Rituparna's Story

When I had landed a job at Texas Instruments fresh out of college as an electronics engineer in 1997, it was indeed a dream come true. I distinctly remember my ambitions in those early days - I wished to run my own company ten years down the line. All the same, with each passing year, mounting family responsibilities and hectic work schedules, my passion receded into the background.

It would not be a stretch to say that the Meridian programme - for which I had enrolled in my last year at the company in 2012 - served as a wake-up call. While there's no denying that over a period of 14 years I had matured in my role at Texas Instruments, I, nevertheless, wanted to break through the career inertia. The Meridian gave a timely boost to my confidence besides bringing in clarity of vision.

I founded Immensa Semiconductors in 2013. When I had first mooted the idea, a woman entrepreneur stepping away from the corporate ladder - in my domain - was unheard of. But I haven't looked back since. Immensa was subsequently acquired by Mediatek. My journey into entrepreneurship has made me stronger, and more confident of charting my own path.

Rituparna Mandal is the General Manager at MediaTek.  She took part in the Meridian Programme, in 2012.