Success will happen to you no matter what when you pursue your dream with all your heart. All of it depends upon how hard you are ready to try for it. The power to transform your vision into your reality rests within your entrepreneurially endeavouring spirit.
That is the true transformation; eternal empowerment. There is no other bias but patience, perseverance, and hard work. In Nirmala Behera’s words, “There should not be any gender bias when we talk about empowerment.” Her empowerment came from her own personal and professional inspirations: “As a person, I am inspired by listening to the heart of all my colleagues with a humane touch, which solves even the most complex HR issues through direct interaction. After all, Human Resources and Human Relations are two sides of the same coin.”
If there were obstacles in her journey, Nirmala fought them hard and cut them as a winner every time she was faced with a challenge. Ms Nirmala, the Executive Director – Group HR, RSB Group, is a graduate with Honours in Zoology and MBA in HR and marketing with Executive Diploma in Human Resource Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
A Monumental Inspiration
“As a professional, I am inspired by all successful people because they each have a unique set of characteristics. It is evident when we examine renowned global leaders, each demonstrating distinct leadership qualities. Discovering and cultivating the latent talents that each of us already possesses is the first step in learning to inspire.”
Her entire career has been with RSB Group, and she has been with this Group for over 24+ years. Before her leadership role in HR, she headed quality systems and IT for 12 years.
Nirmala won HR Excellence Award from the Editor of Manufacturing Today (Aditya Birla Group) in 2013 and received for RSB Group Regional Best Employer Award for 2016 by Employer Branding Institute, India.
Apart from this, she also has a passion for cultural activities – participated in a Corporate Fashion event and won Most Popular Style Icon 2016 from Phoenix Market City.
In April 2017, she had the distinction of getting the “Best HR Practices” award from the hands’ Ms Pratima Kirloskar, President — Innovations (Society), Kirloskar Brothers Ltd, in the award ceremony organized by Hiraben Nanavati Institute of Management & Research for Women, Pune.
Leadership in Excellence
She has also been conferred with the Hall of Fame (Individual Category), The Golden Globe Tigers Award 2018 for Excellence in HR Leadership @ World HR & CSR Congress, Kula Lumpur, Malaysia.
She was conferred with Woman Glory Award in Aug 2018 for having achieved excellence as a “Woman in HR” at the hands of Ms Sindhu Tai Sapkal, who is a known international icon as “Mother of the Orphans” and recipient of the Award from President of India recently, for her tireless devotion and work in upbringing orphans. It was telecast on Pune Metro Channel.
The brief citation published in Coffee Table Book titled “Women Glory,” Pune Edition, released globally on the occasion where a full page is devoted to Ms Nirmala for her work, reads: “Nirmala used her IT experience and knowledge of systems to bring about a shift in the HR structure. Not only did she achieve what she set out to do, but she has also received much recognition for her work.”
A Glorious Gem
In May 2019, she was conferred with Recognition as “Woman Leader – 2019” by Times of India Group, Machinist, at Hotel ITC Gardenia, Bangalore, where she was specially invited to address the panel “In Conversation with Woman Leader – 2019” as Industry expert, which was covered by leading business channel ET Now.
In June 2019, she was bestowed with twin awards, (a) Business Woman Excellence 2019 and (b) Woman Innovator of the Year 2019, by Morpheus, Mumbai, in a glittering function held at Hotel Sterling Mac, Bangalore, attended by leading Woman Leaders across length and breadth of the industry across India.
Confederation of Indian Industry, Pune, conferred HR Ideathon Award 2020 on her and HR team in Sept 2020 for the theme “HR Outreach @ RSB – Beyond the Confines of HR Ambit”.
Sai Balaji Group of Institutes, Pune, bestowed on Ms Nirmala with the Women Achiever’s Award in March 2021 to honour her contribution to HR and women in particular at a sublime function on a digital platform on the eve of International Women’s Day where she graced the occasion as Chief Guest.
Chief Editor, Mobility Outlook, magazine, Chennai, selected Ms Nirmala Behera as one of 20 leading women corporate leaders of India and was interviewed for their Youtube Channel (https://www.mobilityoutlook.com/videos/fortitude-determination-steerorganisations-in-right-direction-98773/. She has been profiled in Coffee Table Book for spring of 2022.
The Boundless Magnificence
She was conferred with Pune Best Employer 2021 by World CSR Congress, broadcast on their Youtube Channel on 23rd July 2021.
Ms Nirmala bagged another coveted title, “Maharashtra State Best Employer Award 2021”, from World HRD Congress at a glittering function held at Taj Lands End, Bandra, Mumbai, on 23rd Nov 2021, attended by industry HR veterans and professionals across the country.
She was conferred with Surya Siddhi Excellence Award 2021 at a glittering function on the 2nd Nov 2021 evening by SWELA (Suryadatta Women Empowerment & Leadership Academy), attended by dignitaries and academia. She also has been bestowed with an award as “Noble Woman” by Pune’s Multi-Speciality Noble Hospital on the eve of International Woman’s Day at a glittering function held on 16th March 2022, attended by the medical fraternity and dignitaries.
She also chaired the Women Panel Discussions, “Celebrating Women in Indian Manufacturing”, organized by leading ITP Media Group, Manufacturing Today, Mumbai, on 17th Sept 2021 on the digital platform, attended by around 2500 participants from pan India and overseas. The panel had leading women leaders of India from allied fields and was eloquently moderated by Ms Nirmala, which won accolades.
The Change Leader
She was a special invitee to deliver a talk on “Leading Change” at ISB&M Educational Institution on the digital platform on the eve of the Orientation Program for Management & Media Students on 25th Aug 21, attended by Dr Parag Kelkar, Dean, Faculty of Commerce & Management, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Dr Pramod Kumar, President – ISB&M and other academic luminaries and professionals. Ms Nirmala’s interactive session on Change, which is only constant in life and how to lead it, evinced keen interest from the participants.
She has spearheaded a Vaccination drive during the COVID 2nd Wave of 2021 for RSB colleagues and their members across pan India plants to ensure they are safe and healthy.
Her passion is in implementing strategic HR initiatives to enable the effectiveness of Business functions and aiding the Group to make a quantum leap in performance. She dreams of making “RSB a Great Organization To Work With”.
Instrumental in Positively Transforming HR
Her interviews have been published in Business India, Human Capital, Business Manager and Ascent, Times of India, Machinist (Times of India Group publication), Autocar Professional, etc., besides coverage in print media pan India. Her authored articles have also been published in Human Capital, Business Manager and People Matters. She has participated in panel discussions at CII and other forums.
In addition, Ms Nirmala is involved in many CSR initiatives of the RSB Group. Ms Nirmala holds a Master’s degree from the Indira Institute of Management in Marketing and an Executive Diploma in HR from XLRI, Jamshedpur, with more than two decades of experience in HR, IT, and Quality functions.
She has been heading Group IT for more than 12 years, and currently, as Head of Group HR, she is instrumental in successfully implementing best HR practices and leading the Group towards the league of “Great Places to Work.”
Ms Nirmala has authored several articles published in renowned Industrial magazines like Human Capital, Business Manager, and People Matters. She has been associated professionally with several prestigious Institutes like CII -IWN.
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