Mercari India Archives - Mercari India

June 19, 2025

Inside the FIDO Alliance Meetup: 100+ Experts, 50+ Orgs, and Mercari on the Panel, Rooparsh

Event Name: FIDO Alliance India Working Group (FIWG) Member Meetup and Workshop Attendee: Over 100 participants representing 50+ organizations, hosted at the Google Ananta office in Bengaluru. On Friday, 6 June 2025, I had the privilege of attending the FIDO India Working Group (FIWG) meetup as a panelist representing Mercari. The event brought together pioneers, thought leaders, and technologists to discuss the progress and future of FIDO-based authentication. Hosted at the Google Ananta office, the event wasn’t just an exchange of technical insights but also a collaborative space to ideate a passwordless future. The discussions centered around the challenges of traditional authentication mechanisms involving passwords and OTPs and how FIDO’s innovative framework can streamline authentication while bolstering security. The event saw impressive contributions from companies like Google, Zoho, Times Internet, Mastercard, and VinCSS, further showcasing how FIDO standards are being applied to a wide array of industries, including IoT.With over 100 participants from 50+ organizations, the energy was palpable, enhanced by Google’s cutting-edge venue and delightful food. Key Takeaways: Transitioning to Passkeys: Times Internet shared their hands-on journey of migrating from passwords to passkeys, highlighting technical obstacles as well as their solutions to make user adoption seamless. Hearing about their significant improvements in both user experience and security was an important learning experience for all. Zoho’s Impactful Solutions: Zoho presented their FIDO-compliant solutions, which are aiding numerous IT companies in enhancing authentication experiences. Their insights showcased how FIDO standards can deliver both security and usability in enterprise settings. Mastercard & RBI Collaboration: Mastercard unveiled their ambitious plans to roll out passkey authentication solutions in partnership with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The room was buzzing with excitement over how these upcoming changes could transform authentication systems in India, particularly in the financial sector. IoT with Passkeys (VinCSS): A standout… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/uncategorized/inside-the-fido-alliance-meetup-100-experts-50-orgs-and-mercari-on-the-panel-rooparsh/">Continue reading Inside the FIDO Alliance Meetup: 100+ Experts, 50+ Orgs, and Mercari on the Panel, Rooparsh</a>

June 17, 2025

Building Bridges: Introducing Our GOP team!

Welcome to our hiring series- Building Bridges. At Mercari we pride ourselves on building a talented and dynamic team. In this series, you’ll get to know the faces behind the teams that run our organisation. Let’s dive in and get to know them better with the team. Meet Taichi NAKASHIMA Taichi joined Mercari Japan in 2017 as an SRE. At that time, the organization was growing rapidly, which led to a slowdown in development speed. To address this, the team decided to migrate Mercari’s monolithic architecture running on an on-premise environment to a microservices architecture on the cloud. Taichi formed a platform engineering team to build a cloud-native platform that would make it easier for developers to run these microservices. Over time, he served as Technical Lead, Engineering Manager, and Director, driving the growth of the platform that now supports various businesses within Mercari. In 2024, he became the VP of Cross-Border Engineering and began leading efforts to build a global foundation that enables Mercari to expand its business internationally. Mercari India: As you lay the foundation for this new team, what are the key qualities or mindsets you’re looking for in engineers who will drive both localization and scalability for diverse global markets? Taichi: Our engineering team defines a set of Tenets that guide each member in making decisions, and one of these is “Design for Two.” This principle ensures that every system is designed to support at least two countries or regions from the start. If a system is built on this foundation, it becomes much easier to expand to a third or fourth market — for example, if it already supports two languages, adding another is much simpler. Engineers who join this team must have the capability and foresight to design systems with future flexibility in mind.… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/careers/building-bridges-introducing-our-gop-team/">Continue reading Building Bridges: Introducing Our GOP team!</a>

June 17, 2025

Two Sides of the Desk: An Intern-Mentor Journey ft. Smriti and Jesuine at Mercari India

