Women should believe in themselves and take risks: Chandrika Deb of Canva India

The representation of women in the tech industry falls short of expectations, but this can change if women can believe in themselves and are willing to take risks, said Chandrika Deb, Country Manager - India, Canva, at SheSparks 2025 in Bengaluru on Friday.

In an fireside chat with Sangeeta Bavi, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at YourStory, Deb said women need to clearly define their values and integrity in order to showcase their true personality. “Self-reflection is the starting point,” she remarked.

Deb said that women will face moments of self-doubt in their careers, but that should not deter them from trying something new. “The floor cannot be that low as there is nothing so bad that is going to happen, at least one should try,” she added.

Deb has had an interesting career trajectory. She started her career in public policy and then moved on to ecommerce major Flipkart before becoming the first employee at design software company Canva India.

Today, India is the fourth largest market for Canva globally. As the head of Canva India, Deb’s vision for the company is to foster a culture where people are empowered to perform at their optimal levels. “My job is not to tell my people what to do, but to empower and mentor them,” she said.

During the conversation, Deb was asked about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on design, especially since Canva has democratised this technology, giving access to everyone to create their own content.

“AI is more of an enabler and will make us more efficient,” she said.

Deb explained that today, AI is able to help everyone, even if they do not have any technical expertise. She added that AI can be very useful for small businesses to take them to a different level.

When asked about her favourite feature on Canva, her instant reply was 'background remover'.