Nidhi Mathur: A Trailblazer Fearlessly Merging Tech and Real-World Impact
By Arunima Rajan
Nidhi Mathur is a powerhouse in innovation—a fearless entrepreneur blending technology with real-world impact. In an exclusive interview with Arunima Rajan, she discusses her journey as an entrepreneur, the challenges she faced and her strategies for overcoming them.
Let’s kick off with the heart of your journey – what keeps you motivated every day, and what is it about your work that inspires you to push boundaries and create meaningful impact?
I frequently reflect on why I am doing what I am doing. These reflections are usually triggered by health episodes among people I know and care about. I believe that we can't create change without trying new, innovative approaches. We may fail often, but even a small chance at success is worth fighting for every day.
Reflecting on your time at HP and Tata, what are the key lessons you learned, and why do you think women often experience burnout early in their careers? If someone takes a break – even as long as ten years – how can they successfully re-enter the workforce?
Women remain the primary caregivers in families, and with their expanding roles as equal economic contributors in society, they end up carrying double the weight, leading to burnouts. We as society need to provide better support structures over and above maternity breaks to recognise and facilitate their ongoing contributions. Career breaks sometimes offer a respite and allow them to focus on family where they might be critically needed. Re-entering the workforce after a long hiatus can also be seen as an opportunity to reset career paths to their interests and reskill themselves to align with paths they choose. It could be a chance to start afresh and see themselves as business creators and employment providers. It helps if the path to this re-learning starts and continues during the break itself.
Looking back over your career, what were some pivotal moments or challenges that have really shaped your approach to decision-making and leadership?
More than a moment, it has been a series of observations through my career that shaped my approach.
As we celebrate Women’s Day, can you share some insights into the unique challenges you’ve faced as a woman in tech and venture capital, and what strategies have helped you overcome them?
In most industries, women are significantly underrepresented at leadership level. For example, we hold just 18.3% of board seats in India. We don't demand and focus on doing more and making contributions instead. While I still suffer from imposter syndrome, I am trying to get better at acknowledging my own work and not shying away from talking about it. This also extends to our approach towards networking. It is still an effort for me, so I try to build fewer but meaningful connections that can constantly help me get better.
Your work with Niramai on that non-invasive, radiation-free breast cancer screening solution has been truly groundbreaking – what sparked your passion for that project, and what were the most valuable lessons you learned along the way?
My motivation to work on affordable and accessible cancer screening was driven by an incidence of late stage cancer detection in the family. I learnt how a startup is a ride that has higher-highs and lower-lows as you go, and unless we are very passionate about what we are building, it can get very difficult to continue to do what is right by the company. The WHY is the most important question for a founder to answer.
With your involvement in ventures like Algorithmic Biologics, how do you see emerging technologies transforming the healthcare landscape in the coming years?
I believe we have entered an era where health is the next frontier of innovation, which is getting disrupted by technology. Companies like Algorithmic Biologics, that are innovating at the intersection of bits and atoms, will hold the potential to drive affordability, access and accuracy in delivering better health outcomes.
Balancing roles as a venture partner, board member and strategic leader is no small feat – how do you manage your time and maintain a clear vision across all these responsibilities?
As we scale in our professional journeys, we have to start thinking about our time as a resource to be carefully managed. While it has helped me to plan for what I want to spend time on in the long, medium and short term like most of you probably do, I have primarily been able to manage my time better by building strong teams that I could delegate responsibilities to. I often tell my teams, I consider myself successful when I am redundant.
How do you feel societal and familial perceptions – such as the idea that women are too emotional or that their opinions are undervalued, especially in the Indian context – affect women’s professional journeys? And what advice would you give to introverts looking to upskill their communication and social abilities while juggling personal challenges like pre-menopause, menopause or caring for ageing parents?
I am an introvert and have lost out on professional opportunities because of the perception some people hold that introverts can't be A-players. But social abilities are about more than being able to throw and attend parties. It is about being able to inspire people, work with them, sell to them, and hold your ground when they are tough to work with. The key to get there is to believe in ourselves and do what is right.
How important do you think having a fulfilling career is for a woman’s overall life satisfaction, and why does it play such a crucial role in creating a meaningful life?
Different people derive meaning differently and as long as it makes them happy in life, all paths are valid. For me personally, career is a big part of my identity as it makes me feel I am an actively contributing member of society. But also, I am who I am because of women who sacrificed their careers to support me through my journey, so I can never overlook the contributions of those who choose to forgo a career either.
Finally, many women may not have had as much exposure to financial management as their male counterparts – what’s your take on this, and could you recommend any resources or strategies for women to upskill in managing their finances?
Financial management is often considered male dominated field, but women are instinctively very balanced in their approach towards money that they manage in whatever role they are playing. They think long-term, consider multiple risks and future liabilities, are methodical, and are natural savers. There are many freely available resources today that they can and should avail to educate themselves further, from formal education to books, MOOCs, certifications, to simply starting small by being a part of financial conversations and building familiarity with it. It is not rocket science. And we know women can even do rocket science.
Got a story that Healthcare Executive should dig into? Shoot it over to arunima.rajan@hosmac.com—no PR fluff, just solid leads.