Welcome to Two Sides of the Desk, a blog series where we share the unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs of interns and their mentors. This blog explores the dynamic relationship between mentor and mentee, offering insights from both sides of the desk. Whether you’re a seasoned mentor, a budding intern, or simply curious about the mentorship journey, our stories and reflections aim to inspire, educate, and foster a deeper understanding of this transformative partnership. Mentor: Smriti Singhal Designation: HR- Mercari India How do you approach balancing guidance and autonomy for your interns to ensure they’re both learning and contributing meaningfully to projects? My approach has always been to create a balance between structure and space. I made sure she had clarity on expectations, but I didn’t micromanage. I allowed her to explore, make mistakes, and come back with questions even if it was the same question twice. I believe real learning happens when someone feels safe enough to try, fail, and ask again. That space helped her grow, and over time, she not only delivered with consistency and confidence, but also began taking full ownership of her work with remarkable attention to detail and accountability At the same time, I also make it clear that the freedom I offer shouldn’t be taken for granted. With autonomy comes responsibility. I try to instill that balance of being self-driven but also accountable so she understands that trust is something we build and maintain together. The goal for me is always to make someone confident in their own voice, not just efficient in a task. Can you provide an example of a particularly challenging situation you’ve encountered while mentoring an intern, and how you navigated it to ensure their growth and success? When Jesuine first joined, she came across as quite introverted and found… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/uncategorized/two-sides-of-a-desk/">Continue reading Two Sides of the Desk: An Intern-Mentor Journey ft. Smriti and Jesuine at Mercari India</a>

June 4, 2025

From DNS Failures to Resilience: How NodeLocal DNSCache Saved the Day, Sanu Satyadarshi

I am Sanu Satyadarshi, part of the Platform Engineering division at Mercari, Inc. Platform Engineering provides a cost-effective, safe, and easy-to-use multi-cloud infrastructure service for all engineering teams to make and scale bets. This article discusses the DNS-related challenges encountered at Mercari on our Kubernetes clusters and the significant improvements achieved by implementing Node-Local DNS Cache. By optimizing DNS traffic and reducing errors, we enhanced system reliability and scalability, preventing production outages caused by DNS failures. Key Takeaways Reduced DNS calls to kube-dns by 10x, decreasing network overhead and inter-service communication costs. Lowered DNS query rates by 93% for services on the cluster. Achieved a 10x-100x reduction in DNS-level errors, improving system resilience. Eliminated the “failed to refresh DNS cache” errors, mitigating a frequent source of incidents. DNS on Kubernetes: The Elephant in the Room Domain Name System, more commonly known as DNS an extremely critical component in the internet infrastructure. This is the tech that allows your web browser to find the actual IP address of a website when you type example.com in your browser. DNS in itself is a highly complex topic, and understanding it requires a book(or two) on its own. Like any network infrastructure, Kubernetes depends on DNS to resolve service names like [service name].[namespace].svc.cluster.local and other names to IPs and allows communications among services and the external world. From the role of DNS in Kubernetes, you can imagine that any DNS failure or degradation can quickly escalate to increased latency, network congestion, and even complete outages. On Kubernetes, DNS is installed as a kube-dns deployment running on the kube-system namespace. Specifically at Mercari, it comes pre-installed with our managed GKE clusters for service discovery and name resolution across the clusters. kube-dns on Kubernetes allows multiple configurations using the configmap that can be used to change various parameters like ndots, etc. As kube-dns is responsible for resolving all… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india/from-dns-failures-to-resilience-how-nodelocal-dnscache-saved-the-day-sanu-satyadarshi/">Continue reading From DNS Failures to Resilience: How NodeLocal DNSCache Saved the Day, Sanu Satyadarshi</a>

May 28, 2025

Inside the manager’s mind : Manjunath Sagar

Welcome to inside the manager’s mind — a space where leadership meets reality. Explore the highs, lows, and everyday decisions that shape teams and drive success. From strategic thinking to people management, this blog offers raw insights and practical wisdom for those leading or aspiring to lead. In this feature we’d like you to meet Sagar! Sagar : At Mercari India, rapid expansion is more than just scaling numbers—it’s about intentional leadership that fosters clarity, unlocks potential, and nurtures an empowered culture. For me, effective management isn’t just about driving performance; it’s about guiding with steadiness, leading with empathy, and creating a foundation of trust. As we continue to grow, I find myself leaning on a set of principles—some expected, some unconventional—that have shaped the way I support my team. Whether it’s welcoming new talent, refining HR initiatives, or championing individual growth, these values remain at the core of how I lead. 1. Anchor in Calm Amidst Chaos Change fuels innovation, but it also brings uncertainty. In high-growth environments, teams don’t just look to their leaders for solutions—they look for steadiness. My guiding principle: My calm creates their safety; my clarity gives them direction. What I do: Every one-on-one starts the same way—with a genuine “How are you doing?” before diving into work. This small act of care fosters trust and sets the tone for a culture of support. 2. Empower Through Context, Not Control Momentum thrives when people feel empowered, not micromanaged. Providing context allows teams to move with confidence and make decisions independently. What I do: During onboarding and team syncs, I take extra time to explain the reasoning behind our goals—not just what we’re doing, but why it matters. The result? A team that thinks critically, acts decisively, and continuously grows. 3. Normalize “I Don’t Know” Leadership… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-india/inside-the-managers-mind-manjunath-sagar/">Continue reading Inside the manager’s mind : Manjunath Sagar</a>

