CHENNAI: In Tamil Nadu’s vast electricity distribution network, the face of leadership is changing. Nine of the 12 regions of Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) are now headed by women chief engineers, reflecting the growing presence of women in a sector associated with field work, technical operations and physically demanding responsibilities.




The only regions that do not currently have women at the helm are Kancheepuram, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai . The nine women leading the other regions are C V Latha in Chennai north, T Sumathi in Coimbatore, G Dharini in Erode, P Padmavathy in Madurai, P Latha in Tirunelveli, K Rojaramani in Trichy, V Athilakshmi in Villupuram, M Kalaiselvi in Karur and P Lathamaheswari in Thanjavur.




The transition from field-level engineering to senior management has needed women officers to navigate technical and institutional challenges. From maintaining supply, handling service connections and public complaints about power cuts to acquiring land for substations, managing rooftop solar installation, buying materials and addressing staff grievances, the responsibilities of a regional chief engineer are wide-ranging. “It is a privilege to head a region. We have faced and overcome challenges since our days as assistant engineers. Support extended by our male colleagues has been noteworthy,” said T Sumathi, chief engineer of the Coimbatore region.




Sumathi’s professional journey reflects the changing trajectory of women engineers in the state. She and 28 other students from the electrical and electronics engineering department of Thiagarajar College of Engineering , Madurai, joined the state electricity board in 1989 soon after completing their graduation. Six of the nine women chief engineers heading TNPDCL regions are alumni of the same institution and belong to the same batch. Their professional journeys have coincided with the expansion and increasing complexity of the state’s power network — from conventional distribution challenges to the integration of rooftop solar and the management of growing consumer expectations.




The presence of women has grown at the leadership level of the state’s restructured power utilities. The technical and financial wings of TNGECL, the financial and distribution wings of TNPDCL, and the operations and financial wings of TANTRANSCO are headed by women directors. L Leena, director (distribution), TNPDCL, describes the development as a reflection of the commitment of women engineers working across the system. “We are doing our best, making personal sacrifices and shouldering responsibilities to ensure power distribution,” she said.




Recognition has come from within the engineering community as well. “We take pride in this moment. They symbolise the collective progress of women engineers who have broken glass ceilings with sheer hard work and dedication,” said TNEB Engineers’ Association secretary (coordination) X Anita Celine.