CORPORATE LEADERSHIP
Madhurima Agarwal: PGP 2003 (Supportability Leader, MCAPS AI Transformation Office, Microsoft)
Madhurima Agarwal is the Supportability Leader, MCAPS AI Transformation Office, Microsoft. Previously she was the Managing Director, Microsoft for Startups, India. Under her leadership, the number of startups on Microsoft’s Founders Hub in India grew to nearly 10,000, making India the second-largest global contributor to the program.
Madhurima has been recognised as one of the most influential women in technology by various platforms and has been presented awards like Top Ten Corporate Innovation Leader by Startup Reseau (2022) and Next Generation Women Leader by Zinnov (2020).
Madhurima’s impact on the startup ecosystem is undeniable. She crafted the NetApp Excellerator program that provides a global stage to multiple startups. She also supports women entrepreneurs in her personal capacity as an angel investor. Madhurima has also been associated with various industry bodies to support startups, such as the NASSCOM Deep tech club and Headstart foundation.
Madhurima is a passionate mentor and advocate for women in technology inspiring them to pursue their dreams. She has participated in an exclusive brainstorming session aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial initiatives at the Entrepreneurship Summit held at IIMA. She also supports entrepreneurship at IIT Mumbai, IIT Kanpur, IIM Lucknow and other institutes through Azure Society of Excellence initiatives.
Congratulations on winning the award. How does it feel to be back on the campus?
It’s always very awe-inspiring feeling to be back on campus. There are so many memories, right? When you think back, you always remember the good memories. So it becomes better every time I come back to campus. Receiving this award is very special. There’s a lot of feeling of gratitude.
You had your own startup before coming to the institute, can you talk about that?
I did my first startup when I was in my undergrad at Ranchi. Along with studies, I realised I had some spare time, and having the urge to do something, and being from a business family, it was just natural that I wanted a startup of my own. And then the word startups was not coined. So we just said, “I’m going to do business.” I did that for the two years prior to applying for IIMA and getting through. That’s the time when the internet was just coming into India, and everybody was becoming aware about the power of computing and all. So I started my business in developing software systems for the local businesses, like the local hospital, schools and all. So that was a fun time.
How did that help you when you were with Microsoft for Startups?
If you have been a founder, you develop the appreciation for the challenges that any founder goes through. That coupled with my ability to empathise, I was able to relate to all the founders, and they felt that I was part of their tribe. Which in turn, helped me design the programme in a way that would really make a meaningful, positive impact on the life of founders, and I think that’s what has helped us. Having that first-hand experience also helped me think through what more can be done, apart from what we offer. When you are a founder, it’s very lonely just having somebody you can talk to who can relate with your struggles, your challenges, even when you are at the top and a very successful entrepreneur. In the eyes of the world, everybody has their own challenges. And I’ve also trained as a coach, so to be able to talk to someone with the complete understanding that whatever you are discussing is confidential and be open about it. So I think all of these things have really helped me run this program.
You have been vocal about getting more women in technology in STEM. So can you talk about any initiatives which you have taken to encourage more women to join the tech industry?
This is very close to my heart. I was a woman in technology during my undergrad days, and then as a founder as well, and I realised that we have so few role models. I would struggle, I would have a lot of male role models to look at, but sometimes when you have someone similar to you as a role model. It just gives you that conviction that “if they can do it, I can do it too”. And that’s the power of belief, right? So in my personal capacity, I hope to do that for a few people, if not many. And I have had a lot of women founders reach out to me and ask how they can solve the challenge they are facing. What I do is that I share my journey with them. So that’s something that I do a lot, whether it’s over LinkedIn or people I meet at the various conferences. I always try to spend some time talking to women founders about initiatives. The previous company I worked at NetApp, we had an accelerator programme there and I proposed that we start the accelerator program focused on women founders in tech, and we called it NetApp Accelerate-Her. And I still remember, you know, when I wrote about it, I got a lot of support from the leadership there, and the CEO of the company actually wrote an email personally to me, you know, to applaud this initiative. And those are the kind of things that tell you that the organisation really cares about it. And you know, they help you get the resources that’s there, and today, via next NetApp Accelerate-Her. So when I am investing, if I have a women founder who’s pitching, I would definitely make sure, at least to give it slightly more than average attention and see if I can really help them. I’m also associated as a mentor with some women focused tech funds, which invest in women founders. So I think in these small ways, I am trying to see how I can make a difference. I’m also a mentor to women stood like, you know, in tech, students who are there in college.
