- What made you choose to do what you do?
I have always enjoyed solving problems. When I entered the digital world, I realised that suddenly I was empowered to create sustainable solutions to a wide range of problems from improving customer experience to increasing revenue to streamlining operations. It was like having Harry Potter’s wand, all I needed was the right spells, which in our Muggle World is simple Common Sense. I think now it’s no longer a choice, it’s an addiction.
- Do you think India has more diverse workplaces today than when you started working?
Luckily, I have had the opportunity to work in organisations where diversity was already at play. But yes when one sees around, be it, companies where your friends work or the vendors who you interact with, the change is visible.
- What are some key diversity related policies in your organization that you believe are making a difference?
We are a 4 year old organisation, so there are definitely no legacy issues that needed to be addressed. From policy perspective there is a framework in place to support new parents or to make workplace safer and so on. However, more than policy, it’s the culture that makes the difference. Be it easing out the work-load of expecting mothers and new mothers or giving opportunity to women returning back to work after a break. Simple programs to motivate men and womenl to think about their career and not job or grand celebration of all festivals of India are small steps of making workplace, a happy one for all segments.
- How do you bring your passion to work?
To stay passionate, I have two simple mantras-
1-Stay connected to the end user who for us, marketeers, is both business team and customer. When I see how I contribute in making a customer try my service/product or help business simplify a process or garner revenue (eventually to pay us..lol), it is a great motivator.
2- Live life. Only work, no matter how interesting, can kill the passion needed to perform at your best.
- What are your plans for the next 5 years?
To keep learning- Every day I learn something new from peers, vendors or the youngsters in my team. I think it leads to an automatic growth both professionally as personally.
- Growth vs Profitability – your thoughts?
The importance of these factors is very much related to which phase an organisation is in. At the initial stage, obviously one needs to create a trust in its services which is a derivative of quantity- how many customers, how many products sold and so on. Once an initial growth goal is achieved, the shift is needed to achieve a balance between growth and profitability. What is that balance, is a factor of industry, technology, competition, regulation and more. So, no perfect formula!
- Which startup do you admire?
As someone who hasn’t till date given shape to her own ideas, I find all of them admirable. But in true sense, start-ups are nothing but simple ideas. What makes them admirable is it’s execution by the Founders or the Team
- 2020s will be the decade of Evolution.
All talks, seminars are about the POCs happening in AI, Blockchain, IOT. Cryptocurrency is back. I have seen Facebook capture people’s imagination over the years but the speed & engagement TikTok has achieved across Tiers is unbelievable. There are talk of flying cars and cars that drive themselves. All this suggests that we are inching towards a different world.
We are in not for slow but a drastic evolution in this decade
- One app that has changed your life?
I think it will be unfair to give the credit to just one. As the occasion is women’s day, I would like to thank these apps for helping me continue focussing on my priorities without having to ask for favours or to have settled for less. My life would definitely not be like today, if not for:
Uber: Be it my late night travels in city, pub hopping for fun or business travels to new city. Now I don’t need to think how I will reach or go back safely.
BigBasket: Weekdays for work, Weekends for family. Bigbasket saves me from hours of fortnightly grocery shopping and queues.
iMobile from ICICI Bank: Thanks to iMobile. I never have had to step out of office to do some bank work.
Whatsapp: In busy schedules, one can probably make time only for close family members. Whatsapp is the bridge that keeps me connected to people who matter too like childhood friends, family members in different cities or countries.
- What advice would you give to young women who have just started their careers?
While everyone has a different story, circumstance, organization culture, I think most of this should make sense to the young men and women, both, whether in professional or personal setting:
- Set your priorities right. There is nothing wrong if your priorities change later, till when you are the one deciding that
- Everyone has problems, so don’t give yourself discounts
- Stand up for yourself. Coz everyone else is too busy
- Don’t look at the problem, find a solution
- Keep learning- whatever you like
