Name: Aishwarya Taukari | Company: GS1 New Zealand | Designation: Digital & Events Marketeer | Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Born and raised in the border town of Belgaum, Aishwarya Taukari has carved a unique path from India’s chawls to corporate boardrooms in New Zealand. As a first-generation immigrant, she moved across cities—from Belgaum to Mumbai, then Goa, and eventually to Wellington—not in search of opportunities, but to test her limits and embrace a freer, more egalitarian society. Today, she works with GS1 New Zealand, supporting the CEO on board initiatives while also leading digital marketing efforts. Beyond her day job, she juggles multiple roles—from CXO communications for Indian tech founders to creating gender-equity content on LinkedIn—making a case for empowered, ambitious young Indian women abroad.
Breaking Stereotypes
Admitting that she was an accidental child, born 14 years after three of her older siblings, she grew up in Belgaum, a border town with Goa and Maharashtra, with a confluence of multiple cultures which prepared her for a global life today. After she completed her schooling and bachelor’s degree, she moved to Mumbai to study at St. Xavier’s and worked in Mumbai at India’s largest PR firm. Post this during the pandemic, she quit her dream job, moved to Goa, became a digital nomad, and eventually moved to New Zealand. “I think right from a young age, since I was the youngest and a girl, I had to learn to find my spot in a crowded room and earn my right to education and work,” she tells Global Indian.
Aishwarya Taukari
Big Dreams
Growing up in a chawl until she was 17, she was always curious about the world, fuelled by the documentaries about different countries and cultures her father showed her. “I never wanted to move to the US or UK, which often seem like the default choices for people in my community. Instead, I wanted to move to New Zealand or Denmark. I had read about both as relatively egalitarian societies, where gender equity and freedom for women are valued. I learnt that New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote. They were softer societies to be a part of,” she says.
The idea of building a family, career, and life on her own terms as a free woman pulled her toward these countries. But it was not all hunky-dory. “It was difficult to get my family’s support at first. We are part of a close-knit joint family of 11; I love them a lot, and my choice initially shocked them. Being here meant I would be very far. But I had always made unconventional decisions about my career and education, so they eventually came around. Funding the move was also tough. I spent most of my savings to relocate, but it was worth it. I found jobs here and supported myself. Finding the right career opportunities wasn’t easy, as there is still prejudice when it comes to immigrants accessing quality roles,” she says.
But the hardest part has been challenging the age-old stereotypes people hold about young Indian women in New Zealand. “Many assume we are unempowered and will settle for whatever comes our way. The fact that we too could have preferences shocks people. Many of us are silent troublemakers, quietly challenging the status quo,” she admits.
Career Cues
One of the major career milestones was becoming a LinkedIn Creator and being one of the few selected globally for their first creator programme. “Although the earnings from the programme were modest (about 100k INR), it gave me the confidence to put my ideas out there. I also get to work with people from across India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Singapore and more. Hiring a first team member is always special, and that was a big milestone because you are suddenly responsible for someone’s bread,” she says.
She also does work online to spread awareness on female migration and work with issues related to people in their 20s. “I think stories of women are often underwritten and one-dimensional. She’s either a damsel in distress, the girl next door, or the ruthless girl boss, mean girl. Through my content on LinkedIn, I try to show different aspects of not just being a young woman but also being a young person navigating today’s world. I actively write about the struggles faced by young people. Whether it’s the grief cycle involved in job hunting or reflections on wellbeing, learning, and health, I consistently share things that affect my generation of women,” she says.
In fact, when she went back to university in New Zealand as a working woman, she wrote an honest account of how difficult that experience was. The response it received showed her how many others resonated with it. She also does pro bono work for some not-for-profits back home in India that provide shelter to girls. “Someday, I hope to do even more for my gender,” she says.
Balancing Act
Her weekend gig involves working with founders and tech CEOs on CXO communications in India. She creates pitch decks, policy proposals, press outreach and personal branding on social media and works with leaders and founders who are challenging the status quo. “It’s work that fuels me. Particularly in tech, fintech, health tech and sustainability. In New Zealand, after completing my master’s in global business & government, I started working with GS1 New Zealand – the Kiwi arm of a global not-for-profit present in 119 countries. We are the people behind barcodes. I assist the CEO with board events and marketing lead with digital marketing,” she says.
A self-confessed ‘consistent workaholic’, she says that she has a hard time being idle. “I thought living in places like Goa and New Zealand would slow me down, but even in my free time, I end up finding things to do. I dance a lot and practise everything from classical Indian dance to hip hop. It’s helped me build both physical and mental resilience. I also write regularly and perform stand-up comedy in New Zealand. That experience has given me a better understanding of the Kiwi psyche and helped me blend into the country with more confidence,” she says.
Looking Ahead
For someone who is rightfully unapologetic about being ambitious as a woman, she is motivated by those that are better than her in any skill. Particularly those working in completely offbeat, complex, unheard-of industries who are breaking the clutter and are slightly different from the usual. “For example, the other day I was struggling with a project and balancing personal commitments. Then I came across a 32-year-old founder building a company called Openstar, who is trying to build nuclear fusion in New Zealand, at the bottom of the world. Every time I feel like my problems are huge, I remember that someone, somewhere, is working on a complex problem that can make the future better. I need to do my bit to make today count just a bit more than yesterday so my niece and nephew have a better future. So, the future generation has a better tomorrow,” she says.
She is inspired by Charlie Munger, Serena Williams, Ratan Tata, Iga, Rihanna, Billie Eilish, and businesswomen like Fawn Weaver and more. “There’s inspiration everywhere, really,” she says. Looking ahead, she would love to build a venture of her own to give back to the world what she has learnt from it in a meaningful way.
- Follow Aishwarya Taukari on LinkedIn