children, who is maintaining between home and

work. Mrs. Naina is the daughter of an insurance company CEO. Her mother comes

from an industrial family being the sister of industrialist Lalit Mohan Thapar. Her

interests include microfinance and livelihood creation for rural women and environment.

Naina, also supports the world's largest youth driven organization - AIESEC as a

National Advisory Board Member to AIESEC India. Naina Lal is very fond of Indian

classical and the western music. She also loves to go on trekking tours to the Himalayas.

Mrs. Kidwai is also a nature lover and also has keen interest in observing the wildlife.

Kidwai has repeatedly ranked in the Fortune global list of Top Women in Business, 12th

in the Wall Street Journal 2006 Global Listing of Women to Watch ad listed by Time

Magazine as one of their 15 Global Influentials 2002.


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AwardsFor her praiseworthy work, Naina has also secured many accolades. Naina Lal has

secured the distinguished Padma Shri award for her contributions in the areas of trade

and industry.She has also received ASSOCHAM Ladies League's Delhi Women of the

Decade Achievers Award 2013 for Excellence in Banking .


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PRESIDENT of FICCI

Naina Lal Kidwai, Country Head-HSBC India & Director-HSBC Asia Pacific, took over

as President of FICCI for the year 2012-13, at the conclusion of the 85th Annual General

Meeting of FICCI.

Kidwai is the first woman and professional manager to be elected as President of India's

oldest apex chamber of commerce, FICCI. She has chaired the Water Mission, the

Finance Council, the Capital Markets Committee and Financial Inclusion Committee of

FICCI and served on the Chambers National Executive Committee for several years.

An MBA from Harvard Business School, Kidwai has been recognised in India and abroad

with several awards and listings for leadership and business. Repeatedly ranked in the

Fortune Global List of Top Women in Business (making her the longest standing ranker

from India on this list) in the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times Global Listing of

Women to Watch and listed by Time Magazine as one of their 15 Global Influentials

2002. She is a recipient of the Padma Shri from the Government of India for her

contribution to Trade and Industry.

She is a member of the Government of Indias Industry Task Force, and the Working

Group on Banking, Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission; and on the

governing boards of the National Council of Applied Economic Research and the

National Institute of Bank Management.

Kidwais interest in environmental issues and livelihood creation for women are evident

through her representation on the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation Board, the TERI

Advisory Board, the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Climate


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Change, and the US State Department International Council on Womens Business

Leadership and Grassroots Trading Network for Women.

Her international engagements include being a Non-Executive Director on the Board of

Nestle SA; Chairperson, City of Londons Advisory Council for India; Global Advisor,

Harvard Business School and Chair of the Indian Advisory Board.

This appointment adds to her list of firsts which include being the first woman CEO of a

private sector or foreign bank in India, the first woman to head an investment bank in

India, the first Indian Non-Executive Director of a Fortune 100 company, and the first

Indian woman MBA from Harvard Business School.

Sidharth Birla has been elected Senior Vice President of FICCI for 2012-13. Birla is

Chairman of Xpro India Limited (an established Polymers Processing and manufacturing

company) and Chairman, Digjam Limited (an established woollen worsted fabric

manufacturing company).

He has worked as Director on various corporate bodies since 1977. His areas of

experience include Corporate Governance; Strategic Issues; Acquisitions & Divestments;

Company Law; Corporate & Financial Structuring; Operating financial management and

understanding of industrial/business operations; Private Equity fund - creation, structuring

and documentation, etc. He is member of the 21st Council of Institute of Chartered

Accountants of India (nominee of Central Government 2010-2013) and member of WPO,

(a US based international organization of chief executives, with local chapters spread

globally).

Birla obtained his Masters in Business Administration from IMEDE (now known as

IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland, Bachelors in Science (B.Sc.) (Hons.) in Physics from


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Calcutta University. He has also studied in the Owner-President Management Program

(OPM 33) and other Executive Education programs at Harvard Business School & IMD.

Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & Managing Director of Bharat Hotels, has been elected

Vice President of FICCI.

Dr Suri has been Chairperson of the FICCI Tourism Committee for the last five years and

the only woman to do so, Chairperson of the CII's J&K Taskforce on the Revival of

Kashmir, the only Indian member on the International Executive Committee of the

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Executive Member of Hotel Association of

India. Under her direction, FICCI introduced The Great India Travel Bazaar in the year

2008 and The Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar in the year 2011, both of which have

become keenly awaited events in the annual calendar of such travel and tourism business

interactions.

During the last five years Dr Suri has been bestowed with the Honorary Degree of

Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick, The UK; World Travel Market Global

Award (2011); Asias Leading Woman in Hospitality Award at the Women in Leadership

(WIL) Asia Awards 2012; ADTOI Award 2011; Rotary Club of Delhi 2011 - Lifetime

Achievement Award; Leading Hotelier 2010; IATO Hall of Fame Award (in 2012) and

Award during 23rd IATO Annual Convention (in 2007); Award from SPIC MACAY;

The Most Popular Woman in the Travel industry voted by TravTalk readers; Human

Achievers Foundation Award 2012; The Spa Personality of the Year by GeoSpa Asia Spa

Awards 2011; Among the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business 2011 & 2012 and

Business Today Award for the 20 Most Powerful Women in India 2009.

A multifaceted personality, she is a patron of art, culture, sports and education. Her social

initiative Project Disha, being implemented under the overall CSR policy of Bharat


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Hotels, seeks to assist school students and local youth, to have access to quality

education leading to employment. She closely works with The Subros Education

Society, SAVERA (a body doing work for the underprivileged), 24/7 Women's Security

(focuses on women safety & training), SEEDS (skills training and educations for the

needy), KHUSHI, The Blind School and The Spastic Society.


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C.A.Naina Lal Kidwai-Success Mantra

Naina Lal Kidwai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong and ShanghaiBanking Corporation in India, is rated as one of the most successful women in the

world of finance. Ranked third by Fortunein their listing of the Worlds Top Women

in Business in Asia in 2000 and 2001, she was also counted among the top 50 women

in international business in 2003. In a talk with Vimla Patil, this banker shares the

time-honoured rules that have helped her achieve success.

"I really value a one-liner written by George Bernard Shaw," says Naina Lal Kidwai,Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking

Corporation. "He said: Some men see things around them and wonder why! I dream

of things that arent, and say why not?" I feel what Shaw said applies more to men.

Women always knew that even the most unrealistic dreams can be turned into reality

by sheer effort and dedication. Many women have demonstrated this truth today by

breaking the most obstinate glass barrier and achieving unprecedented success in

every kind of career. The finance and banking sector is just one example. Every major

institution and bank today has innumerable women at its top positions. These women

are not only handling huge projects spanning several countries, but also generating

micro-banking in rural India and generating change at the grassroots."

According to Kidwai, who is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and influentialpersons in the finance business in the world, the secret of her success is passion for

work. "We need to be passionate and driven to achieve any goal we choose," she says,

need to push the limits of achievement and better our performance all the time. I think


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we should be engaged in the profession of our choice rather than just work hard in

our chosen work area. We need to literally set ourselves on fire with our objectives."

Kidwais own career is an excellent example of her principles. After obtaining abachelors degree in economics from Delhi University, she went on to take a masters

in business administration from Harvard Business School in 1982. She returned to

India to work with Morgan Stanley and initiated the merger of JM Financial and

Morgan Stanley in India in 1998. She has worked with leading financial corporations

and banks in the last 20 years to emerge as one of the 15 most influential people

globally listed by the Time magazine in 2002.

