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Noida founder on running a company while pregnant, says ambition and motherhood can coexist: ‘They fuel each other’
A Noida founder shared how she ran her company while navigating the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy.
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For many working women, pregnancy comes with questions about slowing down, stepping back from professional responsibilities or finding the “right time” to start a family. For Noida-based entrepreneur Diksha Kuriyal, however, pregnancy has unfolded alongside client meetings, business decisions, gym sessions and the everyday responsibilities of running a company.
(Also read: Indian woman in London on balancing motherhood and 9-to-5 job: ‘We see our child’s day through someone else’s camera’)
Kuriyal, 31, is the founder and CEO of TechQilla Pvt. Ltd., a growth and branding agency based in Noida. Originally from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, she has been leading the company as CEO and director since founding it five years ago.
Now in her third trimester and due in late November, Kuriyal told HT.com that becoming pregnant has not reduced her professional ambition. Instead, knowing that life may naturally slow down after childbirth has made her more determined to make the most of the months leading up to it.
“No two days look the same, honestly. I'm across client strategy, business development, content, and team direction. I'm involved in a lot of the thinking- whether that's a new campaign for a client or figuring out how we grow as an agency. I also personally handle our LinkedIn outreach and branding work, because that's something I care deeply about,” she said.
‘It felt like life was finally aligning’
Speaking about learning that she was pregnant, Kuriyal described the moment as overwhelming, but in the best possible way.
“Overwhelmed- in the best way. I've achieved a lot of things I set out to, my company is in a good place, and having a baby was the next thing I truly wanted. I'm 31, I felt ready, and when it happened, it felt right. Like life was finally aligning on all fronts.”
Pregnancy has brought changes to her routine, but Kuriyal said her approach to work remains largely the same.
“Honestly? If anything, I have more energy now. Knowing that things will naturally slow down postpartum has made me want to do more, not less. I still go to the gym, I still lift weights, I'm still fully present in the business. Some days are hard- that's just part of life. But pregnancy hasn't dimmed my drive at all.”
Her working days continue to revolve around managing clients, developing strategies and overseeing the company. The difference, she said, is learning when her body needs a temporary break.
“The one adjustment is that on really hard days- when the exhaustion or discomfort is real; I give myself a few hours of rest and then get back to it in the evening. I make sure I eat well to keep my energy up. The routine has shifted slightly, but the output hasn't.”
The difficult days people do not see
Kuriyal said the physical challenges of pregnancy can arrive unexpectedly. Swollen feet and exhaustion can make even an ordinary working day considerably harder, particularly when deadlines and meetings cannot always be postponed.
“The physical ones creep up on you. There are days when I literally cannot get out of bed. Swollen feet, exhaustion, and there's still a deadline waiting. On those days, I rest for a bit, eat a proper meal, and come back to it.”
For the emotional and mental strain, she often turns to her husband Rahul or takes some time for herself.
“For the mental and emotional weight, I call Rahul- my husband. Or I'll go to a salon or a spa just to reset. You learn to take care of yourself without losing the plot.”
She believes this unseen part of pregnancy is something people rarely acknowledge while observing working women from the outside.
“Yes. There are mornings when I can't work out, my feet hurt, I feel completely drained and I still have to show up for a client call or hit a deadline. No one sees that. People see the Instagram post or the polished email, not the two hours you spent just trying to feel human first. That's the part no one talks about.”
There have also been important client meetings and business decisions on days when she was physically uncomfortable.
“You don't always get to choose your timing. You just learn to manage both- and you do,” she said.
Pressure to always be ‘on’ as a CEO
Running a company also comes with an additional expectation to remain composed, Kuriyal said.
“There's a quiet expectation to always be ‘on’- and yes, I've felt that. But I've also realised that pretending you're fine when you're not doesn't make you a better leader. What makes you a better leader is showing up honestly and still delivering. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.”
She admitted initially worrying about whether pregnancy might alter the way people perceived her professionally.
“A little, at first. It's a natural fear. But the work speaks for itself. If you keep showing up and delivering, people's perceptions follow. I haven't let that fear drive my decisions.”
Her team, she added, has responded warmly to the pregnancy.
“They've been wonderful. They genuinely believe this baby is my lucky charm- and honestly, their energy around it has been really sweet. They see me working through this and I think it's given them a different kind of motivation too. They've said, ‘If you can do this now, you can do anything.’”
Managing pregnancy in a long-distance marriage
Kuriyal's husband currently lives in Germany, meaning the couple is navigating pregnancy while being in a long-distance relationship.
She described Rahul as her biggest source of emotional support despite the physical distance.
“He cheers me on in a way that very few people do. He'll tell me, ‘You're the strongest person on this planet to me- I could never do what you do.’ On hard days, that means everything. He genuinely wants to see me win.”
There are still moments when distance becomes difficult.
“We are in a long distance reltionship as he lives in Germany and sometimes I need my husband, but he tries to do everything he can even he is away,” she said.
Pregnancy changed how she views leadership
The experience has also shaped Kuriyal's ideas about the workplace she wants to build.
“It's deepened my empathy. I understand now, viscerally, what it means to be going through something significant while still being expected to perform. That's made me a more human leader, and that's the kind of workplace I want to build.”
She believes Indian workplaces still have considerable room to improve when it comes to supporting pregnant employees and new mothers.
“Not nearly enough. There's still too much silence around it- women feel like they have to hide or minimise what they're going through just to be taken seriously. We need more flexibility, more openness, and honestly, more stories like this one being told.”
Her own pregnancy has consequently made her reconsider what supportive workplace policies should look like.
“Flexibility, empathy, and not penalising someone for being human- these aren't nice-to-haves, they're the foundation of a good workplace. I want TechQilla to be a place where people never have to choose between their wellbeing and their ambition.”
‘There is no right time’
Kuriyal also challenged a question many ambitious women repeatedly encounter: when is the “right time” to have children?
“There is no right time. There will always be a reason to wait- a bigger client, a better quarter, a more ‘stable’ phase. I stopped waiting. I built my company and I'm growing my family. Both are happening.”
She added, “The idea that you have to earn the right to a personal life by first ‘completing’ your career is something we need to let go of.”
Some people, she said, were surprised that she continued working at the same pace during pregnancy, while women also began reaching out to tell her that seeing her journey had helped them.
“What I've noticed most is that it's sparked real conversations. Women reaching out saying they needed to see this. That's been the most meaningful part.”
For Kuriyal, the larger misconception she wants to challenge is that motherhood and professional ambition must exist in conflict.
“That ambition and pregnancy are at odds. They're not. You can want to build something great and also want to be a mother. One doesn't cancel out the other- if anything, they fuel each other.”
(Also read: Woman opens up about the ‘6 to 10 shift’ after office hours: ‘When will I take out time for myself?’)
Her message to women worried that pregnancy could derail their careers is equally clear.
“It doesn't have to. The fear is real, but so is your capacity. You are more capable than you think, and the version of you that's growing a life while building a business? She's not weaker. She's extraordinary. Don't let anyone or any fear convince you to shrink your ambitions. Start now. The right time is the one you decide on.”
