Coupang India’s female leaders spotlight series: Meet Richa, Bhavna and Sarmila

Monday, March 30, 2026 minute read

Coupang views the recognition of women’s accomplishments as an ongoing effort – not something confined to International Women’s Day. The women of Coupang continue to shape new innovations that enhance the WOW experience for our customers, and the company is committed to nurturing their growth. Through this two-part article series, we introduce inspiring leaders and share their stories, reflections, and advice.

In today’s feature, we interviewed Richa, Bhavna and Sarmila.

Richa began her career in Engineering, where she built a strong foundation in designing and scaling complex technology systems. Over time, she found herself increasingly drawn to challenges at the intersection of technology, data, and real‑world operations—an interest that naturally led her into Product Management.

Through her work on Technology and Data Platforms, she has helped build systems that support large‑scale e‑commerce, from enabling data‑driven decision‑making to powering fulfillment and last‑mile operations. These experiences shaped her perspective on what it takes to build reliable, scalable products that solve meaningful operational problems.

About a year ago, Richa joined Coupang, where she found the pace and strong culture of ownership both energizing and empowering. Working in an environment where ideas quickly turn into action, she has valued being part of teams built on trust and accountability—an approach that makes it easier to navigate competing priorities while growing through complex challenges.

Across her journey, one theme remains constant: a passion for turning complexity into clarity. By building platforms and structures that help teams move faster, Richa focuses on enabling others to spend their energy on what truly matters.

Her advice to colleagues is simple but powerful: stay curious, ask questions early, and direct your energy toward solving the problems that make the greatest impact.

With nearly two decades of experience spanning Program and Portfolio Management, along with business engagement across Technology and Real Estate Infrastructure, Bhavna’s career reflects a defining belief: meaningful progress is built collectively, never in isolation.

Her work has consistently centered on uniting diverse perspectives, navigating complex challenges without obvious or linear answers, and creating the structure teams need to move forward with purpose and clarity. For Bhavna, progress is rarely marked by dramatic breakthroughs. Instead, it unfolds through deliberate actions—conversations that build alignment, ideas sharpened through respectful debate, and the patience to let well‑considered solutions take shape.

At the core of her leadership philosophy is a commitment to fostering environments where people feel trusted to question assumptions, contribute openly, collaborate deeply, and grow continuously. She believes that when teams feel safe and supported, they bring a level of honesty, creativity, and problem‑solving depth that no process or framework alone can mandate.

As a woman working in Technology and Transformation, Bhavna’s journey has been shaped by consistency and intentionality—showing up with clarity, navigating ambiguity with confidence, and enabling the right outcomes at the right time.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, she reflects on the power of representation and the importance of perspectives that challenge the room. Above all, she recognizes that growth is rarely linear; it is shaped by choices, resilience, and the willingness to evolve—one thoughtful step at a time.

From a Bengali‑medium school in a small town to building a career across global technology organizations, Sarmila’s journey has been shaped by courage, curiosity, and the women who inspired her along the way.

Coming from a humble background, big dreams often felt distant. Like many women, her path was not linear—it was filled with uncertainty, self‑doubt, and moments of questioning whether she truly belonged in the rooms she had worked so hard to enter.

Yet at every stage, she chose growth. Leaving home, navigating new cities, and adapting to unfamiliar cultures were not easy steps, but each leap—no matter how uncertain—strengthened her resilience.

From beginning her talent acquisition career at a leading e‑commerce company to contributing today to Coupang’s global talent ecosystem, her journey has been about more than career milestones. It has been about learning, evolving, and creating opportunities for others.

Now leading a Talent Sourcing team, Sarmila is reminded daily that behind every hire is a dream, a family, and a life‑changing possibility. Her greatest inspiration is her mother, who continues in her seventies to empower rural women with skills and dignity—quietly transforming lives and reinforcing the belief that true impact has no age limit.

To fellow women professionals, Sarmila shares a message of encouragement: never underestimate the power of your voice or your potential. Seek allies, believe in the value you bring, and remember—growth may not be linear, but every step forward counts.