"Your career depends upon how much you enjoy your work," Kidwai continues, "Theultimate measure of a man or woman is where they stand in times of controversy or

failure. Can they pick themselves up and start again with courage? Here, I want to

emphasise that courage is not merely the absence of fear, but the ability to manage

fear, to understand failure and its causes and to move on to achieve the goals without

giving up. It means respecting yourself and your ability to achieve your goals without

buckling under failures. With this spirit, your confidence remains 100 per cent intact.

Indeed, I feel that 100 per cent success is not a good augury. It means you are not

taking enough risks. Your success ratio, if you are dynamic, should be in the region of

80 to 90 per cent so that you are open to change. For this, you must choose your

people environment carefully. You must do away with cynics they confuse and

ruin you and seek the company of can do people.


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"Here, she remember the example of Sam Pitroda who brought thetelecommunications revolution to Indias villages with the PCO project under Rajeev

Gandhis leadership. It is said that he met innumerable bureaucrats, who gave

thousands of reasons why he could not achieve his goal of creating a

telecommunication network all over India. He ignored them all and went ahead and

did what he had to. And you can see the results today.

"The next rule is that you must always play to win. I feel that we Indians lack thekiller instinct. We must create a benchmark against the best and look beyond

established standards. Cutting corners is not allowed in this exercise."

Kidwai lays immense emphasis on the quality of leadership for achieving success. "Aleader must groom future leaders," she says. "Our own jobs depend on our ability to

do this. Leadership drives the management of any endeavour. Management is not

mastered by reading books but by collecting experience and sensitivity as you go

along. Management is not a product or a process but a philosophy for a lifetime. It

includes integrity, fairness, treating everybody as equal, risk taking, concentrated

application of all faculties, style all aimed at progress. Team play is also important.

The best leaders always know that a focused team spirit always achieves success. A

team has to co-ordinate strategies, create the will to win and then implement its plans

together.


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"To succeed, you have to re-energise yourself again and again as you move ahead.Admitting ignorance is equal to searching for knowledge. Attending new training

programmes, learning new skills and techniques, gathering new information all

these should be included in your growth as a person. Core values are also extremely

important for success. You should never compromise on them. This means that you

should remember your responsibility to your family, community, profession and,

ultimately, your nation at all times.

"You must remember that whatever good you do, comes back to you in strange ways.The story of Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin is a wonderful

example. It is said that Flemings father once saved a Scottish farmers young son

from drowning in quicksand. The farmer offered to support the education of

Flemings young son as an act of gratitude. Junior Fleming grew up to become a great

scientist and discovered Penicillin, which later saved the life of the farmers son when

he suffered from severe pneumonia.

"In brief, the A B C D of achievement is: ability to reinvent yourself; balance betweensuccess and failure; confidence to deal with every situation; and the determination to

work hard. As Thomas Jefferson said, the harder you work, the more luck you have."

The biggest challenge Naina has faced in her multi-pronged career was her youth. "Inever faced gender discrimination in any job. But being a woman in a top job has its

hazards. You are always under a magnifying glass and people are watching where you

might slip up. Every false step is used to advantage by others," she says, "And we are

a staunch seniority-oriented society. I found it difficult to talk to older people as their

boss. But the scenario is changing. More women than ever before are handling


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money, stocks and family assets than ever before. They have the education, common

sense and intelligence to multiply their family or company wealth many times over.

India is one of the easiest countries for women to make it big in any business or

profession because of our supportive family structure.

"However, you must remember that there is another India beyond the metro cities,where women have a tough time achieving their goals. I work with the NGO Self-

Employed Womens Association (SEWA) and I know well what women at that level

have to go through.


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Naina Lal Kidwai Stratergy for H.S.B.C

As the Group Manager and Country Head of HSBC India, Naina Lal Kidwai needs nointroduction in the world of banking and business. An alumni member of Harvard

Business School, Padma Shri recipient and the first female president of FICCI,

Kidwais acumen and contribution in diverse business fields are well known and

appreciated. Currently leading a 34-member delegation of CEOs from FICCI to the

UK, Kidwai is facilitating the Engage UK strategy which endeavours to maintain

consistent communication with, and promote business synergies between both

countries. Her strategies for HSBC are similar to those adopted during her 31 years of

banking experience [her first banking job was with ANZ Grindlays Bank in 1982].