May 9, 2025

From Day 1 to Day 100 at Mercari: A Journey of Growth and Memories ft. Aashutosh Agrawal

When I first heard that Mercari was coming to our campus, I was excited but also a little nervous. It felt like a huge opportunity — and looking back now, I realize it was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far. The Beginning: Placement Journey The process kicked off with an Online Assessment (OA) consisting of two medium-level DSA questions. It tested not just speed but also our ability to think critically under pressure. After clearing the OA, I had my technical interview with Rajat, where we discussed coding approaches, problem-solving techniques, and a few OS and computer science fundamentals. What stood out was how the conversation was more collaborative than a “grill” session. Next was the managerial round with Atif, where the focus shifted towards understanding my motivations, how I work in teams, and cultural fit. It was refreshing to have an open, honest conversation rather than just technical questions. Finally, I remember the day I received the confirmation letter — a mix of relief, excitement, and pride. It was the start of something new. Day 1: A Warm Welcome The first day at Mercari was truly special. From being welcomed with a thoughtfully curated goodies kit to meeting fellow interns and full-time employees during the onboarding, everything felt smooth and personal. The highlight was the team dinner later in the evening — good food, casual chats, and laughter with people who, until a few hours ago, were complete strangers. January: Settling In, Learning the Foundations, and a Special Cricket Memory January was all about getting familiar with Mercari’s world and setting a strong foundation. We started with our common onboarding sessions — diving into essential tools like GitHub, Confluence, Slack, JIRA, understanding Mercari’s overall architecture, and exploring key repositories. These sessions were packed with valuable insights… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/intern-series/from-day-1-to-day-100-at-mercari-a-journey-of-growth-and-memories/">Continue reading From Day 1 to Day 100 at Mercari: A Journey of Growth and Memories ft. Aashutosh Agrawal</a>

February 24, 2025

Inside the manager’s mind : Gaurav Bansal

Welcome to inside the manager’s mind — a space where leadership meets reality. Explore the highs, lows, and everyday decisions that shape teams and drive success. From strategic thinking to people management, this blog offers raw insights and practical wisdom for those leading or aspiring to lead. In this feature we’d like you to meet Gaurav Bansal! Gaurav Bansal: As a manager, my constant focus is on solving challenges that my team faces. The key is staying aware of these challenges, acknowledging them, and taking decisive action. Let me share how I approach some common management challenges. Building Cross-Functional Collaboration When my team expanded from client-only developers to include Backend developers, I noticed collaboration gaps emerging. While client developers had strong relationships from working together for a year, the integration with Backend developers needed attention. To address this, we focused on creating a collaborative environment through regular team activities, including recent bowling and dinner events that helped break down barriers and foster natural connections. We’ve made significant strides in fostering technical understanding between teams. Our backend team now regularly shares insights about API performance, which has led to client teams implementing more effective loading states. Similarly, when client teams demonstrate user interactions, it helps backend developers design more intuitive API endpoints. These exchanges have transformed our team’s mindset from “That’s not my job” to “How can I help?” Maintaining Team Motivation Recognition plays a crucial role in keeping the team motivated throughout the development lifecycle. We celebrate joint wins and team contributions, making sure everyone feels valued for their unique contributions. Mercari’s employee-centric culture and various club activities provide additional avenues for engagement and motivation.Work-life balance is another cornerstone of our approach. We’ve implemented flexible working hours, understanding that some team members are early birds while others peak later in… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/inside-the-managers-mind-gaurav-bansal/">Continue reading Inside the manager’s mind : Gaurav Bansal</a>

