Nandhini Pandurangan
Product Manager, Zoho Deluge
Years with Zoho
Years with Zoho
What did you want to be while growing up?
A teacher.
A leader that inspires you
Many people, from my teachers to those I meet daily, have inspired me in meaningful ways.Your go-to comfort food?
Curd rice.
Describe your current role in the organization.
In my current role, I manage Zoho Deluge (our low-code scripting language), where I focus on making the syntax elegant, intuitive, and friendly for users with minimal coding experience—while still strengthening the technical foundation for better scalability. I work closely with users, gather their feedback, and try to build solutions that genuinely help a wide audience.
I’m also part of the Zoho Creator Product Management team, where I handle developer-focused features such as Integrations, Environments, and Platform capabilities.
What role does Zoho’s company culture play in your identity and the work that you do?
Zoho’s culture of empathy and encouragement shapes a big part of who I am at work. It’s a place where we lift each other up, help one another understand mistakes instead of pointing fingers, and keep things simple.
Being surrounded by a positive, curious, and supportive environment makes me more focused, dedicated, and driven to solve problems thoughtfully. It genuinely influences how I show up every day.
What were the highest and lowest points of your journey with Zoho?
I’ve had many high points in my journey, but two moments really stand out. The first is when I got to work with Sridhar Vembu on building a language parser as a fun project—it was challenging, exciting, and something I’ll always remember.
The second was rebuilding the entire Deluge framework. That came with its own share of tough days, which I’d consider some of my lowest points too, but the way the team backed me throughout made it one of the most memorable highs of my career.
Your most embarrassing blunder?
I once gave my ID card to a close friend so she could make a quick purchase at our internal store. Turns out, the storekeeper checked the photo, realized the swipe didn’t match, and she got marched straight to HR. They called me in too and gave us a gentle reminder about ID usage rules. It was all sorted quickly, but the secondhand embarrassment was real. Safe to say, I’ve never handed over my ID again!
What are your hobbies or favorite activities outside of work?
I’ve always loved making things with my hands. Since school, I’ve been repurposing old or unused household items into something new—it boosts my creativity and makes me genuinely happy. I also enjoy origami, and I’ve even taught a few designs to my teammates.
Another hobby that grew on me over time is coin collecting. It started with saving interesting coins we use every day, and slowly turned into collecting old coins and coins from different countries. It’s something I really enjoy and still continue to explore.
Words of Wisdom
Stay happy, stay grounded, and give your mind the space it needs to think and create. Try not to juggle too many things at once—it only adds stress and weighs you down over time. Take care of your health, stay hydrated, and move your body, even if it’s just a little every day.
Keep your expectations light; it brings a surprising sense of peace. And remember, none of this is easy. But if you keep trying, learning, and showing up for yourself, you’ll get closer to the life and dreams you’re working toward.