She adopts conservative lending strategies and relies on accurate MI [Management

Information] and efficient risk management processes.

According to Kidwai, adopting conservative lending strategies and steering clear ofaggressive lending strategies, spares it from acquiring NPAs [non-performing assets

or loans that are in jeopardy of default], which in turn, avoid massive write downs and

ensure stability of the bank.

HSBC therefore enjoys the full benefit of growth sectors such as airlines and power,and relies on its IT expertise and analysis which dictates as to whether it will move

out of a sector entirely or move out. Kidwai states that a sound analysis is what has

kept the banks lending book on safe, minimally-risky ground.

A large part of her current strategy is to look at the rapid shift towards a more

technologically advanced platform which is now being accepted by the public


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banking sector and allows it to be well-connected. She recalls one of HSBCs first

technological offerings to the country as being the ATM machine, and is geared

towards advancing technology-based services more efficiently. Looking at the

increased preference for mobile banking and internet banking services, it is clear that

HSBC will quickly adapt and advance its existing services to cater to an increasing

consumer base of smart phone and tablet users who will expect to be able to access a

greater variety of banking solutions on their devices and avoid time-wasting trips to

the bank.

Customer engagement and listening to what the customer has to say is important toKidwai, and she chooses to bring forward their needs and concerns. Creating a

customer-friendly technology initiative which factors in customer requirements with

IT criteria ensures that the customer is happy and that the IT-related processes are

fulfilled.

Known as a trailblazing dealmaker, Kidwai is responsible for HSBC Indiasenjoyment of healthy profit margins. Her prior experience with arranging funding for

InfoTech companies, managing IPOs for companies like Bharti tele-ventures and

Maruti Udyog and role as one of the key forces behind the Morgan Stanley-JM

Financial joint venture [whose subsequent turnaround made it one of the top banks in

India] have resulted in a resume which is rich with experience and diversity. As an

individual, she is known for being opinionated but always open to ideas and inputs,

and encourages employees to be forthcoming with their perspectives. All the

aforementioned qualities, combined with her constant strive for attaining excellence,

makes Naina Lal Kidwai one of the most admired strategists of the banking sector.


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Naina Lal Kidwai wins the prestigious Green Globe Award

Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager and Country Head, HSBC India, has been

awarded the prestigious Green Globe Award in the business enterprise category for her

commitment to environment sustainability. The award was given away at the Delhi

Sustainable Development Summit on 5 February 2009 by a very select set of distinguished

persons, including:

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess, Kingdom of Thailand

HE Tarja Halonen, President of Finland

HE Anote Tong, President of the Republic of Kiribati

HE Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

HE Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Former President of Maldives

The Green Globe Award has been instituted by the Green Globe Foundation, which has

Nobel Laureate R K Pachauri among its founders. The Green Globe Foundation (GGF) was

incorporated in May 2008 as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the cause of the

environment and is a registered organisation in Mumbai, India. The Foundations vision is

largely to raise awareness on environmental concerns, work with knowledge partners and

influencers to create remedial measures and highlight how the world can get ready for

tomorrows challenges and bring in a safer future.

The Foundation has partnered with the biggest environmental organisations to activate its

ambitions, namely the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Energy

Resources Institute (TERI) and Live Earth. It is committed to bringing about change by


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influencing a range of stakeholders including media, decision makers, public influencers,

government, opinion makers, corporates and celebrities. The Green Globe Foundation fund

is managed by Barclays Bank.


