Mums in Tech ft. Rebecca Supriya Prasangi

Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?

I’m Rebecca Supriya Prasangi, a Platform Engineer/Technical Lead at NCS Group and a mum to a curious toddler who keeps me on my toes every day.

I’ve spent more than 14 years working across technology, telecommunications, banking, and financial services, focusing on cloud platforms, platform engineering, and technology transformation. Alongside my role, I also contribute to the broader technology community through technical writing, NASSCOM publications, and as a WomenTech Global Ambassador.

What makes my journey a little different is that it hasn’t been linear. Between international relocation, motherhood, and a career break, I’ve had to rebuild confidence, re-enter the industry, and redefine what success looks like at different stages of life.

If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?

It’s learning that growth doesn’t stop when life changes—it simply takes a different shape.

How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?

I’ve stopped looking for perfect balance.

Earlier in my career, success felt like constantly moving forward. Motherhood changed that perspective. Today, balance is less about dividing time equally and more about being intentional with the time I have.

Some of my most important conversations happen in architecture meetings. Others happen while walking my son to daycare or reading the same story for the tenth time before bedtime.

I’ve learned that being fully present matters more than trying to do everything at once.

What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?

Returning after my career break.

Not because the technology was difficult to learn again, but because confidence takes longer to rebuild than technical skills.

The industry moves quickly, and when you’re away, it’s easy to assume everyone else is progressing while you’re standing still.

What surprised me was that motherhood had developed strengths I wasn’t giving myself credit for—adaptability, patience, prioritisation, empathy, and the ability to stay calm when things don’t go according to plan.

The biggest challenge wasn’t catching up technically.

It was recognising that my value hadn’t disappeared simply because my journey looked different.

What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?

Motherhood has made me far more effective at distinguishing between what is urgent and what is important.

It has also made me a better listener, a more empathetic leader, and someone who focuses on outcomes rather than activity. When your day includes both production incidents and toddler negotiations, you quickly learn that flexibility and perspective are powerful skills.

When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?

Visible examples of women who had successfully done it before me.

Return-to-work journeys are often discussed as programmes and policies, but what many women need most is proof that it is possible.

Seeing women who had taken career breaks, returned, progressed into leadership roles, and continued to grow would have made a huge difference to my confidence.

What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?

Stop treating motherhood as a risk factor.

Some of the most capable, organised, adaptable, and resilient professionals I’ve worked with are working mothers.

The conversation shouldn’t be about accommodating limitations. It should be about recognising strengths.

Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?

Don’t let a temporary pause convince you that your story has peaked.

Some of my proudest professional moments—including leadership opportunities, industry recognition, publishing through NASSCOM, and contributing to global technology communities—happened after becoming a mother.

Your career may not follow the timeline you originally imagined.

That doesn’t make it smaller.

Sometimes it makes it far more meaningful.

MotherBoard is powered by ADLIB Recruitment.