Women are gradually reshaping India’s logistics sectors, moving from traditional support roles into operational, technical, and leadership positions. Their growing presence is helping break stereotypes in a historically male-dominated ecosystem, yet challenges around safety, career breaks, and societal expectations continue to limit broader participation. In this interview, Anita Barik (IRTS), Cluster Head, Hyderabad Area-III at CONCOR, shares her journey spanning railways, logistics, and large operational networks. She reflects on the defining moments of her career, the evolving role of women in decision-making and frontline leadership, the unique strengths women bring to high-stakes operations, and practical advice for young women exploring careers in logistics and public infrastructure.
Your career spans railways, logistics, and large operational ecosystems. Looking back, what were the defining moments that shaped your journey, and what first sparked your interest in this sector?
I began my journey with Indian Railways in 2008, with my first field posting in the Secunderabad Division. During my early years, particularly around 2010 in South Central Railway, train operations were frequently disrupted due to the mass agitation for a separate Telangana state. This period demanded extended working hours, including night duties at the control office, closely monitoring train movements and ensuring operational continuity.
Working in operational roles within such a vast and complex ecosystem was demanding. On any given day, I had to coordinate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, frontline operations teams, maintenance departments, and the trade, to keep trains moving. The environment was dynamic, with constantly evolving scenarios such as asset failures, schedule disruptions, and sudden surges in demand, all requiring swift decision making and delivery under tight timelines.
What truly sparked and sustained my interest in this sector is the tangible impact of the work. Indian Railways moves millions of passengers and millions of tonnes of freight every single day, touching lives in every corner of the country. Being part of a system that keeps people connected and the nation’s economy running at such scale brings a profound sense of purpose and professional fulfilment.
India’s logistics and rail-based supply chains are changing rapidly. How do you see the role of women evolving within this transformation, especially in decision-making and frontline leadership roles?
I don’t see this shift as something unique to logistics or railways alone; it’s really part of a much broader change in societal attitudes. Historically, women’s participation in the workforce was concentrated in caregiving, education, and support roles, shaped by social norms.
Over the past few decades, this landscape has changed significantly. Earlier, even within Indian Railways, women tended to prefer accounts and personnel services. Today, however, an increasing number of women are opting for operational roles. There has also been a notable rise in women’s participation in the technical domains of the Railways—areas that have traditionally been perceived as male-dominated.
When I joined the services, women were still relatively few in operational cadres such as the Indian Railway Traffic Service. However, even then, the presence of senior women officers served as important role models, demonstrating that leadership in complex operational environments was both possible and impactful.
Today, as India’s logistics and rail ecosystems undergo rapid transformation, women are playing a far more visible role in both strategic decision-making and frontline leadership.
Operational environments like railways and multimodal logistics demand resilience, precision, and people management. In your experience, what unique leadership strengths do women bring to such high-stakes, large-scale systems?
The core attributes required for effective leadership in operational environments— resilience, precision, sound judgement, and people management—are not inherently gender specific. These are qualities that any successful leader must develop.
That said, when viewed in a broader social context, women in senior operational leadership roles often function under a different set of expectations. Because their numbers remain limited, women frequently have to put in additional effort to establish credibility and demonstrate capability. Even an inadvertent mistake can sometimes shift the narrative away from performance and toward gender, creating a higher threshold for acceptance than their male counterparts may face.
I think many women leaders bring a heightened sense of preparation and attention to detail— traits that are valuable where decisions have wide-ranging implications.
Equally important is the role of visible success. When women perform effectively in senior operational roles, they become powerful role models for the next generation. Their presence helps normalise women’s leadership in these spaces and gives younger professionals the confidence to step forward and take on such responsibilities.
This is an abridged version of the interview, published in the March edition of the Logistics Insider Magazine. To read the complete interaction, click here.
