Nandita Sinha joined Flipkart as an associate director for health and beauty in 2013, a mid-management position four to five rungs below the CEO. Just months after her appointment, the ecommerce giant acquired Myntra in a $260-million deal, which was then the largest M&A in India’s startup ecosystem.

Today, Sinha is the fashion etailer’s chief executive. Few saw this coming. Her elevation, in fact, followed eight years of significant rethinking and changes inside the Flipkart group, including a realisation that in-house talent may be better suited than external hires for top roles.