Meet Hardeep Khanduja: From IIT Kharagpur To Global Leadership In Innovation And HR

Harjeet Khanduja is a renowned speaker, author, poet, inventor, influencer, professor of practice, and a leader in Human Resources (HR). His career is marked by a commitment to improving the quality of work life through innovative HR practices and leadership development, earning him widespread recognition.

Born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India, on January 16, 1975, Harjeet studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, where he received a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Technology in 1996. At IIT Roorkee, he founded "Watch Out" - the campus press and set up the FRP Lab, earning the Thomson Medal for his accomplishments. He graduated with an MBA in 2005 from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Sciences and furthered his studies at INSEAD in 2013.

Mr. Ratan Tata honored Harjeet for the first Kaizen implementation at Tata Motors Lucknow, where he started his career. He then became Deputy General Manager at Nicholas Piramal, establishing an innovative HR technology platform. Joining Reliance Retail, he helped grow the company from 500 to 28,000 employees.

The Economic Times listed Harjeet among the Top 20 HR Influencers for 2024, marking his third consecutive year on the list. As a leader at Conjoin Group, he led the company to win the Nasscom Diversity Award for three years, becoming co-chairman of the Nasscom Diversity Committee. Now, as Senior Vice President of HR at Reliance Jio, he continues to advance HR practices.

Harjeet's micro stories on LinkedIn, earning him the title “R K Laxman of Business,” have been widely read and published as books. He has authored seven books on leadership and HR and contributed to several magazines. He holds four HR technology patents and is a notable poet under the pen name "Sardar Tuktuk."

Harjeet’s multifaceted career is driven by a singular goal: to improve people's quality of life through leadership and efficient HR practices.