And what is your advice for somebody who wants to follow your footsteps work in the tech industry or be an entrepreneur,
A few things, and this is just from my experience, what I have learned first is you need to have firm belief in yourself, because there will be so many naysayers, so many people who will tell you that you can’t do it. So one needs to have that belief that “I can do it”. And I think more than that, if you can find someone else who has that belief in you, which is unshakable, because when you’re going through tough time, side, that belief sometimes gets questioned. But if you have someone by your side who will say, “No, you can do it”, that is very important for anything whether it’s entrepreneurship or technology or a personal challenge. The second thing is, one needs to be open to change. Things never go as planned. What I had planned for my life 25 years ago, 20 years ago or five years ago is not how it has panned out, but it’s not bad. The reason being that, if change happens, take it in your stride. See what’s the best you can do from that point onwards? What is it that will take you towards your goal then? So have plans, but be adaptable to change that. That is something which I think has really helped me. I probably never thought I will be in a position I am. Thirdly, know what is happening outside in the market? Keep up skilling, that’s very important. So I took a break from full time, full time job both the times when my kids were born, right? I wanted to spend time with them, and probably I had a lot of people saying, “Why are you doing that? That’s very wrong decision”. But I had that conviction that this is what I want to do. This is what will give me happiness and fulfilment not just now, but even later in life. But what I did ensure that while I was not in a full time role, either as an entrepreneur or an employee, I was still doing things which made sure that I was keeping up with the times. So I became a visiting faculty at TAKMI and at symbiosis, where I was teaching the subjects that I really enjoyed about. So I was, you know, making sure I have given the time to things that I care about in my personal life, and I am also making sure that I am adding value to my resume. So those kind of things, is something that one should think about. So if you are in a situation which is not ideal, probably think, what’s the best you can do and always invest in yourself, right? One mistake I realized I did was I was not a social person and I didn’t keep a lot in touch with people and all. But when I realized that, I started to put in effort to meet old friends, ensure that I invest in relationships. Talk, to keep in touch with people I enjoy talking to and to form a few but deep relationships. So these are some of the things, but everybody will have a different path and they all chart out their own path. “Build Your Own Story”, as they say, “Be the heroine of your own life”, otherwise somebody else will take charge and you don’t want that.
After winning this award, what are your plans? What do you aim to achieve in future, personally and, you know, professionally?
So getting this award has been quite humbling, right? As I said, I was wondering really me, so some of my friends nominated me, and then said, okay, let me put trust in their belief and move forward with it. So I think this award for me is an embodiment of all the hard work that my parents have invested in me while growing up. And I have seen how they’ve struggled to make sure that I get the best of everything, best of education, you know, all the opportunities despite all the struggles they had. So that’s one. Post marriage, my husband has been a constant pillar of support. So I think I owe it and my family–my kids, they’ve put up with a lot with my erratic schedules and all. So I hope that with this award, I’m able to, you know, give back more to them fulfil what they’ve they expect I would do. Also, this award has the brand IIMA associated with it, so live up to the standards we’ve had such illustrious alumni, so many wonderful people who are who won this award before me. So I hope I am able to do justice and do well in the fields I choose to continue in. My father always tells me that success is not measured by the position you are in, but by the impact you have created on others. So hoping to create a positive impact in other people’s life in society, and I think it all starts at home, at home, in the community one lives in, and then the broader workplace. I’m a little bit spiritual and I totally believe that whatever plans God has made is for the best. I am also a certified independent director. So hoping that you know now that I have some more time to take up some board positions and be able to contribute to the growth of another company. That’s one way of me creating a positive impact in other people’s lives.
