Women’s Day Special: Inside Neha Gupta Mahatme’s Leadership at Amazon Pay

1. Can you take us back to the moment you decided not to “wait for your turn” and instead take the lead in your space?

There wasn’t one dramatic moment; it was a series of decisions where I chose responsibility over comfort. Early in my career, when I was working on scaling digital payments in India, the ecosystem was still nascent. There weren’t playbooks, and there certainly weren’t many women in decision-making roles in fintech. I remember a particular instance in my early career when I decided to challenge key business tenets to capture the opportunity to create the single largest digital payments platform, where I realised that if I waited for validation, I would miss the opportunity to shape the outcome. So I stepped forward. Since then, whether while building mobile money adoption at Airtel or later at Amazon Pay, I’ve believed that leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about raising your hand when something needs to be built, fixed, or reimagined.

2. What does power mean to you personally, and how has that definition evolved through your journey?

Earlier in my career, I equated power with influence, the ability to move decisions or drive outcomes. Today, power means something deeper. It means creating access. In fintech, power enables someone in a small town to transact digitally with confidence. It’s building systems that are inclusive, intuitive, and trustworthy. Personally, power has evolved into the confidence to say no when needed, to stand by long-term conviction over short-term noise, and to build teams where diverse voices are heard. True power is not about control; it’s about enabling others to succeed.

3. Every path has unseen challenges — what’s one obstacle you faced that shaped the leader you are today?

One of the biggest challenges in fintech has always been building trust at scale. When we were growing early digital payment ecosystems, adoption wasn’t just about technology; it was about changing behaviour. There were moments of scepticism from customers, partners, and even internally, about whether certain innovations would scale. One such example was whether we should continue to invest in Amazon Pay Wallet, with the growing share of
UPI required us to reinvent the value proposition. That phase taught me resilience and patience. It reinforced that leadership sometimes means staying the course when outcomes are not immediately visible. It also taught me to listen deeply because many of our best solutions came from understanding what customers were hesitant about.

4. In a world that often tries to box women into roles, how have you carved out your own identity and voice?

I’ve learned that you don’t need to emulate a certain leadership style to be effective. Early on, there’s subtle pressure to be either overly assertive or overly accommodating. Over time, I realised my strength lies in being both strategic and empathetic. I ask hard questions, but I also prioritise building consensus. I care deeply about outcomes, but I care equally about people. There were moments when I was the only woman in the room, like in leadership reviews, annual planning meetings, partner engagements, etc., and instead of seeing that as isolating, I began to see it as an opportunity to widen the room for others. Carving your voice isn’t about being louder. It’s about being clear.

5. Was there a pivotal failure or setback that became a turning point in your growth? What did it teach you?

There have been initiatives that didn’t scale the way we expected. In fast-evolving sectors like digital payments, not every experiment succeeds. One particular initiative was on the mental model for reducing the share of cash-on-delivery orders — a turning point. What it taught me was invaluable: move fast, learn faster, and never let a setback define your conviction. Innovation is iterative. The willingness to course-correct is often more important than being right the first time.

6. Who are the women (or mentors) who have influenced your journey, and how have they impacted the way you lead or create?

I’ve been fortunate to learn from strong leaders, both women and men, who valued clarity, customer obsession, and long-term thinking.

My father and early managers, such as Manoj Kohli and Sriraman Jagannathan, played a significant role in shaping my confidence early on. I also draw inspiration from women who balance ambition with authenticity, who don’t shrink themselves to fit expectations. At Amazon, as we say, it’s always ‘Day 1,’ so the learning never stops, and luckily, I’ve been surrounded by leaders who push you to think bigger. That culture of bold thinking and accountability has deeply influenced how I lead teams today.

7. What change are you most proud of driving — whether in your industry, community, or within yourself?

I’m proud of contributing to India’s digital payments evolution from early mobile money ecosystems serving millions to helping scale trusted, customer-centric financial solutions at Amazon Pay. But beyond metrics, what makes me proud is seeing digital payments become second nature for once-hesitant customers. On a personal level, I’m proud of the leader I’ve grown into someone who can balance ambition with empathy, and scale with responsibility.

8. For the next generation of women looking up to you, what is one piece of advice you’d give them about owning their space and taking the lead?

Don’t wait to feel “ready.” Growth happens in stretch roles. Own your curiosity. Ask questions. Seek responsibility. And most importantly, don’t dim your ambition to make others comfortable. There will be moments of doubt, but remember that leadership is not granted; it is demonstrated consistently over time. Your voice belongs in every room where decisions are being made. Step in.