Women in Java: A Q&A with Tuli Bhattacharjee

Meet Tuli, a Consultant in Capco’s Technology and Engineering practice, who talks about her journey from curiosity to coding at scale. She shares how working on real-time transaction systems shaped her growth, and what continues to inspire her in Java development.

1. What made you decide to pursue a career in software development, specifically in Java?

I’ve always enjoyed figuring things out, and coding felt like the perfect outlet for that. Java stands out because it’s everywhere - from enterprise systems to mobile applications. Once I started learning it, I realized how powerful and flexible it was which made me choose it as the foundation of my career.

2. What made you apply for a role in Capco’s Technology and Engineering practice?

I joined Capco as a Consultant and my first project involved building real-time transaction services which introduced me to the world of ‘big data’. What attracted me to Capco was its strong engineering culture combined with deep expertise in financial services. It felt like the ideal environment to grow technically while delivering impactful, real-world solutions in a collaborative setting.

3. What has been the most interesting Java project you’ve worked on? What made it so engaging or rewarding?

One of the most engaging projects I’ve worked on involved upgrading a high-volume transaction service for digital wallet users of a leading global payments client. The system processed lakhs of real-time transactions per second, demanding a robust backend with low-latency processing and high availability. Designing the backend architecture and maintaining strict SLAs with zero downtime made this a technically rewarding and high-stakes challenge.

4. What technical or professional challenges have you faced in your career as a Java developer, and how have you overcome them?

One technical challenge was adapting to big data and distributed processing frameworks within the Java ecosystem, as Java isn’t the primary language for many of these tools. I had to transition from building monolithic applications to designing systems capable of large-scale parallel processing. Through hands-on learning and understanding distributed systems, I became more confident writing scalable code tailored to data-heavy applications.

5. The tech industry has traditionally been male-dominated. Have you experienced any barriers, and how did you navigate them?

Like many others, I’ve sometimes had to assert my technical decisions more firmly to ensure they were taken seriously. I navigate these situations by staying sharp in my domain, backing up my ideas with data and clear reasoning, and consistently delivering quality outcomes.

6. What misconceptions do people often have about working in Java development? What would you tell them?

A common misconception is that Java is outdated or slow compared to newer languages. In truth, modern Java is incredibly powerful. With enhancements in the JVM and frameworks like Spring Boot, it's still one of the top languages for building scalable, maintainable, high-performance enterprise systems.

7. What three key traits do you think make someone successful in a Java development team?

1. Strong foundational knowledge: Understanding Java’s core concepts deeply makes solving problems much easier
2. Focus on code quality: Writing clean, maintainable code is crucial for long-term project success
3. Collaboration: Teamwork and open communication ensure better alignment and delivery.

8. What does 'Be Yourself at Work' mean to you as a woman in tech? How has that influenced your experience at work?

To me, it means embracing my unique perspective and having the confidence to speak up. Capco has cultivated an inclusive environment where I feel empowered to contribute authentically, build trust, and support others to do the same.

9. What advice would you give to young women or career changers considering a career in Java or software development more broadly?

Use your network and never hesitate to seek advice. There are always people willing to help, you just need to ask.

10. What are your professional goals or aspirations in the Java or software engineering space?

I’m eager to dive deeper into the world of data and AI to better solve and integrate real-world challenges through engineering.

11. What do you enjoy doing outside of coding and development?

I enjoy staying active with strength training, and occasionally, I like to cook as it’s a creative outlet that lets me unwind in a totally different way.

12. Have any resources such as courses, communities, or mentors been especially influential in your Java career? How have they helped shape your path?

Community-driven platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub have been incredibly helpful. I've also had the benefit of working with mentors who encouraged me to take on challenging tasks, which helped build my confidence and sharpen my technical decision-making.