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Trailblazing Dealmaker: Naina Lal Kidwai

Long before the expression 'dealmaker' became commonplace in India, Naina LalKidwai, 54, currently country head of HSBC, was one of the biggest dealmakers in the

country. It goes without saying that she was also one of the first women to enter the

formerly male bastion of investment banking and rise spectacularly. "When I

embarked on this journey, I didn't think women would be where we are today. It is

very gratifying,"

Her first job, decades ago, was with Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers.An economics graduate and a chartered accountant, she was bluntly told during the job

interview that the firm did not employ women. Yet it hired her

.

The list of Kidwai's firsts is staggering: she was the first Indian woman to graduatefrom Harvard Business School, or HBS; the first woman to be hired by

PriceWaterhouse in India; the first woman to lead a foreign bank in India. Kidwai says

she had to work "very hard" to find her space among the men.

"I am very inspired by her," says Smita Nair, director of investment banking at HSBCSecurities and Capital Markets (India), who has worked with her for six years. "I want

to be like her."


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Kidwai reveals she was the first woman in her family to work. "I come from a veryconventional north Indian family," she says "But my parents had aspirations for their

children, and because I didn't have a brother those aspirations were transferred to me

and my sister." She studied for a Masters in Business Administration at a time when

her friends were mostly getting married. She was the youngest member of the HBS

class of 1982. "It was good to know I had cut it," she says. Was current Chairman and

CEO of General Electric, Jeffrey Immelt, a classmate? Indeed he was.

The years at Harvard, Kidwai says, altered her world view and greatly influenced herleadership style. Kidwai is charming, highly amiable, and possesses a lot of pizzazz.

"The amazing thing about Naina is that everyone feels comfortable approaching her

with any problem - personal or professional," says Ravi Menon, Managing Director

and Head of Strategy at HSBC India.

"Her opinion is always honest and direct." Behind the genteel exterior, however, is awoman who has engineered some of the biggest deals in post-liberalised India. She

arranged funding for infotech giants Infosys and Wipro; managed the initial public

offerings, or IPOs, of Maruti Udyog and Bharti Tele-Ventures; was one of the key

forces behind the Morgan Stanley-JM Financial joint venture and its subsequent

turnaround, making it one of the top investment banks in India.


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"I am proud of every deal," she says. "Doing deals is like having children. You enjoythem for what they are. The harder deals are more gratifying."

Despite her degrees and soaring career, Kidwai says she often faced tremendouspressure to give up. Her mother often asked her to quit once Kidwai herself became a

mother. "You constantly have people telling you managing a home and a career is

really difficult, are you sure you want to do this? People tell me this all the time."

But she persevered, inspired primarily by her father. "If I had stepped away, it wouldhave reflected on all women," she says. "My whole experience was to show how to do

it." There were no flexible working hours those days. Washrooms for women were

usually located in a dark, dingy corner of the office. There were no laptops - reams of

paper had to be carried home in bulky folders to work on at night.

Three decades of long hours, meetings at odd hours and constant travel have meantthat Kidwai has missed attending important birthdays, anniversary celebrations,

festivals and other important family moments. "My father was unwell but I kept

delaying going to see him for three months," she says. "Two days before I was to see

him, he passed away." Even now, Kidwai works out of two offices, one in Delhi and

the other in Mumbai.


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Apart from her father, Kidwai has drawn inspiration from "ordinary people who doextraordinary things". She remembers a subordinate during the 1993 riots, "Bombay

was completely shut down," she says. "I went to work. But my executive assistant also

came to work. She had to leave her three-year-old child with a neighbour. That was her

work ethic."

After years of hectic deal-making and negotiations - during her 13 years at ANZGrindlays, eight at Morgan Stanley and nearly a decade with HSBC so far - she is

gearing up to do some pioneering work in water conservation and women's

empowerment. She is also a non-executive director on the board of Nestl, a member

of the Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and on

the governing board of the National Council for Applied Economic Research.

At 54, she says she feels as enthused as when she started. "I thought 54 was an agewhen you get old, dull and retire. But I am nowhere near retiring!"


