Name: Harish Rijhwani | Designation: IT Professional | Location: Mumbai
What do telemedicine, data analytics, HR payroll, and fiction novels have in common? At first, not much—but Harish Rijhwani connects them all. An IT professional, teacher, and author, he has built a unique career that blends technology, education, and storytelling. From writing books to teaching students in 83 countries through online courses, Rijhwani shows how one person can wear many hats and still stay grounded in purpose and passion.
Early Life and Career Growth
Born in Pune and raised in Mumbai, where he completed most of his education, Rijhwani earned his bachelor’s in engineering from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, where he developed a passion for technology. While working, pursuing an MBA from Narsee Monjee helped him build a strong professional network and improve his public speaking skills. “I started working in the IT industry in 2002, and for a decade, my primary focus was climbing the corporate ladder,” he tells Global Indian.
Global Exposure and Personal Transformation
Over the years, Rijhwani’s career allowed him to travel extensively, both within India and internationally. Work assignments took him to Nashville—one of the IT hubs of the US—and to Edinburgh, Scotland.
“As an individual, when I travelled to the US for the first time, I was initially reserved and hesitant to share my views. But over time, I became confident, vocal, and assertive in putting my point across,” he reminisces. Beyond the corporate world, he is an Udemy instructor, which has expanded his ability to cross borders and go global as five of his courses reach 2000+ students spanning 83 countries.
Straddling Roles
Rijhwani has had a gradual but structured progression across his three professions – the corporate world, teaching, and writing. “I gradually divided into three areas, starting from the corporate world, entering the teaching arena, and finally venturing into writing and creating Udemy courses,” he says.
Over the years, he has learnt to manage time effectively, focusing on one area at a time. He navigates the corporate world on weekdays and engages with students from different management institutes on weekends. “I mostly spend late evenings after 10 pm either writing or recording a new course. In the past three years, I have further streamlined my focus by dividing the year wherein I record courses in the first six months and focus on writing the latter half of the year,” he explains how he manages his time.
One of his most effective tips for work-life balance is to ‘stay in the present’, which he says is the simple yet powerful mindset that will help one focus on one thing at a time. “When I am in the office, my attention is entirely on my work. In college, my mind is entirely focused on teaching and guiding my students. Over the years, I have learnt to mentally switch between roles, allowing me to be fully engaged. Outside work, I am a movie buff and a Marvel/DC fan. I spend time watching series like Cobra Kai and Monk. I regularly practice yoga, love walking, and have solved a variety of Rubik’s cubes,” he says.
The Write Way
His writing journey began during his second year of engineering, where he co-authored the second edition of a book on electromagnetic fields and waves with Dr Karandikar. Unfortunately, the project was shelved due to market changes, but it ignited in him a desire to write. Over the years, he has written blogs, articles for his organisations, and magazines like Becker’s Hospital Review. “Eventually, I self-published my first book in May 2019, ‘Healthcare IT Decoded – Begin your Health IT Journey’, which takes one through the basics of healthcare IT,” he says.
During the pandemic in 2020, he published his second book on integrated marketing titled ‘Technology to Business – The Invisible Gap’. In 2021, he focused on simplifying data science and machine learning, publishing his third nonfiction book, ‘Master the Mystic Arts, Begin Your Data Science Journey’. At this juncture, he took a couple of courses on creative writing from the British Council Library. “In 2021, I published the first part of my fiction series (based on corporate experiences), ‘9 to 5 Cubicle Tales – Explore the Journey of a Young IT Professional’. In the following two years, I published the second and third parts of the series, 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales – A Race Against Time and 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales – Twin Flames,” he says.
Key Insights:
- Balances a full-time corporate role with teaching and writing
Reached 2000+ students across 83 countries through Udemy
Publishes both fiction and non-fiction inspired by real-world experiences
Gained confidence and global perspective through international exposure
Globe Calling
Having lived in the US was a transformative experience, as it gave him confidence and made him independent. “You realise that your friends become close family in a faraway land. You must manage your personal and professional life as you pay the bills, cook three times, clean the house regularly, and sometimes even attempt a self-haircut. I have a strong affinity for India, and my return to India was planned, as I have been on short trips spanning three to six months. But whatever I learnt in the US will stay with me as a positive experience,” he says.
Quiz him on what it means to be a Global Indian, and he quotes Martin Uzochukwu Ugwu. “Knowledge is power. Sharing knowledge is the key to unlocking that power.” Being a Global Indian for him means embracing a mindset of sharing his experience, knowledge, and insight with people across the globe while staying connected to his Indian roots. “Through Udemy, I have had the opportunity to reach a global and diverse audience from India, the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Poland, Serbia, Senegal, and many other countries. Technology enables us to connect and inspire individuals across the globe and embody what it means to be a Global Indian.”
Staying Positive
His mantra for success is to keep trying, face challenges head-on, and keep moving forward. One of his favourite quotes comes from Rocky: “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much can you take and keep moving forward? That’s how winning is done.” He believes that the biggest motivation for anyone comes from inside. “As an individual, I am ambitious and desire to achieve a lot more in writing, teaching and my Udemy courses. Staying in the present but preparing for the future is a key life lesson, as the Bhagavad Gita emphasises – the past is behind; learn from it. The future is ahead; prepare for it. The present is here; live it.”
Looking ahead, he is considering new courses to publish on Udemy while exploring new plots and stories for the next part of his novel. “My focus remains on expanding my reach through writing, teaching, or online courses for a global audience,” he concludes.
- Follow Harish Rijhwani on LinkedIn