In 1967, Damyanti Hingorani Gupta, an Indian woman engineer, broke new ground in the United States when she sought a job at Ford Motors in Detroit. At that time, Ford had a strict policy against hiring women engineers, and no woman had ever held such a position at the company.
When Damyanti arrived at Ford for a job interview, the HR department was shocked to see a woman applying for an engineer's role. The recruiter told her that the company did not hire women engineers and sent her away. However, Damyanti didn't give up easily. As she was about to leave, she turned back and asked, "How will your company ever have a woman engineer if you don't give one a chance?" Her boldness impressed the recruiter, who fought against the company’s long standing policy and succeeded in hiring her.
Damayanti’s journey to become an engineer started when she was just 13-years-old. She was inspired by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who emphasised the need for engineers, both men and women, to help build the nation. Determined to follow this path, Damyanti became the first girl to study mechanical engineering at her college, despite the challenges she faced.
Her determination was further fueled by reading the biography of Henry Ford, which solidified her dream of working at Ford Motors. Damayanti's story is one of courage and determination, inspiring all Indians with pride.
