How I defied the odds to become a leader in tech

By Supriya Rao, MD ClearRoute India

Being the only woman in the room for so much of my career has never deterred me.

Starting out as a test analyst at Infosys I’d always dreamt of being a leader. But when that dream became reality in my next role at UST, I was terrified. I was asked to lead the presales function but had no idea what presales even were! It was a completely unknown area – I didn't know whether I would be successful at it.

I was aware of surveys suggesting women think they’re not qualified for jobs unless they meet 100% of criteria, while men apply even if they meet just 60% so I just grabbed it with both hands – opportunity only

knocks once and if you don't make the most of it, it’s already lost. I told myself that I'd figure things out along the way.

Rising through adversity amid personal turmoil

But while I was busy figuring things out, two devastating events took place in my personal life.

My marriage ended abruptly, leaving me on my own with two small children and reliant on my parents. I hadn’t planned to divorce – it was not through choice. My parents had to give up their social life and everything they had built in a different city just to be with me because I was in crisis.

Two months later, my only sibling, a 39-year-old brother who also had two young children, died suddenly of a cardiac arrest. It was a really heartbreaking, tough time for everyone.

In India being a single parent is looked down on, it's taboo and you are outcast by society. I am happily married now but back then, I still had to put food on the table. I had no financial cover and no emergency funds.

Building scale, building culture

I had to dig deep into my resilience reserves and just get on with the job. I was fortunate enough to have a boss who understood the importance of male leaders in achieving gender equality. I knew I was ready to hustle and do the grind so I asked my CEO for his guidance in coaching or mentorship, whatever form of support he could provide. He assigned a mentor, an external specialist, who I believe made all the difference.

Two years ago, when I took the MD post in the India office at ClearRoute, a global platform engineering firm, I was only the third employee. Since then, the business has grown to 60 staff, 38% of whom are women. I’m particularly proud of this given just 29% of India’s tech workforce are women.

I’ve always had a mandate to ‘build scale and build culture’ because growth without culture is fragile and culture without growth is unsustainable.

"I make a conscious effort to hire more women... and support women returning to work following career breaks for maternity or elderly care purposes."

My leadership style: no I in team

I’d like to think my leadership style is based on empathy, trust and humanity. I reward open discussion and communication. When you work within largescale organisations, people are bound to commit mistakes. I like open dialogue and people owning up to their mistakes, then moving on.

I also value collaboration and helping others and that goes both ways – people who are beneath you, who report to you, and people who you report to. Maybe this is related to Indian culture – in the family values and belief system of working together as one team – rather than standing out individually for yourself.

A recent accolade of which I’m delighted is ClearRoute becoming the only IT services company in India to receive the ‘happy place to work’ accreditation. I’m also pleased that my Employer Net Promoter scores (ENPS) have been rated high for the past four quarters.

Fighting unconscious bias for real inclusivity

I make a conscious effort to hire more women through partnering with organisations like career platform HerKey. In addition, I support women returning to work following career breaks for maternity or elderly care purposes.

I've never had that notion about young women who are only just married and don't have children, that they will soon go off on maternity leave and I'll have to pay for six months with loss of billing, no impact and no value. I believe in giving women a safe space.

I recently hired someone back from a two-year maternity break who’s proved critical and has worked wonders with her engagement. She’s had such positive feedback and appreciation from all the clients she’s worked with.

"I believe in giving women a safe space."

My focus on recruiting women at all stages of their career is something the ClearRoute business is now emulating across our other regions in the UK, the US and Australia.

My goal to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment doesn’t stop at women. In recruitment and building a talent acquisition pipeline, I also target people who are neurodiverse or who have disabilities. I want to be a truly inclusive organisation and provide everyone with equal opportunities without any unconscious bias in mind.

"Tech can be intimidating but don't hesitate to speak up or claim your seat at the table. Keep learning. Stay curious. Never shy away from opportunities even if they might feel uncomfortable."

The other side of the comfort zone

Throughout my career, I’ve faced comments like ‘she doesn’t deserve that promotion’ or had my opinions on important matters go unheard, because what could a lady offer right? But I never stopped believing in myself, and it’s this advice I hope to pass on to other women.

Tech can be intimidating but don't hesitate to speak up or claim your seat at the table. Keep learning. Stay curious. Never shy away from opportunities even if they might feel uncomfortable. Growth often happens on the other side of the comfort zone.

My ethos is simple: treat others as you like to be treated yourself, include everyone, and think long-term big picture stuff over short-term gains.

Supriya Rao’s 7 takeaways

1. Make the most of opportunities – adopt a ‘say yes’ philosophy

2. Seek support from your leaders – a good mentor can change everything

3. There’s no I in team

4. Own your mistakes

5. Never stop believing in yourself

6. Stay curious, keep learning

7. Growth often happens on the other side of the comfort zone

At One Loud Voice for Women, we showcase examples of best practice wherever we find them. In the UK’s technology workforce, only 20% are women and between 40,000 and 60,000 are leaving their roles every year (believed to cost between £2 billion to £3.5 billion annually).

In 2025, the Lovelace Report cited lack of advancement opportunities as the primary driver for women leaving the sector (25%) followed closely by lack of recognition (17%), inadequate pay (15%), dissatisfaction with company culture and working conditions (8%), and absence of role models or a supportive network (8%).

UNESCO says women are under-represented at all levels in tech, particularly in leadership positions, where they represent only 24% of professionals. In AI roles, that’s 22%. At major AI conferences, just 18% of authors are women.

Supriya Rao’s journey to the top in a sector crying out for women, deserves to be shouted about, and we are delighted she agreed to share her story.