Suniti Bidikar

What I Do

I am the boss of chemical engineers who are designing chemical plants.
Why Engineering?

I chose engineering and chemical engineering in particular because I wanted to take a less trodden path, and I wanted to prove that women are in no way less than men even in so called "male-dominated professions" of engineering. Secondly, during my days in school in India only top-scorers on entrance exams were allowed to study chemical engineering so it was very prestigious.
School Days

I went to Engineering School in Hyderabad, India. I have a B.Tech. degree in chemical engineering
My Day At Work

I have been working on research and development, pilot plant scale-up, trouble-shooting, and process design.
Best Part

The self esteem you get after solving a tough problem and your gender doesn't matter
Proud Moments

Constantly topping my class in primary, secondary education and topping the merit list in the board exam. Also, meeting challenges in the area of process design to manage hazardous waste, difficult chemical reactions and scaling up from micrograms to tonnes
Challenges

The first challenge was to get recognized and accepted as an equal engineer to my male colleagues. People in industry were not very comfortable hiring a lady chemical engineer. After getting hired I had to prove my worth in terms of technical competence which meant I needed to be the best in the lot and not just one of the best candidates.
My Family

My family is small, just me, my husband and one daughter. My husband is also a chemical engineer, and my daughter is a computer engineer pursuing her master’s degree at USC in Los Angeles, CA.
Dreams and Goals

My short-term goals are to strengthen the process engineering department in my company. My long-term goals are to give back to the educational institution the knowledge I have gained in this field by way of guiding and coaching engineering undergraduates.
Inspiration

My desire to excel in anything and everything has been the fuelling factor for me. Motivation was from within.
Want to be an Engineer?

Try to be "the best" and not "one of the best".
Additional Thoughts

Try to be "the best" and not "one of the best".
Hobbies

I am interested in all creative artistic works like paintings, embroidery, knitting, and interior design. I also pursue other hobbies and am interested in spiritual books and lectures.

I have headed the process engineering department of Aker Solutions an engineering consulting company. Have practiced my profession close to 35 years in various capacities and various aspects of chemical engineering and feel truly satisfied and contented to have established a place in the so-called male dominated field.

Now I am a freelance consultant to industries who need advice in some niche areas and thoroughly enjoy the trust they show in me.