In the quiet of the Himalayas, a powerful shift is underway. Through a pioneering partnership between Flipkart and Berg Technologies, digital employment is finding new ground far from India’s urban tech hubs. This story highlights how youth in Dehradun and Jammu are building future-ready careers and creating lasting economic impact close to home - enabled by a partnership bringing digital employment to where it’s needed most. Read.
In India’s bustling digital economy, it’s easy to assume that innovation lives solely in the high-rise buildings of Bengaluru or the startup hubs of Gurugram. But a quieter transformation is taking place far from the metro buzz, in the mountains and valleys of the Himalayan region. It’s here, in places like Dehradun and Jammu that Berg Technologies and Flipkart are rewriting the rules of scale, opportunity, and inclusion.
“When my father tells people that I work in tech, it lights up his face,” says Nitasha Baloria, a Quality Verifier with Berg Technologies, a Flipkart vendor partner in Jammu. “And for the first time, I feel like I’m helping him carry the load.” Her journey, like those of many others with her, reflects a powerful shift – of choosing to stay rooted, of finding purpose close to home, and of proving that meaningful work doesn’t need to move people. It can move with them.
A Startup with a Unique Compass
When Devesh Bijalwan, Co-founder and Manish Sharma, Operations Head, launched Berg Technologies, they weren’t chasing another metro-based success story. They were chasing something more personal, more urgent. Having grown up in Dehradun and Jammu respectively, they had watched generations of bright students leave home – like they once did – in search of opportunities, often settling in distant cities due to a lack of meaningful employment nearby.
Berg was born out of that realization – to create meaningful, future-ready jobs in the very regions they once left behind.
“At Berg Technologies, we’ve simply brought those opportunities closer to home,” says Devesh. “Individuals from the Himalayan region are inherently resilient and persistent – qualities shaped by their environment – which make them exceptionally strong, reliable, and committed team members.”
To make their vision real, they adopted a bold but simple strategy: bring high-quality, tech-enabled operations to tier 3 cities and smaller towns, starting with their own backyard. With improving internet infrastructure and remote work models gaining traction, the time was right. What was needed was intent, structure and belief.
Their aim was to build not just jobs, but careers. “We wanted to create a work environment where young people from these towns could access the same growth paths, training, and exposure they’d get in a metro without having to leave home,” says Manish.
A partnership that asked the right questions
Around the same time, Flipkart was on its own journey, aiming to make its operations more distributed, resilient, and inclusive. The question it was asking then was: how could this vision translate into meaningful, on-ground impact? With a rapidly expanding customer base and increasingly complex logistical needs, the case for a more decentralized operational model became stronger.
Prabhu Balasrinivasan, Vice President, Procurement, Flipkart says, “When we started the partnership with Berg in Dehradun and later expanded to Jammu, it wasn’t just about outsourcing. We wanted to unlock the potential of youth here – give them the kind of opportunities usually found only in bigger cities. It’s been amazing to see how this has helped both the business and the local communities grow.”
He adds, “We were looking to build something that lasts. Berg proved that with the right systems and people, excellence isn’t limited by geography.”
What followed was a partnership grounded in shared ambition and careful evaluation. “Our goal was to optimize costs while generating meaningful social impact, aligned with our broader vision of creating opportunities in underserved regions,” says Sumant Arya, Director, OneTech, Flipkart.
Image: The Flipkart OneTech team at Berg Technologies’ headquarters in Dehradun.
He continues, “Reverse migration became a key driver, especially when the COVID lockdowns changed work structures. People wanted to return home. The pandemic reminded everyone of the importance of family and roots. Berg understood that sentiment. That’s how they’ve built their organization and that deeply resonated with what we were trying to achieve.”
It was this alignment in purpose that prompted Flipkart to take the next step.
“We started with just 10 to 15 people on tasks like content quality audits,” Sumant recalls. “What stood out was their discipline, hunger to learn, and ability to deliver consistent quality.”
That confidence led to scale. Today, Berg Technologies supports nearly 500 team members working across a wide range of functions for Flipkart from AI and automation testing to data annotation, SEO, and more.
“I’d also like to acknowledge the contributions of Ajay Chaturvedi, Director, Product Ops, Sushant Sharma, Meer Wahedullah, Director, Procurement, and Krunal Thacker, Associate Director, Catalog Ops, for their support in making this collaboration possible,” adds Sumant.
Gaurav Sharma, Senior Director, Catalogue Operations, Flipkart echoes the same sentiment. “What impressed us beyond the Service Level Agreements was their flexibility and mindset. They were willing to take on any task with the same level of ownership. But the bigger learning for us has been the social impact Berg is driving across the Himalayan belt,” he says. “Their processes are robust, with longer training periods, and yet they manage to retain talent exceptionally well. Attrition is low, and there’s a much stronger appetite to learn and grow in smaller cities. It’s a truly mutual partnership based on growing together and doing something meaningful for India.”
When Opportunity Comes Home
At the heart of this story are the people who walk into Berg Technologies every day – young professionals like Jasvinder, Nitasha, Vikrant, and Jyoti.
Jasvinder Choudhary grew up in Ramgarh, a small town near the international border area in Jammu. His childhood was shaped by his father- a retired Army man who embodied duty and discipline. Jasvinder spent years preparing to follow in his footsteps, only to be stopped short by a medical disqualification. “I cleared all my exams, but a minor condition ended my army dreams,” he says.