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Naina Lal Kidwai's take on the RBI Rate Hike

Naina Lal Kidwai, the iconic chartered accountant, and currently the Country Head of

HSBC India, also the President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce

and Industry), has recently opined on the pressure that has built up on RBI to hike interest

rates, propelled by the current weak condition of the rupee. She has remarked that any

such increase would be a body blow to industry and growth.

The rupee has seen its lowest position in recent times, plunging to a record low point of

61.21 against the dollar. Going by the data, it has lost 7.3% this year. According to

speculations that are rife amongst experts, chiefly economists and the likes, RBI would be

compelled to raise policy rates to meet with the ongoing inflationary expectations, due to

the present volatility of the rupee. Kidwai feels that what we now require is confidence, to

make a foray again into industry in terms of investments and growth. She has expressed

her wish that banks should transmit series of interest rate reduction as undertaken by RBI

since January, 2012. Owing to the current economic status of the country, imports have

become dearer, domestic currency has depreciated, and consequently, inflation can again

crop up as a pestering issue. Kidwai has reportedly told that she hopes and believes that

interest rate hike will not have to be encountered in the near future; rather, we should

count on its reduction instead, if that is possible by any means.

According to her, high current account deficit (CAD) is the root factor behind many such

problems. There has been a lot of import of gold; hence, she feels that tightening up on

gold can put an end to inflations raising its ugly head over and over again. However,

adequate precaution should also be taken lest the gold jewellery makers should be messed

up. Since they also have been complaining of their inaccessibility to gold, it implies that

they have a problem with exports, which needs to be redressed. She does not agree to the


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speculation that policy rate hike will lead to an increase in cost of funds, which she

justifies by saying that credit off-take has also been low. She accounts for this lowness by

saying that a large number of users are involved in infrastructural projects which are yet

to take off. Depending on their take-off, banks will start opening the tap for these

projects, which can lead to liquidity crunch. She adds that when that happens, RBI will

increase the LAF limit. CAD, the difference between the outflow and inflow of foreign

currency, had reached its highest till date value of 4.7% in 2012-13. Kidwai wished that

banks should transmit a series of interest rate reduction undertaken by RBI.


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Balancing Dual Roles

Naina Lal Kidwai is one of the most powerful businesswomen in the world, and is also

regarded as being one of the first women to break stereotypes which demand that a

woman choose only one priority; motherhood or professional growth. Kidwai has

excelled at both, and her story of negotiating deals with her family in order to gain

permission to study at Harvard Business School, her long struggle to gain a foothold in a

male-dominated industry, and valuable contribution towards making her work place a

more gender neutral environment, has made her an example of how women can

successfully balance innumerable priorities and succeed.

When Kidwai became pregnant in 1992, she was told to do what most pregnant working

women tend to lean towards; quit her job and focus on motherhood. Given that her job

was in the banking sector [she was Head of Investment Banking for Morgan Stanley

India, and JM Morgan Stanley at the time], it seemed logical for her to trade in the papers

for a more comfortable life of raising a child. However, Kidwai chose to add yet another

responsibility to her already impressive repertoire; that of motherhood. Today she is

mother to a 21-year-old daughter, Kemaya, and step mother to 33-year-old Rumaan; and

also serves as the Country Head and Group Manager for HSBC India.

Despite being from a somewhat progressive North Indian family with an industrialist

background, Kidwai says she too faced the usual questions which plague women who

want to break away from traditional roles. She is quoted as saying, there were few

female role models during my growing years. I looked at the men around me and thought,

how am I any less? She followed this thought through her life, and refused to be

distracted, even while pregnant. Today she makes it a point to prioritize time with her

family, and is known for planning nature trips to places which have no mobile phone


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coverage or internet access. Family time to her is precious, and work related interference

is strictly not welcome.

