This year, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day by highlighting a few of the incredible women at Interpolitan Money.
First in the spotlight: Meetanshi Mittal. Known for her friendliness and quick thinking, Meetanshi is a popular and respected member of our product team. She’s a bridge-builder, working with different departments and stakeholders to identify opportunities and develop features that improve the client experience.
Recently, we spoke with her to learn more about her journey and find out what advice she has for young women starting their careers in India’s booming technology industry.
1. Have the opportunities in your career differed from those available to your mother or grandmother?
The opportunities available to me in my career have been hugely different from those of my mother and grandmother. In my grandmother’s era, the concept of a career for women hardly existed. She studied up to a certain level – perhaps the 8th, 9th, or 10th standard – but then got married and devoted her life to caring for her family.
Things were much better by the time my mother grew up. Career options for women were more widespread, and she got a local government administration job, which she held throughout her life until her recent retirement. However, even for her, family remained the top priority. Career progression just wasn’t the main focus.
Today, many Indian parents support their daughters in pursuing their careers and passions independently. I moved out of my parents’ home immediately after my 12th standard, which neither my mother nor my grandmother would have been able to do.
After leaving home, I studied engineering and started my career as a software engineer, and since then, I’ve focused on professional growth. I’ve lived in three different cities in India, far from my family, to follow my career aspirations.
2. Can you share a challenge or experience that shaped your growth or professional life?
So, right after completing my degree, I got selected for a month-long Google-sponsored PAN India event for women in technology. Attendees took part in workshops and networking opportunities, which helped them make new connections with other women in the industry. During the final 10 days of the event, we were asked to focus on groundbreaking ideas and present our solutions and products to industry leaders.
I came away from the conference feeling confident and ready to share my ideas with the world. Since then, I’ve kept in touch with the network I built at the event. Even now, we support each other by sharing growth opportunities and talking about our career experiences.
3. What do you think still needs to be done to level the playing field for women in business?
I’ve noticed a pattern in many large corporations where women are well-represented in entry-level positions, but where the ratio of women decreases sharply when you look at more senior roles. The reasons behind this are complicated, but overall, I believe we need to create a business environment where women can rise through the ranks as easily as their male counterparts.
When young women don’t see female role models in senior leadership, it can be harder for them to envision themselves reaching those positions. If a woman aspires to be a head of strategy one day, it should feel just as attainable for them as it does for anyone else.
Leadership decisions shouldn’t be influenced by outdated assumptions about who is more qualified, assertive or likely to be listened to. Creating a fairer and more inclusive leadership pipeline will require commitment from senior leaders across the board. All of us will need to make a conscious effort to confront bias and ensure that opportunities are truly equal. I think we’ll get there.
4. What is the most important piece of advice you would give to young women starting their careers?
The key is to envision your own success and imagine yourself in a senior, strategic role, even at the beginning of your career. Think 20 years ahead. The usual advice – gaining knowledge, asking the right questions and learning as much as possible – is, of course, important. But beyond that, I would encourage young women to actively visualise their long-term potential.
Many women subconsciously doubt whether they can rise to leadership roles like a CEO or top executive. They might not realise that self-doubt and ingrained bias can hold them back.
So, instead of assuming you can’t rise through the ranks, look for examples of successful women in your industry, study their career paths and develop a plan to get to where you want to be.
I would also emphasise the importance of mentorship – finding the right role models and mentors to guide and inspire you. We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants, and you can learn so much from the women who’ve trodden the path before you. Don’t let anyone imply you can’t get the top: you can.
Build self-belief and break through barriers
We want to thank Meetanshi for taking part in this interview – and we couldn’t agree more with her advice. From building confidence to finding the right mentor, her insights are invaluable for women looking to advance in their careers.
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