In this edition of our “Meet the Team” series, we introduce Girish Bidwai, QA Manager at Xperate. With extensive experience across manual and automation testing, QA leadership and modern testing practices, Girish brings a strong focus on quality, structure and continuous improvement. He discusses his move to Xperate, how QA supports better outcomes for clients, the impact of AI on testing, and why quality should be built into every stage of the software development lifecycle.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your career background.
I started my career in 2014, working in quality assurance within the e-commerce sector. I joined as a QA Manager, which gave me a strong foundation in testing processes, quality control and managing QA responsibilities in a fast-moving environment.
After around seven years, I moved into the healthcare sector, where I worked as a team lead for four years. That role gave me the opportunity to build on my experience, lead people more closely, and work on projects where quality, reliability and accuracy were extremely important.
My background has always been focused on quality assurance. Over the years, I have worked across different types of testing, processes and teams, and that experience is something I am now bringing into my role here at Xperate, where I joined just over three months ago.
Why did you want to join Xperate, and what does your role involve day to day?
One of the main reasons I wanted to join Xperate was the dynamic nature of the business. The company is growing quickly, working on a wide range of projects, and taking a very practical approach to solving client challenges. That really stood out to me.
I had a brief understanding of Xperate before I joined, but since becoming part of the team, I have experienced many positive things firsthand. The culture is great. Everyone is helpful, open to learning, and willing to support each other, from senior team members through to junior colleagues.
Day to day, my role involves setting up QA processes, creating guidelines, supporting the team, and looking at how we can strengthen quality across projects. I am also bringing in things I have learned from previous roles and seeing how they can be implemented in a way that works for Xperate.
Another area I am very interested in is AI. There are lots of opportunities to adopt AI-led processes across QA, particularly where they can support testing, improve efficiency and strengthen the way we work. I have already created a few agents that could be implemented at the ground level to help streamline processes. Used in the right way, this can support both Xperate and our clients.
What challenges do you face in your role, and what motivates you to overcome them?
There will always be challenges in a QA role, especially when you are working across different clients, projects and teams.
Each client has their own requirements, ideas and expectations, and every project is different. The same applies internally, as developers and team members all have different ways of working. A key part of my role is understanding those differences so I can support the team in the right way.
That challenge is also what makes the role interesting. It pushes me to keep learning, understand each project properly, and help my team members deliver the best possible work. For me, it is a good challenge to overcome.
How is AI changing the world of testing and quality assurance?
I do not see AI as something that negatively impacts QA. If it is used correctly, it can be extremely helpful.
AI can save a lot of time by reducing manual work and making certain tasks much faster. There are jobs that might previously have taken several hours that can now be completed far more efficiently with the right tools and prompts.
That said, you cannot rely solely on AI. You still need control, review and human judgement. AI should support people, not replace them. If it is used properly, it can help teams work faster, improve processes and grow their capabilities.
In QA, AI can be used in many different ways across the project lifecycle, all the way through to production. Tools such as Copilot, Claude and other AI platforms each have their own features and strengths. The key is knowing which tool to use, how to prompt it correctly, and how to assess the results it provides.
What role does QA play in delivering a better experience for clients?
QA plays a very important role in protecting the client experience.
Some clients may initially think they do not need QA and that developers alone can manage testing. Often, that comes from not fully understanding what QA involves or the risks it helps to reduce.
If something breaks once a product has already been built or released, it can become very costly to fix. QA helps identify any issues earlier, reduce risk, and make sure the final solution works as expected.
Ultimately, QA gives clients greater confidence. It helps ensure that what is delivered is reliable, usable and aligned with what they need.
How do you build and maintain a culture of quality across development teams?
Everyone has their own perspective, and that is important to recognise.
As QA, my role is to look carefully at each application, understand the areas it could impact, and then provide the right input to the development team at the right time. When developers have clear, useful feedback, they are better placed to deliver strong results.
Good QA support helps reduce issues, improve efficiency and keep projects moving in the right direction. Providing input early and at the correct stage can save both time and cost.
Building a culture of quality is about making QA part of the process, rather than something that happens separately. It means working closely with development teams, sharing feedback constructively, and helping everyone focus on the same outcome.
Quality assurance is often seen as the final stage of a project. Why should it be considered throughout the software development lifecycle?
Ideally, quality should be checked throughout every stage of a project.
There is sometimes a mindset in the market that testing is a lower priority, or something that can be left until the end. The problem with that approach is that if major issues are found late, they can be much more difficult and costly to fix.
When QA is involved earlier, issues can be identified and resolved during the development phase. That makes the process smoother, reduces risk, and helps avoid bigger problems later on.
It is much easier to fix something while it is still being developed than after everything has already been built. That is why QA should be part of the entire software development lifecycle, not just the final step.
How do you unwind outside of work?
Outside of work, I really enjoy finding new places to eat. I have visited almost all of the restaurants in my local area, so I am always looking for new places to try. I definitely prefer going out to eat rather than cooking at home.
I also enjoy travelling with my family. We usually take quarterly family trips, and I have almost completed visiting South India. Next, I would like to explore more of North India.
For me, travel, food and spending time with family are the best ways to relax and recharge outside of work.
Connect with Girish on LinkedIn here.
girish.bidwai@xperate.com