Swetha Girinatham’s journey from humble beginnings to the CFO demonstrates how talent and determination can overcome luck and privilege.
10 Mar 2025 | 813 Views | By Radhika Dave
A finance comptroller at 26, a regional CFO at 29, a company director at 31: Meet Swetha Girinatham, the CFO of BMW TechWorks India. Her beginnings are as humble as her corporate rise has been meteoric. As the daughter of an APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) driver, determination ...
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A finance comptroller at 26, a regional CFO at 29, a company director at 31: Meet Swetha Girinatham, the CFO of BMW TechWorks India. Her beginnings are as humble as her corporate rise has been meteoric. As the daughter of an APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) driver, determination has been a key quality that helped her rise above her peers.
“Everyone in general takes only 2 trips per day, but my father used to have 3-4 trips per day to raise us,” noted Swetha in an interaction with Autocar Professional. She opted for the less favoured subject of math, and aspired to become a CA to earn a stipend. After clearing her CA as a rank holder, she worked at a small audit firm, only to realise that she would be best suited for the industry.
From working across sectors to handling leadership positions at a young age, hers is a story marked by resilience. Her determination may have much to do with her mindset, which comes across in the way she responds when asked if she faced differential treatment in the industry due to her gender.
“Whenever I used to sit with [seniors], I never felt that I am sitting as a youngster, or as a woman. I always compared my cerebrum capacity with them – whether I would be able to match their wavelength or not is what I used to think about.” “There will always be some discrimination and thought processes (leading to that discrimination).
You will not be able to change that mentality. What you have to do is (see) if you are satisfied with yourself, whether you are capable enough to tell them; if you’re not capable—how you can improve yourself. I really didn’t feel the discrimination because my mindset was like that. Everyone should look at it like that. Who are they to discriminate against us?” Speaking of her experience at BMW TechWorks, she said neither of the partners seemed to bother about her age.
“They never questioned my age. They didn’t see whether I’m a girl or I’m a boy. The entire interview process was focused on checking the personality. Finally, we set up the organisation called BMW TechWorks in India,” she notes. “BMW doesn’t tolerate any discrimination, and that’s a legacy we continue. I work with the CEO, CHRO, COO. No one ever asked if we are hiring a woman or a man.
There is no discrimination in our organisation. I am so happy to say that majority of people working at manager level and above are women in the organisation.” The joint venture will provide digital innovations for the BMW Group’s business IT requirements, expediting the digital transformation of the car manufacturer’s global production network. So how did she navigate such diverse roles with ease? By unlearning things, she says.
“As a CFO, one has to be strict. The moment I had to become a business person, I had to unlearn to not keep talking of budget versus actuals. I had to change myself completely to make sure the business runs, to make sure that there is revenue growth, to make sure that the client is satisfied. “That is one thing which I have learned. How to unlearn things,” she notes.
She recalls an incident where her German colleagues asked whether it was common to see women in leadership positions in the country. “As a woman, how did you get the opportunity to become a CFO. Is it common to have women in senior leadership in India: I see you, I see Savitha (Tata Technologies’ CFO), I see top leaders who are women. How is it possible?”
She adds that women are empowered and just need to realise it. “If you see the past, you see that women held major power, and in India, that culture continued. Nobody needs to empower women. Already women are powerful in India. People need to realise that women need not be empowered. You are just seeing the legacy of 200-300 years. You have to see the legacy of the [ancient] past,” she notes.
Her message, especially to fathers, is to encourage their daughters to study. “Don’t be dependent on anybody. Girls should stand on their own at any point of time." Today, as the CFO of BMW TechWorks, Swetha continues to break barriers and inspire others with her exceptional journey.
Her story exemplifies how determination, continuous learning, and self-belief can transcend socioeconomic backgrounds and gender biases in the corporate world. As BMW TechWorks Indiaexpands its digital innovation footprint in India, Swetha stands as a testament to the transformative power of education and perseverance.