GENDER IS NEVER A HANDICAP

 Geetanjali Vikram Kirloskar

She did not inherit leadership. It was built brick by brick. It happened as she joined her husband, Vikram Kirloskar. They built the business, together. Her early days were in advertisement and television. She stepped into leadership when she lost Vikram. The grief was irreparable. But she gathered herself. She said, "You don't know how strong you are until you are hit by a storm. You either collapse. Or you emerge stronger. I chose to emerge stronger."

She went on transforming grief into  resolve. Though Vikram was not there, it was a shared legacy she had carried forward.

She insists that women, instead of getting preoccupied with the gender divide, must focus on adding value. Women in leadership have to speak better. They don't have to speak louder. But they have to create a measurable impact.

She perceives, women can be creative and compassionate. But they can also be firm. They can apply at once emotional intelligence and rational thinking. They know how to compartmentalize and move ahead. Depending on what the moment and the role demand, they can be strategic and decisive. They straddle contradicting dimensions,  empathy and assertiveness and intution and logic with ease. The balance they strike makes their presence invaluable.

No wonder, excellence alone stands out. There is little space for mediocrity.

Gender is never a handicap.

Kavya Christopher 

in Trivandrum Times

Sunday Times of India

8 March 2026