High-Level Design (HLD) & System Architecture

In the HLD round, Navi's lead engineers will evaluate your ability to design scalable, reliable, and fault-tolerant distributed systems.

Be ready to go over:

• Database Selection & Scaling – Understanding when to use relational databases for transactional integrity (ACID) versus NoSQL for horizontal scalability.
• Caching & Message Queues – Utilizing Redis, Kafka, or RabbitMQ for asynchronous processing, decoupling services, and reducing latency.
• Consistency vs. Availability – Making conscious trade-offs in line with the CAP theorem for real-time financial transactions.

Example scenarios:

• Designing a highly concurrent seat-booking engine like IRCTC, focusing on how to prevent double-booking without creating bottlenecks.
• Designing a real-time notification system that can scale to send millions of push notifications, SMS, and emails daily.

As a Software Engineer at Navi, your day-to-day work will directly impact the company's core financial engines. You will be responsible for:

• Designing and developing robust backend services using modern technologies (such as Java, Spring Boot, Go, or Node.js) to support high-volume transactions and real-time data processing.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including product managers, business analysts, and QA engineers, to translate complex business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Owning the lifecycle of microservices, from initial architecture design and implementation to deployment, monitoring, and continuous optimization in production.
• Ensuring high system availability and reliability by proactively identifying performance bottlenecks, optimizing database queries, and implementing robust error-handling and recovery mechanisms.
• Maintaining code quality and engineering excellence across the organization by participating in rigorous code reviews, writing comprehensive unit tests, and mentoring junior engineers.

Navi maintains a high technical bar and looks for candidates who can demonstrate both strong fundamental knowledge and practical execution capabilities.

• Must-have skills – Strong proficiency in at least one object-oriented or functional programming language (Java, C++, Go, Kotlin, or JavaScript/TypeScript for frontend roles). Deep understanding of relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL) and core database concepts like indexing, transactions, and isolation levels.
• Nice-to-have skills – Prior experience working in the fintech, payments, or banking domains. Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and containerization tools like Docker and Kubernetes. Experience with distributed streaming platforms like Apache Kafka.
• Experience level – Typically, 2 to 8+ years of professional software development experience (depending on whether you are applying for SDE 1, SDE 2, or SDE 3/Lead roles).
• Soft skills – Exceptional communication skills, a high degree of empathy, a collaborative spirit, and a strong sense of personal ownership over the products you build.

Q: How difficult are the Software Engineer interviews at Navi? A: The interviews are generally rated as average to difficult. The DSA rounds require a strong command of medium-to-hard LeetCode problems, while the machine coding/LLD round is highly competitive and requires you to write clean, working code under time pressure.

Q: What is the typical timeline for the entire interview process? A: The entire process usually takes between 2 to 3 weeks from the initial HR screening to the final offer. However, scheduling delays can sometimes occur between the technical rounds and the final managerial/HR fitment discussions.

Q: How important is the machine coding round compared to the DSA round? A: The machine coding round is highly critical. Even if you perform exceptionally well in the DSA rounds, failing to write clean, modular, and extensible code in the machine coding round is a very common reason for rejection at Navi.

Q: Does Navi offer remote working options for Software Engineers? A: Navi generally operates on a hybrid or onsite work model out of their main engineering offices in Bangalore. While initial interview stages are remote, candidates are expected to work from the office once hired.

• Prepare for the take-home assignment thoroughly: If you are given a take-home assignment (like "The Ledger Co"), do not rush to submit it. Ensure you write comprehensive unit tests, adhere strictly to SOLID principles, use clean directory structures, and provide a clear README file.
• Clarify requirements early in design rounds: In both LLD and HLD rounds, the problem statements are intentionally left ambiguous. Spend the first 10 minutes asking clarifying questions to define the scope, functional requirements, and non-functional assumptions before you start writing code or drawing diagrams.
• Be resilient to scheduling shifts: Some candidates have reported sudden interview rescheduling or delayed feedback due to interviewers handling active production issues. Maintain your composure, stay proactive with your recruiter, and use the extra time to refine your preparation.

Securing a Software Engineer role at Navi is an excellent opportunity to work on high-impact financial products at a massive scale. The interview process is rigorous, prioritizing candidates who demonstrate strong algorithmic problem-solving, exceptional low-level coding standards, and structured system design thinking.

To maximize your chances of success, focus your preparation on writing clean, modular code under timed conditions, mastering core distributed systems concepts, and practicing mock system design sessions. Remember that Navi values engineers who think like product owners—always connect your technical decisions back to the user experience and business outcomes.

To gain deeper insights, explore detailed salary structures, and read firsthand accounts of successful candidates, be sure to utilize the comprehensive resources available on Dataford.

The compensation data highlights that Navi offers highly competitive salary packages in the Indian tech market, reflecting their high expectations for engineering talent. When evaluating an offer, keep in mind that the total compensation package typically includes a strong base salary, performance-linked bonuses, and equity options (ESOPs), aligning your long-term success directly with the growth of the company. Focus on demonstrating high technical capability and strong cultural alignment to position yourself for the top end of these compensation brackets.