His family was supportive, but they were also aging. As a single child, relocating to a big city wasn’t an option he could justify. It was around this time that Jasvinder heard about an opening at Berg’s facility in Jammu – a role in quality assurance for Flipkart’s content operations. “It wasn’t just a job offer. It was hope,” he says.
Today, he works as a Quality Analyst at Berg Technologies for Flipkart, conducting meticulous audits to ensure content accuracy and alignment with platform guidelines.
Nitasha Baloria comes from Bhaderwah, a remote hill district where the roads are narrow, the markets are modest, and job opportunities are vanishingly few. Her father has run a small hardware shop for years. “I watched him sacrifice so much to keep the business afloat,” she says.
Despite their challenges, her parents pushed her to study. She earned a computer science degree but found the job market disheartening. Nitasha shares, “Most roles in my region are in field sales or clerical work, rarely aligned with my skillset. I did think about relocating, but I wasn’t comfortable leaving my family behind, especially since my father’s business wasn’t doing well.”
Working as a Quality Verifier, Nitasha now contributes to Flipkart’s content operations. “Before working here, I thought online shopping was easy. Now I see the detailed process behind every order – from quality checks to customer delivery – and I truly enjoy being part of it,” she says. She’s now training to move into a Quality Analyst role and dreams of leading a team one day.
Vikrant Singh Bisht is from Dwarahat, a hilly village in the district of Almora in Uttarakhand. Hailing from an army family, like many in the area, Vikrant’s dream was to pursue a career in the defense forces. However, life had different plans for him. “I tried for competitive exams like SSB for AFCAT. I wasn’t getting any success and finally decided to switch to a corporate job,”says Vikrant. “With limited options in my area, I was unsure of the next step – until a friend and colleague told me about Berg.”
Joining Berg was a turning point. “I still remember my first day. I was nervous, and didn’t know how to speak in meetings. Having been educated in a Hindi-medium school, I wasn’t fluent in English, and that added to my anxiety. But slowly, with support from peers and supervisors, I began to find my footing.” Recently promoted to Quality Analyst, Vikrant credits the people around him and the systems in place for his growth.
Jyoti Kandiyal is the first woman in her family to hold a job in tech. Hailing from a farmer family in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, she had pursued an MBA with determination. But in a region with limited professional opportunities, turning that degree into a meaningful career felt out of reach. So when she heard about Berg and its collaboration with Flipkart, it felt like a turning point.
“After my recent promotion to Team Lead, I now manage a team of 25 people – guiding, training, and mentoring them through daily operations,” says Jyoti. “It’s challenging, but it’s structured, and I can feel myself growing every day.” But perhaps her greatest contribution lies beyond her job description. Jyoti has become a quiet force of change in her community.
“Where I come from, girls are often taught to focus on household work and marriage from a young age,” says Jyoti. “But through my work, I’ve gained the confidence to tell them – there’s more out there. I encourage them to think about their future. A career needn’t take you away from your family – it helps you support them better.”
Where Inclusion Meets Performance
With 65% of its workforce made up of women from cities like Dehradun and Jammu, inclusion is built into Berg’s foundation. “Knowing how difficult it is for women in smaller cities to move out for work, Berg’s mission across its two centers is helping us at Flipkart achieve our objective of promoting inclusivity and diversity even in remote regions,” says Gaurav.
At Flipkart, the cataloging team ensures that every product on the platform is accurately tagged, classified, and easy to discover. By combining machine learning with human intelligence, the team transforms raw product data into structured, searchable listings that enable positive customer experiences. This is where Berg Technologies has emerged as a valuable partner.
From catalog operations to counterfeit monitoring and risk mitigation, Berg has become a high-performing partner for Flipkart. “They’ve helped us handle 10x additional volumes during peak times like our Big Billion Days,” Gaurav adds. “And what’s remarkable is their ability to maintain quality standards across all lines of business, even during those spikes. The focus and dedication they bring is impressive – quite aligned with what we aspire for at Flipkart.”
Gaurav further notes, “Our confidence, especially in strategic locations like Jammu and Dehradun, is growing. Their [Berg’s] ambition to grow in the Himalayan region will not only promote work opportunities to people there but will also help Flipkart contribute towards rewarding and sustainable jobs in remote locations.”
A New Kind of Map
The Flipkart-Berg Technologies collaboration challenges long-held assumptions about where great work can come from. “There’s a huge pool of untapped talent in India’s smaller towns,” says Gaurav. “We used to think advanced work had to stay in Tier 1 cities. But seeing the kind of outcomes Berg has delivered – from cost savings and compliance to strategic insights – has completely shifted that mindset.”
“That impact goes beyond business,” says Prabhu. “What makes me most proud is seeing the tangible impact beyond our immediate business goals. We have helped create meaningful employment in regions often overlooked in the tech ecosystem, and that’s a legacy we’re proud to be building. It’s about creating pathways and possibilities where there were few.”
In a country shaped by migration for opportunity, this collaboration offers a powerful alternative – where people can stay rooted, and meaningful work finds its way home. It’s proof that when opportunity meets local talent, transformation follows. By investing in people where they are, this collaboration has sparked economic dignity, enabled reverse migration, and challenged the idea that innovation only belongs to big cities.
