Operations is the backbone of every business. Learn how to break into this high-impact career path.
Supply Chain Operations
Procurement, inventory, logistics management
Business Operations
Process improvement, efficiency optimization
City/Hub Operations
Managing delivery networks, last-mile logistics
Revenue Operations
Sales enablement, CRM, analytics
Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Dunzo
Delhivery, Shiprocket, Ecom Express, Blue Dart
Most startups have ops roles—look for "Business Operations" or "City Operations"
Typical ops career path:
Operations is a broad field with many specializations. Here's what each type involves:
Managing the flow of goods from supplier to customer.
Key Activities: Vendor management, inventory optimization, demand forecasting, logistics coordination
Tools Used: SAP, Oracle SCM, Excel, Tableau
Best For: Problem-solvers who like optimizing systems and working with data
Improving internal processes and company efficiency.
Key Activities: Process mapping, workflow automation, cross-team coordination, project management
Tools Used: Notion, Asana, Slack, Google Workspace, Zapier
Best For: Generalists who enjoy variety and working with multiple teams
Managing delivery networks, dark stores, and last-mile logistics.
Key Activities: Driver management, hub optimization, SLA monitoring, customer issues
Tools Used: Custom dashboards, Google Sheets, mapping tools
Best For: People who thrive under pressure and enjoy field work
Aligning sales, marketing, and customer success operations.
Key Activities: CRM management, sales analytics, pipeline optimization, reporting
Tools Used: Salesforce, HubSpot, Looker, SQL
Best For: Data-driven individuals interested in sales and growth
Supporting product teams with data, processes, and tools.
Key Activities: Feature launches, user research ops, data analysis, roadmap support
Tools Used: JIRA, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Confluence
Best For: Those who want to work closely with product without being a PM
Operations professionals rely on specific tools. Mastering these will make you more effective and employable.
The workhorse of operations. Must know: VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, conditional formatting, macros. This is non-negotiable.
Query databases directly for insights. Must know: SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY, aggregate functions. Used daily in most ops roles.
Create dashboards and visualizations for reporting. Know at least one well for presenting data to stakeholders.
Task and project tracking. Used for managing workflows, deadlines, and team coordination.
Documentation, wikis, and light databases. Essential for building SOPs and knowledge bases.
For ops roles that work closely with tech teams. Track bugs, features, and sprints.
Automate workflows without coding. Connect apps, trigger actions, save hours of manual work.
For automation scripts, data cleaning, and analysis. Not required everywhere but increasingly valuable.
Here's what a typical day looks like for operations interns at different types of companies:
Operations interviews focus on problem-solving, analytical thinking, and process mindset. Here's how to prepare:
"A delivery hub has 30% late deliveries. How would you diagnose and fix this?" Walk through your thought process.
"How many pizzas are sold in Delhi daily?" Show structured thinking and reasonable assumptions.
Practical test with dataset. Clean data, analyze, draw insights. Practice with real datasets beforehand.
"Tell me about a time you improved a process." Use STAR format, have 3-5 stories ready.
Understanding these metrics will help you in interviews and on the job:
| KPI | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Order Fulfillment Rate | % orders delivered successfully | Customer satisfaction |
| On-Time Delivery (OTD) | % orders delivered within SLA | Service reliability |
| Order Accuracy | % orders without errors | Quality control |
| Cost per Order | Total ops cost / orders | Efficiency |
| Inventory Turnover | How fast stock sells | Working capital |
| Customer Complaint Rate | Complaints per 100 orders | Service quality |
Operations varies significantly by industry. Here's what to expect in different sectors:
Boost your profile with relevant certifications:
Building relationships in the ops community can accelerate your career:
No. Many ops roles hire engineers, commerce graduates, and undergrads. In fact, technical skills like SQL and Python are increasingly valuable. What matters is analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and attention to detail.
Operations focuses on execution—making daily processes work efficiently. Strategy focuses on long-term planning—where the company should go. In startups, both often overlap. Ops builds great strategic skills because you understand ground reality.
Not necessarily. Many senior ops leaders don't have MBAs. What matters more: (1) Track record of results (2) Leadership skills (3) Business acumen (4) Technical abilities. MBA can help for certain companies/roles but isn't mandatory for career growth.
It depends on the role. City operations and supply chain roles often involve field work initially—which is great for learning. Business ops and RevOps are typically office/remote. Most senior ops roles are strategic and less field-intensive.
(1) Practice structured thinking—break problems into components (2) Study common frameworks (5 Whys, fishbone diagrams) (3) Read operations case studies online (4) Understand basic supply chain concepts (5) Practice guesstimates and market sizing (6) Know common KPIs and what impacts them.
E-commerce and quick-commerce are booming with excellent growth paths. Logistics/supply chain offers deep specialization. Manufacturing is traditional but stable. SaaS/tech startups offer RevOps and BizOps roles. Healthcare and fintech are emerging sectors with ops needs.
Entry-level: ₹4-8 LPA. After 3-5 years: ₹12-20 LPA. Senior roles (8-10 years): ₹25-50 LPA. Director/VP level: ₹50L-1Cr+. Quick-commerce and logistics often pay premiums for experienced ops professionals. Remote ops roles at global companies can pay significantly higher.
Absolutely. Ops background is excellent for product roles (especially Product Operations). Many consultants come from ops because you understand execution. Data analytics, business strategy, and general management are all natural transitions from operations.
Operations focuses on execution and making daily processes run efficiently. Strategy focuses on planning and where to go next. However, in startups, these often overlap significantly. Many people start in ops and move to strategy because understanding ground reality is invaluable for good strategic thinking.
Startups offer broader exposure and faster learning—you'll wear multiple hats. Large companies offer structured training, good brand recognition, and established processes to learn from. For learning quickly and making impact, consider startups. For building foundational skills systematically, large companies work well.
(1) Analyze public operations data from Kaggle (2) Document process improvements from any organizational roles (3) Create case studies from business news (4) Share operations insights on LinkedIn (5) Take on logistics roles in college fests (6) Complete operations-focused projects with quantifiable outcomes.
Communication (80% of ops is coordination), stakeholder management, problem-solving under pressure, attention to detail, adaptability, conflict resolution, and the ability to stay calm during crises. Being data-driven while maintaining empathy for ground-level workers is crucial.
Follow supply chain news (Supply Chain Dive, Logistics Manager), subscribe to newsletters (The Hustle, Morning Brew for business ops), follow ops leaders on LinkedIn, join ASCM or similar communities, attend industry webinars, and read annual reports from logistics companies.
Operations is challenging, fast-paced, and highly rewarding. If you love solving problems and seeing direct impact, ops is for you.
Great operators make businesses run. Be that person. ⚙️
Written by Sproutern Career Team
Based on insights from operations professionals at leading companies.
Regularly updated
