Sadly, male chauvinism is still alive

BANGALORE, INDIA: Passion to win is the inspiration for Sumathy Anantharam, Director, Webcom Information Technology, to work hard each day. Born in middle class family, Sumathy co-started the company with her husband with a tiny investment of Rs 10,000 over a decade ago. Having mastered the art of work-life balance, she tells Preeti S of CIOL that there is nothing more fulfilling than caring for the elderly

Excerpts of the interview

CIOL: What's the best and worst part of being a woman boss?

Sumathy : I feel elevated and satisfied mentally that I have given a job opportunity to over 50-100 families. It's self-satisfying. The worst part is that the society is still male dominated and female bosses are rarely accepted

CIOL: Success for a woman means ...

Sumathy : Success is the happiness you get from what you do. It is recognition in society. Overall, it's something to do with inner soul.

CIOL: What's more essential: Money or power?

Sumathy : Both go hand-in-glove. I would say that it is power with money that makes a difference.

CIOL: What qualities set apart women bosses from their male counterparts?

Sumathy : Mainly, it is patience. Women are naturally good at being multi-functional, which makes them adapt easily to company environment. Women are also very forgiving.

CIOL: Boss at home vs boss in office...

Sumathy : I am not a boss at home. I am a perfect housewife, good daughter and daughter-in-law. I have clear demarcated roles. Though my husband and I work together in office, we never discuss office at home. We have allowed it to be like that in our 20 years of togetherness. That has helped us achieve whatever we have.

CIOL: Two mistakes women bosses make...

Sumathy : Being emotionally attached with employees. Also, women tend to lose the battle very fast.

CIOL: Future of IT lies in ....

Sumathy : Service-oriented companies. It can be in wireless or cloud.

CIOL: Who was the most interesting person you met recently and how?

Sumathy : Mr Raghunandan, co-founder of ipaidabribe.com.  It's because of him now I have zero tolerance for anything that's wrong. I don't mind raising my voice if I find that something is not right.

CIOL: Has gender bias lost its meaning in India?

Sumathy : No. Ours is still a male-dominated society. That is the reason I motivate my women staff to work and generally do not allow them to quit easily.