The road towards attaining the fine balance between mother and banking professional was

not smooth. Kidwai says she missed innumerable family engagements or often arrived

late for special events due to her hectic schedule. The always-persistent plea to give up

her professional ambitions persisted, but she did not give up, choosing instead to pursue

them, albeit with a few sacrifices in between. Her only regret has been that she would

have liked to have spent a little more time with family. However, it appears that her

decision to maintain that strict balance between professional time and family time has

resulted in more quality time with her husband and children, and has also allowed her to

pursue some of her hobbies; she enjoys bird-watching, hiking and trekking.

Overall, Kidwai has successfully raised her children without making them feel neglected,

and has also ensured the success of her own professional aspirations. A significant

example of her success comes in the form of her daughter Kemaya, now 21, who is

following in her mothers footsteps; she is currently studying at Yale University,

Connecticut, and will graduate soon. Following through with her own philosophy to

facilitate womens participating outside the household, Kidwai let Kemaya make her

acting debut while she was still very young; Kemaya is also known for her film debut

which was made through the film Monsoon Wedding, filmed when she was only 10

years old. Kidwai says she involved her daughter in her life instead of shutting her out, by

always letting her know of her many work commitments. She comments, Initially my

work schedule would irritate Kemaya when she was 5 and 6, but we dealt with it by going

out for celebratory dinners together once I finished.


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Harvard, HSBC and the Lean In movement

The fact that I was the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School in

1982 was a gratifying personal achievement but a sad social comment. Indian men had

been going there for 30 years already!- Naina Lal Kidwai

Kidwais name has featured in a number of lists which are testimony to her reputation and

credibility as being one of the most respected bankers in the country, and also, one of its

most powerful women. Astute and in tune with the needs of her company, HSBC, Kidwai

has mastered the art of juggling her career, family commitments, as well as other

associations, most notably FICCI; she became its President in 2012. Her journey from a

young school topper who won every competition while studying at Shimlas Loreto

Convent, to a stubborn 23-year-old who argued endlessly with her parents and was

eventually permitted to study at Harvard Business School, to a bewildered young

professional who drew parallels between the placement of womens bathrooms in the

office to their actual role at the workplace; Naina Lal Kidwais journey is an inspiring one

and she intends to inspire other women to create their own footsteps of achievement and

professional success.

Harvard Business School was a strategic decision on Kidwais part when it came to

pursuing her education. Accompanying her father to his office and observing the work

culture there, brought her to the realization that the only way to be incorporated into the

male-dominated work environment was by upgrading her existing educational

qualifications. An MBA from Harvard in 1982 made her the first Indian woman to have

graduated from the institute, and employment under Price Waterhouse [now known as

Price Waterhouse Coopers or PWC] also added another first to her list of

accomplishments, she was their first female employee.


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However, it was her employment at HSBC, which opened her eyes to the small, but

significant ways in which female employees were either cast aside or made to feel inferior

to their male colleagues. An interesting observation which is common to her as well as

Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, is their perspectives on the placement of ladies

washrooms in the office; if it was in a dark, dingy corner, or worse, on another floor of

the office, it was indicative of the manner in which female employees were perceived at

work. Kidwais first objectives involved assuring female employees of equal pay, respect,

and the same quality of amenities and benefits enjoyed by male colleagues.

True to her own life lessons, which she attributes to her experiences at Harvard, and also

to her own struggles as part of the minority of female professionals, Kidwai is in favor of

encouraging women to participate in the Lean In movement. The movement, started by

Sheryl Sandberg, urges women to come forward and follow their ambitions rather than

caving in to self-doubt and pressure from society to walk the line, i.e. restrict themselves

to home and household work. A mother herself, Kidwai empathizes with those who are

constantly told that they will not be able to balance the demands of home and the office,

but says that it can, in fact, be achieved with the help of time management and

prioritization. She says of her own arguments with her mother, who urged her to give up

on her career while she was pregnant, if I had stepped away, it would have reflected on

all women. My whole experience was to show how to do it.


