Kotak Mahindra Bank - SDE2 Interview Experience March 2026
Summary
I interviewed for an SDE2 position at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Hyderabad, but was rejected.
Full Experience
Experience: 3.8 YOE Current Job: SWE2 at a PBC (FinTech sector) Tech Stack: Java / Spring Boot Backend College: NIT Rkl (2022) Location: Hyderabad Notice Period: 60 days
Got contacted by Kotak recuiter from Naukri profile on 11th March 2026. Location: Hyderabad Kotak mode of work: 5 days WFO, 90 days notice period
Round-0
Interview Type: Bar Raiser / Third-party agency interviewer (not from Kotak)
Interview Date: 14th March 2026 (Sat), Time: 8pm - 9:30pm (1.5 hours)
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First 20 mins https://leetcode.com/problems/roman-to-integer/description/
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Second 20 mins https://leetcode.com/problems/remove-duplicates-from-sorted-array/description/ For both of these DSA problems, I was asked to write fully executable code for given sample input (without given a driver class) and run the code.
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Third section 20 mins (Only straight forward conceptual questions) i. Where does a "distributed lock" work and when should you avoid using one? ii. How does "leader election" work in practice and what problem does it solve? iii. What is the "outbox Pattern" and how does it ensure reliable event publishing? iv. What is "backpressure" in a distributed system and how do we implement it end-to-end? v. How do we maintain consistency in case of a network partition between two services in a distributed system?
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Fourth section 30 mins - LLD Design a Parcel Delivery System supporting features such as: User registration Shipment creation Shipment lifecycle management Shipment tracking Delivery partner assignment Weight + distance based package pricing, etc. The interviewer asked to cover: i. Database Schema ii. Class Structure iii. APIs and Service Design iv. Make use of appropriate design patterns (Strategy, Observer, etc.)
Overall Result: Rejected (no callback)
Interview Questions (8)
Roman to Integer
Convert a Roman numeral string to its integer representation. The input is a valid Roman numeral and the output should be the corresponding integer.
Remove Duplicates from Sorted Array
Given a sorted integer array, remove the duplicates in-place such that each element appears only once and return the new length. The relative order of the elements should be maintained.
When and where to use a distributed lock
Explain where a distributed lock works and when it should be avoided.
Leader election in practice
Describe how leader election works in practice and what problem it solves.
Outbox Pattern
Explain what the outbox pattern is and how it ensures reliable event publishing.
Backpressure in distributed systems
Define backpressure in a distributed system and discuss how to implement it end‑to‑end.
Consistency during network partition
Discuss how to maintain consistency when there is a network partition between two services in a distributed system.
Design a Parcel Delivery System
Design a parcel delivery system that supports user registration, shipment creation, lifecycle management, tracking, delivery partner assignment, and weight‑plus‑distance based pricing. Include database schema, class structure, APIs, service design, and appropriate design patterns such as Strategy and Observer.