LED Expo brings focus on women in lighting industry through virtual LED Summit

Supported by International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and event partner K-LITE Industries, LED Summit knowledge forum organised by Messe Frankfurt India, united successful women entrepreneurs from the lighting industry to address the challenges that female employees continue to face in the arena of lighting.  

It is widely accepted that in the lighting industry, unlike other disciplines such as architecture or interior design, women have played a far greater role in shaping the profession. In India, and across most parts of the world women are seen actively taking leadership roles in private firms as well as professional bodies and industry associations.

But while this has been true for lighting design – other disciplines such as manufacturing and sales in lighting still suffer from very poor representation of women. And even though public perception and attitude is evolving, there are biases that prevail across levels.

With International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) as the knowledge partner, the LED Summit webinar organised on 5^th August 2021 united some of the most influential & successful women entrepreneurs from the lighting industry to discuss the topic of ‘Women & The Lighting Profession – Understanding their role’.

The panellists were forthcoming in highlighting the struggles and prejudices they face as women in the lighting profession: “In academics, there are a vast number of women going in to learn lighting design, but very few of them actually end up becoming a part of the industry,” shared Shailee Trivedi, IALD Member and IIID (Institute of Indian Interior Designers) ChairElect.

Further elaborating on the issue, Surbhi Jindal who is also the India Ambassador for Women in Lighting (WIL) added how WIL has been working relentlessly to profile, celebrate and support the women working in lighting. And while due to the current pandemic the overall job market is severely impacted, yet women, are facing the brunt of it, more so than men.

Empowering women in lighting

The event partner for LED Summit, K-LITE, is a well-known player in lighting manufacturing, investing in innovation, creativity & product design as well as creating opportunities and supporting aspiring women. The company employs over 50% women under its workforce across the spectrum.

An influential lighting professional herself and one of the panellists at the virtual session, Sharmila Kumbhat, Director, K-LITE described the significance of women employees and leaders in the industry: “Lighting being both an art and science, women by their very nature have the insights and temperament for art, architecture and design. Yet it is important to overcome these gender barriers and allow talent to come through regardless of gender.”

While strongly contributing to women empowerment, K-LITE has been an equal opportunity employer with women working in manufacturing, from welding to heavy machine operations, and to management roles.

Empowerment of women in lighting profession is not only a case of gender equity but more so about celebrating the accomplishments of female professionals to inspire the next generation of women workers and decision makers.

As one of India’s leading lighting trade fairs, LED Expo stands true to this cause and aims to continue to provide a B2B platform where lighting professionals can gain equal access to sourcing and networking opportunities through its New Delhi edition, on 18 – 20 November 2021 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.