Gauri Dogra: Embracing Growth, Resilience, and Women-Led Inspiration

The corporate world has evolved from rigid hierarchies to dynamic, people-centred workplaces — and professionals like 25-year-old Gauri Dogra exemplify this shift. Her journey isn’t a straight, predictable climb; it is defined by reinvention, courage in uncertainty, and a deep belief in the power of people to shape the future.

Rooted in a Legacy of Strong Women

Gauri grew up surrounded by women who made decisions, held their ground, and moved forward without waiting for validation. Leadership, for her, was first witnessed at home — not as a title, but as a way of being. She observed conviction, compassion, and quiet strength in action, and it shaped her worldview long before job titles or professional experience came into play.

Inspiration Beyond the Household

Her environment also made space for inspiration from mentors and role models beyond her household. Gauri has always been drawn to those who balance integrity and clarity with empathy. These examples reinforced her belief that growth and impact are rooted in curiosity, reflection, and values — guiding principles that would become essential during career transitions.

Early Advocacy and Girl Up Naaz

During her time in college, Gauri co-founded Girl Up Naaz, a chapter of the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up initiative. Through this platform, she helped lead campaigns on issues such as women in STEM, breast cancer awareness, and mental health. This experience gave her an avenue to amplify voices often left unheard and allowed her to translate her passion for equity into concrete action. It also shaped her early understanding that meaningful change begins with awareness, dialogue, and small, consistent efforts to push boundaries.

The Unconventional Path

With a degree in Applied Psychology, Gauri started her corporate journey at American Express, where she was exposed to professional environments, processes, and collaborative projects that shaped her understanding of business. Within months, she realised she wanted to explore challenges beyond familiar territory. This curiosity led her to transition into business analytics — a domain dominated by data and problem-solving — which pushed her out of her comfort zone and accelerated her learning.

The move was daunting. Moments of self-doubt, uncertainty, and feeling like the least “qualified” in the room were constant companions. Yet, she stayed — not because she had all the answers, but because she was willing to ask better questions, learn continuously, and embrace discomfort. Her guiding thought: “Courage is choosing to start again when uncertainty feels bigger than you.”

Learning and Growing in Corporate Roles

At BORN Group (a Tech Mahindra company), Gauri navigated multiple projects, collaborating with colleagues across teams and geographies. There were no formal titles to grant authority, but she honed essential skills: staying organised under pressure, communicating clearly, and adapting to evolving situations. These experiences reinforced her understanding that professional growth comes from persistence, curiosity, and collaboration rather than hierarchy.

Empathy and Human Connection

Even before her corporate career, Gauri saw the importance of trust and relationships through her family’s jewellery business. Customers didn’t return just for the designs — they returned because they felt known, valued, and remembered. This early exposure instilled in her the belief that empathy and connection are core to any professional or personal endeavour.

Broadening Perspectives

Gauri has also sought experiences beyond corporate walls. She contributed briefly to GlobalXplorer’s India chapter, supporting efforts to map and protect cultural heritage sites using satellite imagery and crowdsourcing. Though her involvement was short, it offered a fresh perspective: meaningful work can exist in many forms, and growth often comes from exposure to new ideas, causes, and ways of thinking.

Resilience as a Constant

Across every stage of her journey — from stepping into analytics without a math-heavy background to handling complex projects under uncertainty — one trait has been constant: perseverance. Not the glossy kind often celebrated in articles, but the quiet, persistent kind that shows up when giving up feels easier. For Gauri, resilience is not the absence of struggle; it is the decision to keep moving, even when the path is unclear.

Supporting Others and Paying It Forward

Gauri doesn’t see her journey in isolation. She recognises the privilege and power of visibility and representation. She hopes that by showing up authentically in her professional spaces, she can make it easier for others — especially women — to explore opportunities without hesitation. Mentorship and support, she believes, are not optional; they are responsibilities, and small acts of guidance can open doors for someone else.

Advice to Young Professionals

Gauri encourages others not to confine themselves to “safe” or linear career paths. The roles that initially intimidated her taught her the most. She emphasises the importance of curiosity, relationships, and learning from every experience. Success, she believes, doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s; it is about staying true to your values while continuously growing.

Looking Ahead

Curiosity remains her driving force. She actively seeks knowledge through books, courses, and conversations with people across industries. She understands that data can guide decisions, but insights are truly created when combined with reflection and human understanding.

Being recognised among the Businesswomen of the Year 2025 is meaningful for Gauri, but for her, it is also a reminder: unconventional paths, persistence through uncertainty, and the courage to continue despite doubt hold power. Her professional journey is not defined by titles or authority; it is defined by curiosity, integrity, and the choices she makes every day to learn, grow, and create value for herself and others.