January 9, 2025

Building Bridges: Introducing Our Dynamic Cross Border Team

Welcome to our hiring series- Building Bridges. At Mercari we pride ourselves on building a talented and dynamic team. In this series, you’ll get to know the faces behind the teams that run our organisation.Let’s dive in and get to know them better with the Engineering Manager – Atif Shaik Mercari India: Can you tell us a bit about what a typical day looks like for the Cross Border team? Atif: We’re one of the teams building the next big thing at Mercari, so our days are packed with energy and purpose. We start with a quick sync to catch up on where everyone is with their tasks and anything exciting (or challenging) from the day before. After that, we often have discussions with our product manager and maybe a few other team members to make sure everyone is aligned. Once we’re on the same page, we dive deep into focused work—building the core pieces of our new app. It’s pretty intense, but knowing we’re building something global makes it super rewarding. Mercari India: Tell us more about the engineers you are currently hiring for, and what qualities do you look for in potential candidates? Atif: We’re looking for a passionate folks to join us—a true enthusiast who’s excited by the idea of building for a global audience. It’s fast-paced here, but if you love learning quickly and tackling fresh challenges, you’ll fit right in. We’re after someone who doesn’t just think about the tech; we want someone who has a real appreciation for the product and the experience we’re delivering to people. It’s not just about code; it’s about crafting something people will love using. Mercari India: How does your team collaborate and what tools or methods do you use to stay connected and productive? Atif: Slack is our… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/building-bridges-introducing-our-dynamic-cross-border-team/">Continue reading Building Bridges: Introducing Our Dynamic Cross Border Team</a>

October 9, 2024

Mercari India’s First CSR Activity: A Heartwarming Visit to Saanthvana Seva

Our visit to Saanthvana Seva was not just another CSR initiative; it was a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and human connection. The day was filled with joy, introspection, and a profound sense of fulfillment. As we departed, we carried with us the heartfelt stories we heard, along with a strengthened commitment to continue making a positive difference in the lives of those who need it most. Understanding CSR: More Than Just a Mandate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is more than just a legal obligation for companies; it’s a philosophy that embodies the essence of ethical business practices and the commitment to contributing positively to society. Through CSR initiatives, companies can address societal challenges, promote sustainable development, and uplift communities. At Mercari India, we view CSR as a vital aspect of our mission to create a meaningful impact beyond our business goals. The Story Behind Saanthvana Seva Saanthvana Seva Old Age Home and Rehabilitation Centre is an extraordinary place, founded by Dr. Kumada GC and Sridhar V, a compassionate Doctor and Engineer couple. Over the past seven years, they have dedicated their lives to running this old age home, which now operates across three buildings. Their mission is simple yet profound: to provide not just shelter and food but also love and care to the elderly residents who call this place home. What makes Saanthvana Seva truly special is the involvement of the entire family in this noble cause. Dr. Kumada and Sridhar’s two children, along with their mother-in-law and father-in-law, all contribute to the daily lives of the residents. Together, they create an environment where the elderly are not just cared for but cherished. A Day of Joy and Connection On August 29th, 14 of our employees visited Saanthvana Seva, marking the first time in seven years… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/events/mercari-indias-first-csr-activity-a-heartwarming-visit-to-saanthvana-seva/">Continue reading Mercari India’s First CSR Activity: A Heartwarming Visit to Saanthvana Seva</a>

August 6, 2024

Two Sides of the Desk: An Intern-Mentor Journey ft. Prajwal and Minal at Mercari India

Welcome to Two Sides of the Desk, a blog series where we share the unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs of interns and their mentors. This blog explores the dynamic relationship between mentor and mentee, offering insights from both sides of the desk. Whether you’re a seasoned mentor, a budding intern, or simply curious about the mentorship journey, our stories and reflections aim to inspire, educate, and foster a deeper understanding of this transformative partnership. Mercari India: How do you approach balancing guidance and autonomy for your interns to ensure they’re both learning and contributing meaningfully to projects? Prajwal: Balancing guidance and autonomy involves setting a solid foundation with clear expectations, equipping interns with the right set of tools and resources, providing structured support, and gradually increasing autonomy as interns grow more confident and capable. Regular communication and feedback are key to ensuring they are both learning and contributing meaningfully to projects. Mercari India: Can you provide an example of a particularly challenging situation you’ve encountered while mentoring an intern, and how you navigated it to ensure their growth and success? Prajwal: Introducing the codebase was challenging given its size, structure, and complexity. To avoid overwhelming the intern with technical jargon, I decided to present an eagle’s eye view of the codebase instead of navigating file by file. I sliced the codebase into blocks of predefined functionalities. To reinforce her understanding, I recommended she explore a recently built feature that was a fresh implementation and less entangled with the rest of the codebase. This approach set her perspective on the outline of the end-to-end logical structure of a given screen. This atomic exploration enabled her to understand the composition of the rest of the app by inference and led her to successfully complete her first business KR with minimal supervision. Mercari… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/intern-series/two-sides-of-the-desk-an-intern-mentor-journey-ft-prajwal-and-minal-at-mercari-india/">Continue reading Two Sides of the Desk: An Intern-Mentor Journey ft. Prajwal and Minal at Mercari India</a>

