Describing Madhavi Isanaka as an IT leader hardly captures the full extent of her being. “I am learner”, she quips. As a young girl, her biggest fear was to not matter, and learning became the tool she used to combat this fear, all through life.

Ms Isanaka joined Adani Green Energy in 2022, as the Chief Digital Officer. Prior to this, from 2019 to 2021, she worked as the Vice President of IT and CIO at Rivian – a US-based electric vehicle manufacturer. Before that, she held multiple positions at Cummins Inc., where she spent a majority of her career, starting in 2001, and took on various leadership roles – from Director of Shared Services Infrastructure Management to Executive Director for Global Applications Development and Support. A Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Sri Venkateswara University (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh), Ms Isanaka also holds an MBA degree from Indiana University. In a free-wheeling chat she tells us about family, career and work-life integration.

Tell us about your early life and what sparked an interest in engineering.

I changed nine schools to standard 8 while shuttling between my maternal and paternal grandparents’ homes in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, respectively! I don’t remember being in school all the time because there was always something happening at home – community celebrations, chores and what not. Being a girl, you were expected to, and I was happy to – be around for all of it. I was doing everything “feminine” – from cooking to gardening. Though not a priority, when it came to academics, the choices were slim for me – it was either the shiny prospect of engineering or the conventional Home Science or B.Sc. So, at 19 years of age, while I enrolled in engineering, my mother was bent out of shape that I wasn’t wedded already. She ensured that I was married right out of college. After that I moved to the US where my husband Srini was based.

As a woman in science/tech, how did your career path evolve?

It’s been more than three decades since I joined the workforce, most of which have been in America. Every year of my career I have felt that technology is changing rapidly and that I don’t know enough. This propelled me to keep learning, getting certifications. I was learning sitting next to my pre-mature baby boy while he was in the NICU, and I enrolled for MBA two days after my daughter was born! I was working, studying and raising two children. I got 3-4 hours of sleep for those few years, but it paid off. I feel like if you do well, opportunities are bound to come your way.

At Cummins Inc., where I spent a majority of my career, I was fortunate to sit at the intersection of business and technology and be a part of the company’s growth, literally, from 6 billion to 30 billion dollars. I then got a chance to be a part of Rivian, an EV manufacturer that was just starting up – so I followed my heart and took a leap of faith. Two years later, I took an exit from there while the company went for an IPO and it was around this time that I got a call from India, and so, here I am!

What made you make this move to India? It was a rather tectonic shift.

There were many opportunities but suddenly, when I got a call from Adani, I did my research and realised that here is a company that is catering to more than 20% of the world’s population. Somebody wanting to build things and uplifting the civilisation – I thought this opportunity will stretch me very differently and allow me to contribute. When I told my family this, they thought I was kidding. But when they knew I was serious, they asked me to just do it. So, I moved to a city whose name I couldn’t pronounce and have now made it my home for the last 2.5 years. It’s been an amazing ride. My husband is here with me as he wound down his business and is retired and our children Akhil (25 years) and Tara (23 years) continue to build their career and life in USA.

According to you, what makes the Adani Group exclusive?

I think it’s the innate grounded-ness. I mean, here is a promoter-driven company thinking how they can contribute strategically to the country and yet are so grounded in their day-to-day life. Also, the economics and expertise of scale that you get to learn here, you can’t anywhere!

How do you keep your team motivated? What are the leadership principles that you swear by?

Everyone comes to work, wanting to contribute, wanting to matter. A leader’s job is to create an environment that enables their individual engagement as well as collaboration. I think it’s important to know the people you want to influence. What is their life like, what do they want to do? If you can help them lead fulfilling professional lives and love what they do, then it’s not work anymore.

What keeps you motivated after such an illustrious career?

Professionally, I am in a place and time and field where I can influence how technology can power and accelerate our ambitions. So of course, I learnt about the energy sector, the construction sector. But more importantly I learnt how to dress differently, I learnt Hindi, I learnt how to ride a motorbike. The more I explore, the more I realise there is so much more to do.

As a woman, how did you ensure that when you talk, people listen?

The women in my generation were underconfident. We needed to exert ourselves and be confident of our abilities. Over three decades later, I’m seeing the opposite. Now, there is an entitlement mindset, almost. This is a generalisation, but this is what I have seen, the full spectrum! I think what we need to chase is balance, the sweet spot, where we can be ourselves, follow our hearts and not forgo any opportunities. Why shouldn’t we?

Would this be your message to women?

Yes, stay in the game. Don’t give up. Don’t try to do it all. Create a support system for yourself at home so that you don’t have to give up your ambitions. Follow your heart.