The fact that localization professionals in India were missing a common platform to connect on was evident by the enthusiasm with which the first event of the Women in Localization India Chapter was received. Exceeding all expectations, the event became the biggest first event for any chapter in the history of Women in Localization, in terms of the number of participants.
Started in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008, Women in Localization (W.L.) is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with thousands of members globally. The India Chapter was founded in June 2019 and is led by Anjali Misra, Vidya Ramachandran, Madhu Sundaramurthy, Sarita Desai, Vibha Malhotra, and Geeta Tuteja.
The Chapter quickly went on to hold its introductory event in Bengaluru on July 12, 2019. Sponsored by Webdunia and Adobe, the event saw more than 75 professionals from the localization Industry in attendance from across various organizations, such as Adobe, NetApp, Amazon, VMware, Tech Mahindra, Lionbridge, Summa Linguae, Webdunia, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, G11N, Slator, ThoughtSpot, ImageTranslate, iTransmaster, and Vernac.
Agenda for the first event included introduction to Women in Localization and its India Chapter, vision for the Community, benefits for members, brief roadmap, and future events. The Q&A at the end brought the event to a very uplifting closure. Discussions ranged from how the Chapter can contribute to innovation in localization to the mentorship programs and how WLIN can play a role in enriching its members’ skills so that they can contribute and benefit more.
The India Chapter’s next event will be held in Q4 (Oct’19 – Dec’19) and will be focused on the nuances of Indic languages and the technologies, challenges, and opportunities associated with translations in these languages. It will be followed by a mentorship event in early 2020.