The Empowering Journey of Chandrani Chatterjee

At times, her work life crosses over into her personal life and vice-versa, but she doesn't let this bother her. She says, When required, I have coordinated and completed my personal work related to my son's exams and admissions while on official tours or from office. Similarly, I always take work home and enjoy working in the peace and quiet of my room after completing my household chores and responsibilities.

For single parents, finding the right way to balance everything isn't easy, but Chandrani takes everything in her stride. While focusing on her career and working her way up the corporate ladder, she has also made time to be with Raunak whenever he needed her. Over 17 years, she's made it home for all but 2 of his birthdays! She has mastered the art of balancing her life perfectly by doing her best and never feeling guilty for having to choose work over her son sometimes. According to her, I never had any guilt in my mind that I am giving less time to [Raunak]. My son also understands that I'm working for his future , which has helped us maintain our close bond.

Chandrani acknowledges that her mother's help and the support she's received from her managers over the years have allowed her to fulfil both her roles to the best of her ability. She says that her mother is her biggest support at home while her managers at HDFC Life have understood her needs and given her the flexibility she needed to be a present mother for Raunak.

Today, Raunak is on the threshold of adulthood and as he waits for his board results to be announced, his mother is filled with immense pride. Chandrani firmly believes that women who strive for success at work and at home need to have a clear idea of what they want and believe that they can achieve it. Letting go of feeling guilty if you miss out on a few family moments is also something that she strongly advocates. She urges working parents to remember that whenever they're working overtime, they're doing it for their family's benefit. So it's important to keep that in mind instead of feeling bad about not being there for certain events.

Chandrani's journey over the last two decades is truly commendable. She has set an example for single parents around the world and taught us all that women don't need to compromise to be able to lead the lives they deserve. Thank you for inspiring us.

ARN: ED/05/19/13762