Women at GSES India
Sometimes, All It Takes Is One Opportunity
Most careers don’t begin with certainty. They begin with curiosity. With hesitation. With someone stepping into a completely new space and quietly wondering whether they truly belong there yet.
And for many women entering technical sectors like renewable energy, that uncertainty can feel even louder. The industry is still evolving, still heavily male-dominated in many spaces, and still shaped by assumptions about where women “fit best.” But every now and then, the right environment changes that narrative completely. Not through promises. Not through slogans. But through opportunity.
For Ms. Deepti Shakya, Project Manager, and Ms. Muskan Gupta, Manager Training at GSES India, that opportunity became the turning point that transformed uncertainty into confidence, and curiosity into leadership.
For Deepti, the journey didn’t begin with a clear roadmap into renewable energy. In fact, she entered GSES India as a web developer, simply wanting to explore something new. “I just came here as a web development person… I just wanted to understand what this industry is,” she says. There was no certainty that this would eventually become her career. But sometimes, curiosity is enough to begin.
One project slowly led to another. The more she explored, the more the industry opened up before her, not just technically, but personally. “Then gradually I developed interest,” she recalls.
What once felt unfamiliar slowly became something she could navigate confidently.
That interest eventually turned into ownership.
From contributing to capacity-building projects to handling international assignments and managing stakeholders across countries, Deepti’s role evolved far beyond what she had initially imagined for herself. One of the defining moments in her journey came while managing a project in Bhutan almost independently. It was no longer about observing or assisting, it was about leading.
“I managed almost all of it,” she says. “It gave me confidence that I can make decisions.”
And perhaps that is where the real transformation happened. Not just in her role. But within her.
Because confidence does not appear overnight. It is built slowly, through trust, responsibility, and environments that allow people to grow into themselves.
“If you believe in yourself, you can do anything,” she says. And then comes the line that captures the heart of her journey: “This company has given me that confidence.”
For Muskan, the beginning looked different, but the feeling was familiar.
Like many freshers stepping into a new industry, she entered the renewable energy sector trying to absorb everything at once. New software. New tools. New systems. New expectations.
“When I was hired here, I was a fresher for this respective field,” she says.
And naturally, with every new beginning comes uncertainty. But what changed her experience was not just the work itself, it was the people around her.
She speaks repeatedly about mentors who trained her patiently, seniors who guided her through projects and software, and an environment where asking questions never felt intimidating. Remembering those early days, she says something beautifully simple: “One senior held my hand and said, ‘I’ll help you.’”
And sometimes, growth begins exactly there. Not in expertise. Not in perfection. But in support that feels genuine.
Slowly, the fresher learning software step-by-step started contributing to projects, handling designs, and eventually managing training initiatives herself. Today, as Manager, Training, she is not just growing within the sector, she is helping others begin their own journeys within it.
And when she speaks about GSES India, she doesn’t begin with titles or achievements.
She begins with how it feels. “The work culture here is actually remarkable,” she says. Then she adds softly, “It feels like family… safe vibes, positive vibes.”
That feeling matters more than people realize. Because women do not grow only through opportunities. They grow in environments where they feel safe enough to try, fail, ask questions, and continue learning anyway.
But they were given something incredibly important along the way:
- exposure,
- mentorship,
- trust,
- opportunities,
- and an environment that encouraged growth instead of limiting it.
And maybe that is the most powerful reminder of all. Sometimes, people do not need extraordinary beginnings to achieve extraordinary growth. Sometimes, all they need is one opportunity, and the right environment to grow within it.