QPR coach Manisha Tailor has been breaking down boundaries her entire life, but even she admits it's 'extraordinary' that she has been promoted to assistant head of coaching for the club's under-9s to under-16s - making her the first woman and first person of South Asian heritage to hold such a position.
The 40-year-old will assist head of coaching Chris Ramsey, who has been a mentor and big supporter in Tailor's journey.
"I am looking forward to continuing to learn from senior staff and assist Chris Ramsey in enforcing and disseminating the philosophy at the academy. This is quite an extraordinary position to be in, as a woman and as a south Asian woman. I hope that it inspires change so that we see more women from different backgrounds in these types of roles," she told Eastern Eye.
Manisha Taylor with mentor Chris RamseyPhoto: Lucille Flood for The FA
Her time at QPR has been life-changing for Tailor and she is proud to be associated with a professional football club, which is "inclusive and diverse".
"The club has been instrumental in my development, especially Chris Ramsey, who took me under his wing in 2016 when I first began to volunteer at the club. His mentoring and guidance has fostered my learning in helping me to develop a greater understanding of the landscape within professional football.
"I was initially encouraged to contact Chris by Andrew Impey (former QPR footballer & current U23 head coach). I had met Chris in 2014 and we reconnected in 2016 at a Kick it Out event - we were both invited to be mentors by Troy Townsend, the rest I guess is history! I am in a great place, with senior staff who are incredibly welcoming and open to helping me learn. I am proud to work at an inclusive and diverse football club," she said.
Initially, when Tailor joined QPR in 2016 and started to travel with the team for away games, she would be perceived as a physio by the rival teams, a stereotype she is determined to break down.
She said: "There is now a bit more familiarity, but there have been times recently where I would be assumed to be the physio. However, I and others can help to change this by creating greater visibility, through the job that I am in. I must play my part in breaking down these stereotypes."
Manisha Taylor coaching a session with U13 boys at QPRPhoto: Lucille Flood for The FA
She reveals it required tremendous “persistence and resilience” on her part to break the glass ceiling and to some extent gender stereotypes in a male-dominated professional sport.
"There were inevitably challenges and it required persistence and resilience to manage my emotions within an incredibly competitive environment, maintain focus on my journey and be adaptable and open to learning. Chris [Ramsey] helped me to better understand the environment, which I believe for me has been key. In addition to this, developing relationships and trust within an organisation is also important."
She added: "I think there are a number of initiatives that are certainly holding clubs to account. Although we are seeing change, I think this change needs to be a little more radical. I say this because we have people from the south Asian community to do these jobs - they need equality and access to opportunities and to be treated on a level playing field. We are beginning to see change which is great and I hope this inspires others from the community to pursue their dreams in football."
How can there be a change to make football more inclusive and diverse? Tailor, who was awarded an MBE in 2017 Honours List, says: "Greater accountability will help to ensure that clubs are adhering to ethical and equitable processes when they recruit. We need to challenge and question why there are few black and Asian coaches in senior positions?...they are qualified, but not being provided with the same or similar access to jobs, than others. Here, we must see change."
Much of Tailor's resilience and grit comes from her twin brother, Mayur, who was diagnosed of mental illness at the age of 18, which she says was "a result of trauma and extreme bullying at school".
In 2011, she left her role as a deputy school teacher and embarked upon a journey in football, with her brother becoming a driving force.
"I was inspired by not only my brother, but influenced by my love and passion for the game and working with young people. Through my experience of becoming a young carer I saw the importance of using sport to engage with those who have mental health issues."
The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has put mental health in focus like never before, and Tailor says it affects us all.
"We need to create greater conversations around mental health to assist in breaking down any associated stigma and taboo. Mental health affects us all and in my opinion, it's about recognising our emotions and learning how we manage our feelings in different situations.
"Open and honest dialogue can prevent isolation, fear of failure, stress and anxiety, simply because individuals would be more willing to share their thoughts, this could be in person, through voice notes or journalling - all of which can relate to sport and life," she said.
In pursuit to become the best in her new role and as a coach, she is currently doing her A Licence course and simultaneously working on her second book, which profiles south Asian trailblazers in football.
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Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)