Leaders

When it comes to the IT industry, women still face biases and prejudices. Despite their capabilities, their voices and contributions to the company/industry are unappreciated at work. Men in high positions are more likely to be dominating against their female coworkers. However, we have been fortunate to witness various women leaders persisting against the odds and breaking down all the barriers on their way to success in the technology & corporate space. From having disrespected on her very first day at work (on account of her gender) to building her own empire in the IT sector, Mamta Jha has overcome several obstacles and has proven herself in the tech field that is considered a male bastion.

Mamta a bonafied technocrat, has extensive hands-on experience in architecting and designing cloud, DevOps, and Automation-based solutions. Her primary area of expertise is designing solutions based on Kubernetes, DevOps, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. Through her firm TechScalable, she aims to bridge the talent gap in the corporate sector. Till date she has trained over 10,000 engineers and executives all over the world.

In an interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, Mamta spoke her heart out and took us through her professional odyssey. Her inspirational life journey makes her the perfect example for ‘Women Power’.

Introduce Us To Techscalable. In Your Opinion What Are Some Crucial Aspects Of Your Personality That Define You As A Business Leader?

Companies are noticing a significant skill shortage in the fields of cloud, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and DevOps and are striving to up skill their employees. TechScalable is an edtech startup and aims to close this gap by offering training and consultation that are both beneficial and rewarding and we want the talent to flow seamlessly. At TechScalable, we've trained over 10,000 engineers and executives from a variety of companies around the world. We also customize our programs to the specific needs of each client.

I believe my most valuable asset is reliability which translates into efficacy. I work towards harboring a stronger relationship with clients to get the desired outcome. I'm good at making decisions, learning new things, analyzing problems, and coming up with solutions. I enjoy the bugs in the code because it makes me go against the odds and find a solution, and that is something I love doing.

Take Us Through Your Professional Journey. Recount Some Interesting Anecdotes That Shaped Your Approach Towards Your Profession & Life?

In 2003, I graduated from Biju Patnaik University in Orissa with a bachelor's degree in Electronics & Instrumentation engineering. Soon after, I joined a startup in Bangalore and later moved to an MNC in Gurgoan, where I worked as a C/C++ developer. However, on the very first day at the MNC, I was not accepted as a team member. Surprisingly, a door was slammed on my face at the meeting room merely because my superior did not want women in his team.

Down the lane I started delivering technical workshops to MNCs. On one such occasion agroup of employees were taken aback with me being their instructor just because I was a woman. I had to remind them to look beyond my gender and focus on the skills on my resume.

Such Incidents Made Me Wonder, Why Would A Girl Study If No One Wanted Women On Their Team?

I realized that although I was technically strong, yet being a soft spoken introvert was pulling me back. At a certain point in life I had a realization that I needed to reinvent myself. Following a two-year professional voyage post marriage & moving to Bangalore, I was no longer the same Mamta. The transformation was drastic; I became more confident and outspoken.

“If you face challenges in your life, see them as opportunities rather than problems. Women are more persistent and passionate than men, and they have more grit too. Have a longterm objective in mind and devise a method to achieve it. Bad days don't last forever; if you do your bit, good days will come your way”

What Prompted You To Take Up Entrepreneurship And Establish Techscalable? What Have Been Some Of The Most Significant Milestones Achieved By The Firm?

I was developing the profit and loss sharing divisions at one of the startups in Bangalore from scratch. There, I grew a team from two to 32 people, while simultaneously working on seven to eight projects and assisting the team. I enjoyed taking my own decisions, giving presentations to CTOs and talking to clients, which I had never done before. The only thing that disappointed me was the pay scale my team was receiving; I wanted them to earn more, but it was out of my authority. I moved on to another job, and just after few months, I felt inclined to start something on my own. Since then I have come a long way.

Initially, the company only provided training and consultations. There after the firm became a Microsoft partner, and within a few quarters, we were upgraded to silver learning partners. We conducted various free workshops during the pandemic, and we continue to do so every month, with 1300-1400 people attending. Nowadays, we go live on all of the social media platforms which brings great engagement and TechScalable is getting acknowledged. We began as a corporate training firm and are now expanding into retail, which is working quite well.

How Do You Keep Updated With Evolutions Taking Place In Your Field? How Do You Strike A Balance Between Work And Personal Life?

I set out two hours every day to study, and during that time, I try to keep up with what's new in the market. I read tech publications and follow good tech blogging sites. In my spare time, one can find me studying something or the other.

I am fortunate to have a supportive family and son. The strongest pillars of my strength are my parents and my husband who have been right beside me throughout my entire life journey, motivating & supporting me.

My family designs their schedule around mine. It's difficult to learn new things to keep updated in the market while also managing a family, but I make sure I spend enough quality time with them as well. But I wouldn't say I'm balancing, since they're doing everything for me; they're a part of my joys, sorrows, and everything in my life.

What Would You Advice Women Aspiring To Become Entrepreneurs?

If you face challenges in your life, see them as opportunities rather than problems. Women are more persistent and passionate than men, and they have more grit too. Have a long-term objective in mind and devise a method to achieve it. Bad days don't last forever; if you do your bit, good days will come your.

Mamta Jha, Co-Founder, Techscalable

An entrepreneur with a love for technology, learning and sharing her knowledge, Mamta has been in the tech field for over 15 years.