Rashmi Urdhwareshe

Urdhwardeshe was born in Nagpur in about 1960.[1] In 1977 she opted to study at College of Engineering, Pune and to study Automotive Engineering which was then an usual and challenging choice of career for a woman in India. There were few women (and not many toilets) at the engineering college and automotive was usually an all-male preserve.[2]

President Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskar to Rashmi Urdhwarde watched by the Minister for Women Smriti Irani

She was trained in electronic engineering and she help develop controls for the hydraulics of testing machines and then on emission control. She helped develop methods of measurement of emissions at what was the first Indian laboratory studying emissions. She was an expert on total quality management and co-authored a book on the subject.[2]

She was chosen to be the next director of the Automotive Research Association of India in 2014.[2]

In March 2020, her work in 2019, was recognised with the highest award for women in India. The Nari Shakti Puraskar was given by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind recognising her work over 35 years work in automotive research and development. At the time she was based in Pune so she travelled to get the award in Delhi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center.[1] The award is made to women who have worked exceptionally for women empowerment. After the ceremony Urdhwardeshe complimented the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work in this area noting the largely untapped potential of under educated women in India.[3]

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