Adrija Jha’s love affair with science began when she was a child. She says, “When I was a baby, I used to watch my mother doing things like practicing surgery on tomatoes.” With an eye surgeon mother and a cardiologist father, a career in science seemed like an inevitability for Adrija, who’s currently a senior scientist in the R&D department at Godrej Consumer Products Limited.

But as a young woman, she couldn’t have predicted how things would pan out for her. 

Her first challenge came in school. During her class 12 exams, Adrija faced a spinal injury. She was bedbound for months; requiring surgery and extended recovery. This pause in her academics left her uncertain about the future. But — “science has always been in my DNA.,” she explains. This unshakeable belief meant that she pushed through her medical issues and got a degree in pharmacy.  

The question of “what next?” after her graduation was further complicated by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when the pandemic was at its peak, she was selected through campus placements at Godrej. Suddenly, she realized that there was an entire world within the FMCG sector that she could explore using her pharma background. A world that was far from the traditional route of tablets, capsules, and syrups — but still, a world of science.  "I wanted to do something different," Adrija reflects. 

 Through her three-and-a-half years at the company, Adrija has done exactly that, working on products from hair colours to air fresheners. She plays a pivotal role in developing products for the Park Avenue and KamaSutra brands.  

 Her work process often begins with a simple concept — sometimes sparked by a casual conversation — that evolves into a prototype. It’s a process of creation that Adrija loves. She says, “I don't just want to be in any role. I want to create. When you create something and see it in a store; when you know that people are buying it and benefiting from it, it's an incredible feeling." 

 There are challenges, trials, and errors. Not every idea works right away.  

 Adrija vividly recalls her first project at Godrej, which took longer than expected and included moments of frustration, like a hair colour test resulted in turning a consumer’s hair purple! "It’s a constant drive to perfect the product. You just keep building on it," she explains. "Sometimes the smallest tweaks, even from a casual conversation or an unexpected idea, can make the difference between a good product and a great one." 

Adrija argues that having more women in the sciences is not just about hiring more women. “It’s also about creating an ecosystem that nurtures them, where they can voice their concerns, feel safe, and thrive,” she says. She takes the example of the women she sees around her at Godrej, who work in labs and factories. “I’ve seen women working in roles you might not typically associate with them — like assembling electronic devices — but they do it with precision and skill.”  

Science at GCPL feels like her childhood fascination come to life, she says. She hopes her story inspires more women to go for a career in fields they love: because with love, as she says, the possibilities are endless.  

Text and image by Rolie Breja