July 15, 2024

Building Bridges: Introducing Our Dynamic Platform Team

Welcome to our hiring series- Building Bridges. At Mercari we pride ourselves on building a talented and dynamic team. In this series, you’ll get to know the faces behind the teams that run our organisation. Let’s dive in and get to know them better! Team Introduction Mercari comprises four main divisions: Marketplace, Merpay, Mercoin, and Souzoh. Within these divisions, there are hundreds of microservices. The Platform group serves as the foundation for all services across the entire organization. Our Platform Engineering teams play a crucial role in assisting engineers at Mercari and its subsidiaries in building and delivering superior products to our customers. We provide the necessary infrastructure and DevOps toolchains to enhance the reliability, security, and observability of our services, making engineers’ work more efficient. At Mercari, our mission is to empower the business to take and scale risks, enabling the discovery of new opportunities and driving growth. Mercari India: Can you tell us a bit about what a typical day looks like for the Platform team? Rajesh: As platform engineers, we take end-to-end responsibility for the entire platform. A typical day involves a mix of various activities, including working on new initiatives, enhancing existing components, aligning with stakeholders, and providing support to our customers—primarily developers. You can expect to spend: Mercari India: Tell us more about the role you are currently hiring for, and what qualities do you look for in potential candidates? Rajesh: The Platform group at Mercari consists of multiple teams working together, each focusing on dedicated areas. These teams include Infrastructure/Observability, Network, CI/CD, Developer Experience (DX), MLOps, Experimentation Platform, and Data Platform. Each team has specific ownership and responsibilities.In Mercari India, we have extended Infrastructure/Observability and Network teams. Despite being in different geographical locations, these teams function as a single cohesive unit. We are looking… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/building-bridges-introducing-our-dynamic-platform-team/">Continue reading Building Bridges: Introducing Our Dynamic Platform Team</a>

July 4, 2024

Mercari Spotlight: Celebrating One Year at Mercari – Sanu Satyadarshi, Lead Software Engineer-Platform Engineering

It’s incredible to reflect on my first year at Mercari as a Lead Software Engineer. This journey has been filled with remarkable achievements and personal growth, shaping both my career and our team’s success. A core aspect of my role has been enhancing our team’s capabilities through strategic hiring and development. Over the past year, I’ve streamlined our hiring process, reviewed countless resumes, conducted interviews, and successfully onboarded new talent. By standardizing interview formats and employing innovative onboarding techniques, we’ve accelerated team expansion and significantly increased our offer acceptance rates. On the technical front, I’ve led critical projects aimed at optimizing our infrastructure and improving operational efficiency. This includes spearheading multi-regional initiatives and enhancing service reliability through structured service tiers and clear SLAs. These efforts have not only strengthened our technical capabilities but also positioned us for future scalability and innovation. Beyond technical achievements, I’ve enjoyed mentoring and guiding team members, helping them navigate challenges and grow professionally. Participating in initiatives like Build@Mercari and engaging with top talent from premier institutions has been particularly rewarding, reflecting Mercari’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a vibrant community. Traveling to Japan for team-building activities has been invaluable, fostering stronger bonds and enhancing collaboration across our global teams. These experiences have enriched my understanding of our company culture and reinforced the importance of cross-functional teamwork. As I reflect on this milestone, I’m grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve received at Mercari. The past year has been a testament to our collective dedication to excellence and innovation. I look forward to continuing this journey with my exceptional colleagues as we strive to make meaningful contributions to Mercari’s mission and vision. Here’s to many more milestones and successes ahead! If our stories resonate with you and you are inspired to be part of an… <a class="more-link" href="https://about.in.mercari.com/news/mercari-spotlight-celebrating-one-year-at-mercari-sanu-satyadarshi-senior-software-engineer-platform-engineering/">Continue reading Mercari Spotlight: Celebrating One Year at Mercari – Sanu Satyadarshi, Lead Software Engineer-Platform Engineering</a>

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Category: Mercari India