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Ease the Pressure on the, Step Up on Reforms, says Naina Lal Kidwai

The domestic situation continues to be fragile. There are several problems at hand

slowdown in growth, sharp fall in the rupee value, sizeable current account deficit and a

stressed fiscal situation. The stock markets have also reacted adversely and there are

signals coming from global rating agencies that the policy makers have to be in a

watchful mode.

While both the RBI and the government have taken a series of measures to bring

confidence back in the economy, it will be a while before the impact of these measures is

felt and the situation starts ameliorating.

We would only urge that the government continues to move forward on the reforms path

and be ready to take more measures in conjunction with the RBI to ease the pressure on

the rupee, reverse the growth trajectory and shore up business confidence.

We feel the Cabinet Committee on Investments should review various rules and

procedures followed by various ministries or departments to grant or refuse clearance.

Such faster procedures used for specific projects as identified through this process should

be universalised and not remain limited to a few projects.

Further, the projects which have already been cleared should be implemented

expeditiously on the ground. Also, looking at tools like enhancing government

procurement and using surplus cash with PSUs for undertaking fresh investments will

give a boost to the manufacturing sector. In addition to this, quick decisions on large FDI

projects would also instill a sense of confidence. A sense of urgency on the reform front

should continue to prevail.


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The steep plunge in the rupee value has aggravated the current account deficit (CAD)

problem and is fuelling inflation as well.

While prices may not be much of a concern this fiscal, it is important to find solutions to

the current account deficit problem from a long-term perspective. We need to work on

reducing our oil dependence. We also need to economise on imports of coal, capital

goods and electronics.

On the export front, India needs to re-establish its competitive edge with innovation and

R&D as the foundation for productivity improvement. This, along with the weakening

rupee, will enable export growth and help the CAD in the long run.


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Waives Nestles $250,000 to stay on as HSBC India CEO

Naina Lal Kidwai was left with no choice but to give up or waive her compensation of

about $250,000 from Nestle SA, the $93-billion global food giant, on whose board she is

a non-executive director since April 2006 so that she could be appointed as the chief

executive officer of HSBC India.

When Kidwai's application for continuing as the HSBC India CEO came up for annual

review with the Reserve Bank of India in 2008-end, the Indian banking regulator issued a

query about her compensation from Nestle. The RBI had information that she was a

beneficiary of shares or stock options besides fees from her non-executive board

membership at Nestle SA.

Kidwai, 51, was elected to the board of Nestle on April 6, 2006 for a 5-year term. The

next month, she took over as HSBC India chief after Niall Booker stepped down. HSBC

had then said the appointment met the exacting standards of corporate governance and

was in line with global practice where bankers sat on the boards of international

companies.

Sources in RBI said Kidwai had committed to the central bank that she would only accept

an "honorarium" from Nestle when it had allowed her to be a non-executive board

member in Nestle. The central bank had, in August 2006, rejected her appointment as

HSBC CEO citing conflict of interest between her role as the head of a foreign bank in

India and her board membership in a company that could be a prospective borrower.

Subsequently though, RBI relented and approved her application in January 2007,

perhaps acknowledging that an invitation to a global company's board was an

acknowledgement of Indian managerial talent. The central bank, however, said Nestle


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must not have a relationship with HSBC and also extracted a commitment that Kidwai

would not receive anything more than an honorarium from the global food major.


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Conclusion

We come to conclude from this project that a woman can compete with man. We cannot

think that only man can be on higher post or man is superior to woman. The above study

bring us to a conclusion that a woman can achieve any goal if she works hard


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Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naina_Lal_Kidwai http://www.hsbc.co.in/1/2/miscellaneous/about-hsbc/corporate-sustainability/green-

globe

http://www.cio.in/ceo-interviews/internet-and-mobile-banking-will-be-big-changes-going-forward

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/naina-lal-kidwai http://blog.ficci.com/office-bearers/naina-lal-kidwai/

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/naina-lal-kidwai-waives-nestle-s--250000-to-

stay-on-as-hsbc-india-ceo/415304/

shailashree ash

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