Harjeet Khanduja (born on January 16, 1975) is an Indian author, poet and speaker[1][2] known for his work in the field of human resources.[3][4][5][6]He currently serves as the senior vice president of human resources at Reliance Jio,[7] a leading telecommunications company in India.[8][9][10][11]
Khanduja was born on January 16, 1975, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India to his father, Sardar Kalyan Singh, a poet and professor in Bareilly College and his mother, Nirmal Kaur Khanjadu, a doctor and a social activist. He studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee[12], where he completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Technology in 1996.[13] During his time at IIT Roorke, he founded "Watch Out," the campus press, and contributed to the establishment of the FRP Lab. In 2005, Khanduja completed an MBA at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Sciences. In 2013, he attended INSEAD for further studies in management.[9]
Khanduja began his career at Tata Motors, with a role in the implementation of the Kaizen methodology aimed at continuous improvement.[4] After eight years, he transitioned to Nicholas Piramal, where he focused on HR digital transformation initiatives.[4][9]
In 2009, he joined the Conjoin Group (now Atos).Since 2012, Khanduja has been with Reliance Jio, overseeing HR operations.[8]
Khanduja is involved in "Hasya Kavita" (humorous poetry) and first performed on television in 1997, winning the poetry game show "Hansgola." He has written for various Hindi poetry anthologies and participated in numerous "Hasya Kavi Sammelans." In 2001, he was awarded the title "Hasya Samrat" (King of Comedy).[9]
He has also appeared on SAB TV's "Wah Wah, Kya Baat Hai!" and has been featured on the Hindi poetry website Anubhuti. In 2020, he received the Vishwa Hindi Jyoti Bhushan Samman.[5]
Khanduja has authored seven books on HR, leadership, and business strategy, including Employee Retention Mastermind, Hiring Mastermind, and The Storytelling Leader. He contributes to HR magazines like People Matters and Business Manager, writing columns such as "The H with HR." Additionally, he was featured in Heroes Amongst Us by Dr. Amit Nagpal, highlighting individuals who have achieved notable success.[8][5][14][15]
Star of Industry AwardsThomson Medal at IIT Roorkee, 1996.
HR Leadership Award at the Asia HRD Congress, 2012.
LinkedIn Power Profile recognition, in 2016 and 2018.[19]
Honored as one of the Most Innovative HR Tech Leaders globally by the World HRD Congress and received the Pride of the Nation Award for Best CHROs of India by Asia One, 2017.
Top 10 Speakers of India by Speak In and ranked among the Top 25 HR Influencers in India by 40 under 40, 2019.[20][21]
Named The Next Big Creator and listed among the 100 global thought leaders by people Hum, 2021.
HR Influencer and one of the Top 200 biggest voices in Leadership, 2022. [22][23][24]
Was recognized by Economic Times as one of top 20 HR Influencers in 2023[25]
Top 50 Global Thought Leaders on HR by Thinkers360[26]
