My career inspiration

I grew up on the Indian side of Kashmir, a beautiful valley on the foothills of Himalayas. The natural surroundings and its interaction with the built-up elements fascinated me from an early age.

I knew I wanted to work on something that was more outdoors and provided solutions for conserving this environment but wasn’t sure what that could be.

Architecture attracted me and I thought this was the only profession that would allow me to work in the natural and built environment.

Although I passed all the analytical exams, I failed the drawing part and the next obvious choice seemed to be civil engineering. I’m so pleased I failed, as otherwise I would have never discovered this wonderful profession.

What I love about being a civil engineer (that I didn’t know before I became one)

For a project to be successful, one needs excellent PR skills, and commercial and political astuteness on top of technical skills.

The civil engineering myth I’d like to bust

Civil engineering is boring, you have to be very good at maths and it only involves construction.

Civil engineering deals with all aspects of land, water and air – everything that surrounds you! You can be as creative as you want in not just producing technical designs but also in addressing financial, communications and environmental issues related to infrastructure.

I’d recommend a career in civil engineering because

It’s a hugely interesting, fun and rewarding profession which enables you to build and connect societies, provide technical solutions to environmental problems, boost economic growth, and create opportunities across myriad fields.

You can be on site one day or in a plush corporate design office the next day or discuss infrastructure policy of the country with senior politicians the following day. This profession is what you make of it!

Also, if you want to solve global issues such as climate change and water scarcity, this is the profession that equips you with skills and lets you sit in the driving seat.

The project, past or present, I wish I'd worked on

There are many! 2012 London Olympics, Thames Barrier, Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s London Super Sewer and the Pyramids of Giza.

Today, I’m keen to work on any small or big project that brings a smile to people’s face, especially the underrepresented and vulnerable communities.

I want to make sure that I contribute to infrastructure projects:

• That are resilient and ready for the future
• Can adapt to a changing climate
• Use innovative technologies not just for shareholders but for environmental and societal good, too
• That bring out full potential of a diverse workforce

What gets me out of bed every morning?

Knowing that I can a) use my experience, skills and personality to make a tangible and positive difference to people’s lives and b) do everything in my capacity to provide solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Education

I completed my schooling at Presentation Convent School in Kashmir, India. I moved to New Delhi for higher education and studied for a degree in Civil Engineering at Jamia Millia Islamia.

In 1999, I was one of the two candidates globally to win a Commonwealth scholarship to pursue an MSc in Water & Environmental Engineering at the University of Surrey, UK.

Hobbies

I’m a film aficionado and love photography, travelling and reading. I also love observing, meeting and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds.