Vartika Shukla graduated from IIFM in 2009. Vartika resides in Chennai with her spouse Deepak Goswami (IIFM, batch of 09), and 7-year-old son. She works as an independent consultant in the domain of financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, gender and climate finance. She has worked on consulting and research projects for Government Institutions, Financial Service Providers (including Banks, FinTechs, MFIs, NBFCs), Mobile Network Operators, Multilaterals, and Donor agencies across multiple countries in South Asia, Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Her work has focused on assisting clients in implementing digital financial services solutions, including strategy development, institutional diagnostics, marketing and communication, training curriculum design, and conducting qualitative market research to understand customer needs. Additionally, she has been involved in product development and process re-engineering. She has also delivered numerous workshops and training sessions to support these initiatives.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartikashukla/
Twitter: https://x.com/vartika_shukla
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM so far?
A. I still remember the day I got my placement offer. It was January 4, 2009, during the height of the global financial crisis. The job market was uncertain, and recruiters were being extra cautious. That day, I sat for my first interview with MicroSave, a consulting firm specializing in financial inclusion, and was selected along with three of my batchmates—Jitendra Balani, Rajashree Dutta Barua, and Swati Mehta.
My time at MicroSave was both exciting and enriching. I joined as an Associate, working closely with MFIs, Banks, and Mobile Payments Providers. With great mentorship, I quickly grasped the structure of the industry, and my role involved traveling extensively across India, Africa, and South-East Asia. The seven years I spent at MicroSave were transformative, as I worked on a variety of projects ranging from research and technical assistance to consulting and strategy development. Since then, I’ve been working independently as a consultant in the fields of financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, gender and climate finance with organizations like World Bank, Caribou Digital, Ashoka University, Accion, etc.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. This one’s a bit tricky to put into words—so much has happened in the last 15 years!
I met my husband, Deepak, at IIFM, and now we have a son who recently visited the campus and absolutely loved it. Along the way, I’ve been lucky to find and hold on to a few close friends, which has made the journey even more meaningful.
Working in the field across India and various other countries gave me a deep insight into the daily lives of low-income and socially excluded communities. It also helped me appreciate both the commonalities and the unique challenges they face.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the need to keep reinventing ourselves through continuous learning, especially in the space I work in. And to maintain balance in life, we must understand what truly matters to us and make choices accordingly, even if those choices don’t make sense to others.
Q. What is the most satisfying part in your career?
A. Through my work, I have the chance to meet and interact with people from different geographies, walks of life, and socio-economic backgrounds. I get to hear their stories, understand their experiences, and learn how they think. These interactions inspire me every day.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. IIFM really opened my eyes to developmental issues through a mix of coursework, assignments, and field visits. Being part of various clubs also gave me the chance to work on real-world challenges and tackle them as a team.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. Many of my colleagues and friends have been my role models and mentors, and I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned from them. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true—make the most of your time at IIFM. Learn, collaborate, get involved in activities, and build lasting connections. The time on campus is truly invaluable.
In research and consulting, staying up-to-date and constantly adding value to yourself is key. Whether it’s through hands-on experience, training, or continuous learning, it’s essential. And sticking with it, even during the tough times, is just as important.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. I absolutely loved my time on campus. Walking around with friends, visiting the grasslands and sunset point, and spending hours sitting under the lamppost having endless conversations post dinner — those are moments I’ll cherish forever.
I also loved the quiet times in my room with my roommate, Bela Arora, and our unofficial third roommate, Swati Mehta. We’d listen to music while each of us worked on our own things, but somehow, it always felt like we were working together. I also loved running the Movie Club along with Swati.
Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. Keep investing in yourself. It’s completely normal to not know exactly what you want or to not get it right on the first try. The journey is full of twists and turns, and that’s okay. What matters is having clarity about what you want to do and why, and then continuing to work toward it.
No experience is ever wasted. Everything you go through—whether it’s at IIFM, in clubs, committees, field trips, assignments or beyond—will help shape you. The more experiences you have, the more your thinking evolves. The campus offers such a rich opportunity to be exposed to diversity. In the end, it’s those experiences, diversity, and moments of self-reflection that will serve you well both professionally and personally.
Q. What was your typical day at the work? And how does it look like while you are on a break?
A. I have a home office from where I work, managing multiple projects across different time zones. My workday usually starts around 8:30 AM. I kick things off by clearing my inbox, responding to emails, and setting priorities for the day. Then, it’s onto virtual meetings with clients, which sometimes stretch into the evening. My day involves a lot of reading, research, and documentation, and I typically wrap things up around 4:00 PM. Often this routine goes for a toss when there is a project deadline or late-night meetings with clients who are from the other side of the world. Occasionally, I travel for work for client meetings, on-site technical assistance, field research or delivering workshops and training sessions.
However, I will like to add my work day looks like this now. When we start our career then it involves early morning/ late night/ weekend travels to very remote parts of our country and the world, staying away from family for long periods of time, not so great hotels to stay in, bad connectivity, and a myriad of other issues to deal with; while trying to learn and deliver the best work possible. In the hindsight, I loved all of it.
Q. And how about weekends, hobbies, family and anything else you want to add?
A. On weekends, we love spending time at the beach—playing frisbee, building sandcastles, reading, and then enjoying a meal together. There’s also time for household chores, road trips, catching up on movies, and watching sports as a family.
I enjoy reading multiple books at once—usually a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and some philosophy. As a family, we love to travel.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
A. Books:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Sapiens, Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Moment of Lift by Melinda French Gates
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Movies/ TV Series:
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? Your engagement with IIFM Placement or OT/SI?
A. I’ve been in contact with several IIFM graduates and other consultants in the financial inclusion space, and we often discuss ways to create a more meaningful impact through collaboration. I’m happy to offer my support to recent IIFM graduates and freshers stepping into similar roles.
I can assist with course design and refinement to better align with market needs, especially in financial inclusion and consulting domain. I’m also available for guidance and networking support.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Everyone has an incredible story since leaving IIFM, each with their own inspiring journey. I will name a few of my batchmates Deepak Goswami, Aakansha Sethi, Aparna Seth, Dhawal Negandhi, Munish Sikka, Rewasa, Varun Dudeja and so many others.