Women in STEM: British-Indian data scientist from Jalgaon wins UK Rail Award

Another India-born has brought some glory! This will also serve as an inspiration for many girls and women wanting to pursue a career in science and technology.

Smital Dhake, the first and only data scientist at mobility giant Alstom, has won the prestigious UK's RailStaff Awards 2023 in the Newcomer of the Year category. The British-Indian data scientist, who was born in Jalgaon, is based at Alstom's Hatfield office in eastern England.

"Smital is a fast learner who always finds ways to seek knowledge and grow herself in an exponential manner," said Mifaz Miftha, Design Group Manager at Alstom, after the award ceremony last month, news agency PTI reported.


He also went on to highlight her ability to take on complex tasks beyond her role and deliver them with accuracy and commitment.

"She regularly takes on much more complex tasks above her role and delivers them with full commitment and with a high level of accuracy. Her meticulous approach to problem-solving and critical thinking on design have made Smital an asset to Alstom and the wider railway industry where innovation and sustainability are key to growth," he said.

The 26-year-old, who has a BE in Electronics and Telecommunication from Pune's Savitribai Phule University, says she was inspired by her grandparents to work hard.

In a post on LinkedIn, Dhake said that she felt "honoured" with the felicitation held at a ceremony in Birmingham, while congratulating the other finalists, runners-up and winners.

"It was a great night! I am so grateful to the continous support from Mifaz Miftha, John Kontemeniotis and Yogesh Chauhan BSc(Eng)Hons CEng FIET FIRSE as well as the whole Control Systems Team!," she captioned alongside her picture.


Born in Jalgaon, she went to the Watford Grammar School in England. After school, she returned to India to pursue her graduation from Pune University. She then attended King's College London where she obtained a Master of Science in Robotics.

According to Dakhe's LinkedIn bio, she worked at Qualcomm for a brief period before joining Alstom in July 2022.

The RailStaff Awards was established in 2007 to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of individuals working in the UK rail industry. From drivers and cleaners to engineers and station staff, these awards celebrate the spirit of enterprise and dedication.

At Alstom, Dakhe is a part of its Digital and Integrated Systems (D&IS) UK signalling business, where she focused on the innovative Modular Advanced Route Setting (M-ARS) system that utilises machine learning techniques to predict future events based on real-time data.