Tell us about yourself, your background and what you do currently
Babita Baruah
I have been in the advertising industry in India for two decades with J Walter Thompson, one of the global leading advertising agencies. I have worked across three of the agency offices in India, starting with Kolkata, followed by Mumbai and now, Delhi.
Currently, I am Business Head of a unit called PO1 (Power of One), which is a unit managing the PepsiCo India portfolio. The vision of this unit is to be a centre of excellence in creativity, strategic thinking, talent and inspiration.
I love engaging with students, who are the future of the nation. My guest sessions at management institutes are as much a learning curve for me as it is about sharing knowledge and experience.
Writing is my other passion. I have a personal blog, besides writing for industry publications like Campaign India on a regular basis.
Diversity and Inclusion at the workplace and opportunities for women are things that I am relentlessly passionate about.
Tell us about any current projects or initiatives you wish to promote
On the work front, a significant number of creative work we have done for PepsiCo in the past year have received recognition from both industry led researches, as well as the impact on the brands on various measurement matrices.
Besides this, I also engage in sharing my views on brands, marketing, creativity and the industry in industry publications. Diversity and Inclusion is something I am extremely passionate about, and I am a mentor at www.sheroes.in.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
Proving what I am capable of, to people who matter. As professional women, we work many shifts and perform many roles. That is the reality. Very few of us have the permission to put our feet up when we go back home. Even if we could, we don’t. Families and work are intertwined and balancing that needs effort and energy.
The challenge therefore is what all women at the workplace face. Not just me alone.
I have recently started a blog called www.gutsymumsatwork.com. It is also a Facebook Page, and something I hope will help women like me.
What has been your greatest achievement personally?
My greatest achievements are that I am able to contribute to the industry through my sessions at industry forums on talent, on digital and social, and on marketing, through my blogs and my guest sessions at leading management institutes.
Earlier this year, I represented the industry at Harvard Business School, as a speaker on marketing and Trends in India, as part of the India Conference 2016.
This undoubtedly is my greatest achievement. Not only was I the only person from the industry, I was the first women to do so from the industry and it is an experience I will always cherish.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?
Running my own agency, maybe – a place which would usher in a new way of working together, with equality of opportunities and excellence of thought of ideas.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
All my seniors at the agency. I have learnt from all of them and they will always be my mentors.
What does the future hold for you?
It’s difficult to say. I believe in passionately driving what I believe in and hope that it pays off.
About Babita Baruah –
I am from the beautiful state of Assam, in the north east of India. One of the few states where women are liberated and carve their own identities. I am an Economics graduate and an MBA.
I love reading, I love adventure. My life with my partner, Pranab Dutta, an artist, graphic designer and biker, and my ten year old daughter Zoya are what matter most to me.
Read more about Babita by visiting her website here.
Babita’s blogs – Random Ramblings, Indian Insights, tweet-a-view
