Every day is the first day for the rest of your life: Microsoft’s Rohini Srivathsa

Harnessing deep conviction will help leaders sail through difficult times, Rohini Srivathsa, CTO of Microsoft India and Southeast Asia, said during a conversation at SheSparks 2024. 

In her professional career, Srivathsa rarely shied away from trying something new. As a curious child, she developed an affinity for all things science. 

Srivathsa said she first came across AI in 1991, around the time she was pursuing her PhD. "At that time nobody cared about AI... but I was really curious about how neural networks and its connection with robotics... several long nights at the labs that's where I learned the most," she said.

“I think I’ve never been shy about trying something new… many people think that if you are on a particular path that’s the path for you.. to me every day is the first day of the rest of your life,” Srivathsa said in a fireside with Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory, at SheSparks 2024. “In the new path, you are a newbie, others have been in the space long enough to have expertise… But I enjoy that.”

On developments in the AI world, Srivathsa also references Jugalbandi–an app powered by ChatGPT which has a WhatsApp-like interface that allows users to ask them a multitude of questions. Users can search for information via voice in several Indian languages. For example, a farmer who would like to know about their eligibility for PM Kisan Yojana can simply use voice and search for the answers.

Most loved story

---

SheSparks 2024 was all about inspiring women and sparking change

Maintaining Gender Neutrality 

Srivathsa has assumed many top leadership roles across firms, before her current stint as CTO of Microsoft India and Southeast Asia. Along the way, she was able to create a niche for herself which made her stand out, regardless of gender, she said.

According to Srivathsa, she can communicate with both tech teams as well as the board— a skill that has helped her create a niche for herself.

“If you find a job and that’s what you love… then it rarely feels like one," she said.

It is not an idealistic world out there, per Srivathsa. The access that candidates have when they come in for an interview could be different based on access and privilege. “Until these things are resolved, I think we must be very careful about being in a gender-agnostic world,” she said. 

As for her advice on sailing through hardships, ultimately for anyone in their leadership journey, deep conviction is what drives them, especially through difficult times, she says. 

Per Srivathsa, everyone must find their way of determining this deep conviction to sail through difficult times.