Defying gravity: What it takes to build women leaders in tech

In a candid discussion with Dataquest, three trailblazers - Sharda Tickoo (Country Manager, Trend Micro), Hemapriya Dharshini (SVP, Agilisium Consulting), and Hardika Shah (Founder & CEO, Kinara Capital) - speak about their journeys, the barriers they broke, and the legacy they want to leave for the next generation.

- By Aanchal Ghatak

"Curiosity Is My Superpower" Hemapriya Dharshini never mapped out her career. She chased curiosity-and it led her to lead a 60-person team before she turned 25. "People said, 'You're too young, too married, too female for sales.' I said, 'Watch me."" Her advice? "Don't shrink to fit the room. Make the room expand for you."

Forget the old boys' club. A new league of women are storming India's tech bastions, not just fitting in but flipping the script. They are coding, leading, selling, and building billion-rupee dreams. And they're just getting started.

Here, these three trailblazers discuss bias, breakthroughs, and how to take ownership of the boardroom.

THE PLAYBOOK: HOW THEY'RE CHANGING THE GAME

• Bias? Smash it. These women don't just overcome bias—they use it as fuel.

• Empathy = Superpower. Emotional intelligence isn't “soft.” It’s strategic.

• Flexibility is the future. Hybrid work, mentorship circles, and return-to-work programs are their secret weapons.

• Inclusion isn’t a checkbox. It’s a culture, a system, and a daily decision.

FROM SYSTEMS ADMIN TO CYBERSECURITY LEADER

Sharda’s story begins in the mid-1990s at Reliance Infocomm, where she was the lone woman in a room full of systems administrators. “I was often underestimated, but I made sure my work was impeccable,” she recalls. Her early fascination with cybersecurity evolved into a passion that propelled her through roles in technical support, enterprise sales, and eventually leadership.

At Trend Micro, Sharda leads a team that safeguards enterprises against cyber threats—a role demanding not just technical expertise but strategic vision. “Cybersecurity is a battlefield where trust is currency. Women bring empathy and discipline that enhance how we protect clients.”