Pallavi Chopra on how redBus is nurturing its next gen of women leaders

redBus, one of India’s largest online bus ticketing platform, has transformed bus travel in the country by bringing ease and convenience to millions of Indians who travel using buses. Founded in 2006, redBus is part of India’s leading online travel company, MakeMyTrip Limited.

Pallavi Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, redBus, has played a pivotal role in transforming bus travel in India through her strategic vision and leadership. With over two decades of experience across India and the Asia-Pacific region, Chopra has made significant contributions to renowned brands like Nike, ING, and redBus. Her entrepreneurial spirit coupled with her leadership skills has helped her drive initiatives that propel redBus as one of India’s leading online bus ticketing platforms.

Chopra’s decision to join the tech and transport industry, despite its relatively low representation of women, showcases her courage and determination to break barriers and make a mark in traditionally male-dominated fields. In this interview, she shares her inspirations behind choosing this path and discusses the initiatives she spearheads to enhance redBus’ offerings, focusing on brand building, demand generation, and e-business activities.

As the CMO of redBus, what inspired you to pursue a career in the tech and transportation industry?

Before redBus, I’ve worked in financial, media, sports and lifestyle spaces. Travel has always interested me, and I personally love travelling. When I joined 9 years back, e-commerce was booming and it made sense to be in this space.

Please give some insights into your personal experiences and challenges encountered as a woman ascending the corporate ladder.

I’ve never looked at any job or field as a man or woman’s job and this attitude has a lot to do with my upbringing. I don’t look for extra privileges or differential treatment as a woman. The way I see it, there are not challenges but differences between the genders and how they operate in the workspace.

Therefore the challenges I’ve experienced aren’t women-specific challenges, but things any working person would face.

In fact I’ve always defined them as opportunities for personal growth. A ‘challenge’ is something which has to do more with one’s personal growth and evolution. It is something internal – something I had to overcome internally – it is less about the external challenge. The more I apply this principle in my life, I find that my problems become smaller and smaller.

Could you share with us some of the key milestones or achievements in your career journey that you're particularly proud of?

Personally, the biggest achievement for me has been my work at redBus. I joined redBus around 9 years ago, and I had the privilege of being part of the team which grew redBus from a startup to the largest online bus ticketing platform in India and the world. It’s been a phenomenal journey so far!

The time I spent at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and launching my own start-up were profound learning experiences. At MIT, I immersed myself in an Executive Program in General Management, gaining valuable insights and skills. Co-founding ChiefOfStaff.com in 2011 taught me leadership & resilience through the challenges of entrepreneurship.

For me, the achievements which matter are the ones that make an impact on me and help me grow – whether those are external or internal. Overcoming my inner demons and aspects like earning a particular colleague’s trust can be a significant victory for me. These moments of growth and connection shape my narrative, reflecting my values and principles. While external recognition is validating, it's the internal journey of self-improvement and human connection that truly defines my sense of achievement. Striving for personal and professional fulfilment, I embrace challenges and cherish moments of genuine connection as the true essence of success in my journey.

Diversity and inclusion are vital for any organisation’s success. How do you ensure that redBus promotes a diverse and inclusive work culture, particularly in leadership positions?

redBus is a really inclusive place to work at and we recognize that diversity is a key aspect of organizational success.

This March, we are launching a program specifically for women at mid-managerial levels, to help them prepare for leadership roles. Based on our constant feedback mechanisms, we have identified common themes. Based on this, we will hold coaching and mentoring sessions for mid-level women managers which will help groom them for leadership. We want to make this a truly impactful program and it is not going to be a one off. It will be an ongoing program which will begin with knowledge transfer, and then women can come back to the program for continued support, share how they implemented their learning and continuously work with mentors.

We also have policies to support and enable our women leaders. For instance, redBus provides accommodation & travel for one child and caregiver for women employees who need to travel for work.

As a leader, what initiatives or programs have you implemented to support and empower women in the workplace, both within redBus and in the broader tech industry?

At redBus, we don’t believe in just offering lip service on Women’s Day, but try for meaningful support to women throughout the year. A lot of our policies reflect this. For instance, we offer ongoing financial wellness sessions for women to ensure they have adequate information to be financially stable & independent.

We support physical wellness through programs like an awareness camp about cervical cancer, offer flexible working for menstruating women and miscarriage leave. Some time back, we ran a half yearly program for expecting parents. There were multiple sessions on preparing for parenthood not only for the employee but also for their spouse. We offer extended maternity leaves for women and provide a lot of flexibility in working conditions for women who have delivered or who have small children.

Travel is a propeller of independence and freedom for women. Do you agree with this?

Travel serves as a significant driver of independence and freedom for women, offering access to various opportunities such as work, education, and personal growth. I personally love solo trips, because I find them incredibly empowering and I think many other women feel the same.

Our data on solo female travelers across different tiers demonstrates a notable year-on-year growth of 35%, reflecting the increasing attraction of independent travel among women. Additionally, the diverse age distribution of solo women travelers underscores the broad spectrum of women engaging in solo travel, from young adults to seniors.

redBus has introduced several initiatives to support women on their journeys. For example, we ran "Here for Her" campaign in which we provided free hygiene kits for women travelers at major bus boarding points, addressing their specific needs. Moreover, redBus Primo buses offer streamlined customer care services, enabling women travelers to connect directly with agents without any waiting time, thereby enhancing their overall travel experience. Initiatives like not allowing male passengers to book tickets next to a solo female passengers on buses demonstrates our commitment to creating a secure environment for women travelers. Through these efforts, we try to support better travel experiences for women.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for sustainable development. How does redBus contribute to fostering gender equality, either through its services or corporate social responsibility initiatives?

A few years back we ran a survey with an independent consultant, and gender was one of the aspects surveyed. One organic point in the feedback was that at redBus, women employees do not see any gender inequality. They have everything they need to succeed in their career and they are given equal opportunities. This is reflected in the fact that women employees have longer tenures at redBus on average, than male employees.

Women employees show lower attrition and a point to be noted is that in tech verticals, women’s attrition is 2-3 points lower than their male colleagues. At an organizational level, the division is on par with the industry, at 70:30. Even our engineering department reflects this, which shows strong representation as tech fields typically have much more skewed ratio. Of course we are working to improve this, but nonetheless this is a good place to start at.

What message would you like to share with women around the world, especially those aspiring to break barriers and achieve their goals in male-dominated fields?

Free your mind of mental blocks. There are no male-dominated fields or jobs for which men or women are better suited. Know your own aptitude and personality well, work hard and then be confident about your abilities. While there are practical and systemic challenges that women do face in different fields, the largest barriers are often in our own minds.