Dr. Rajeshwari Narendran, a renowned professor at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, is a pioneer in India's corporate training, specializing in HR consulting and psycho-dynamic analysis.

Dr. Rajeshwari Narendran is a professor at Mohanlal Sukhadia University's Department of Business Administration and Director of the Masters in Human Resource Management Program. She has been recognized as one of the first female corporate trainers in India, has a background in HR consulting and psycho-dynamic analysis, and has written research papers for international journals.

Remembering her childhood, Rajeshwari shares that she had a difficult childhood due to a flood in Udaipur on August 23, 1973, when her family lost everything except the clothes they were wearing. Her father had a job on the railways but had twelve people to feed. Rajeshwari had to study at a government school due to financial constraints. She was ridiculed by her own people for studying at a Hindi-medium school. However, such events did not break her but gave her an impetus to do better in her studies. With her grit and determination, Rajeshwari not only excelled in academics but also did well in sports and all other extracurricular activities during her school and college years.

Speaking about her proud achievements, Rajeshwari says that she completed her B.Com. from Meera Girls College and her M.Com. from MB College. While pursuing her M.Com., she started teaching 11th and 12th grade students at Central Academy School. She has been an NCC cadet since her 8th grade, which boosted her confidence and helped inculcate discipline in herself. She won six gold medals in the NCC Navy Senior Wing and earned the tag of the first girl cadet to have performed ship-modeling and scuba diving in the Navy in the year 1986. She was offered the position of officer by the Navy, which she could not take up due to family reasons.

A notable accomplishment of hers was tutoring underprivileged students when she was in eighth grade. She was selected for an International Youth Exchange Program and went to Singapore and Canada. She is the youngest woman president of any professional body on management and HR across the world. Rajeshwari has also been felicitated by the World Economic Forum and awarded by the World HRD Congress. Her case study on ‘Transient Leadership’ stood first in a contest at Harvard Business School among entries from 44 countries. She is also a recipient of the Maharana Mewar Raj Singh Award for her contribution to the NCC. However, she feels her biggest reward is to see the spark of happiness in the eyes of people she could help through her teaching and learning. Rajeshwari has created 117 self-help groups and has been working for women's empowerment since 1991.

Besides, Rajeshwari participated in multiple activities like singing, dancing, poetry, debate, horseback riding, and rifle shooting. She has also played cricket and badminton at the national and state levels. She started doing training programs for the Indian Railways when she was just twenty years old.

Rajeshwari also appeared in various competitive exams like UPSC, RPSC, income tax, and banking, clearing them all with flying colors and being selected for all of them on merit. However, following her passion, she decided to take up teaching and training as her profession, where she could stay connected with the youth and make a difference in society.

Talking about role models, Rajeshwari says she considers her elder sister and her parents as her role models because they motivated her at every step of her life. Rajeshwari also draws inspiration from Dr. Kiran Bedi, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, General A.S. Vaidya, and Admiral R.H. Tahiliani. She is a great follower of Swami Vivekananda and is inspired by his quote, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”

Discussing the COVID pandemic phase, Rajeshwari shares that she was chosen by the then District Collector of Udaipur as a member of the Corona Management team, wherein she connected with around sixty thousand people through phone calls and helped them overcome their anxiety in many ways possible.

Sharing her thoughts on today’s youth, Rajeshwari feels that they have untapped potential in them that needs to be carved out with the support of parents and teachers. She says that parents often tend to compare their children with others and impose their wishes on them without trying to know what they want to do in life. This way, Rajeshwari believes, the youth get demotivated and depressed. To solve this, she has connected with six lakh students through her “Make a Difference” initiative, which she started in 1992, helping the youth find their real purpose and passion and also contribute to society. She urges all parents and teachers to help engage the youth socially and encourage them to follow their passion.

Besides teaching and giving Ted talks and motivational speeches, in her leisure time, Rajeshwari writes poetry and plays the sitar and harmonium. With her keen interest in singing, she was also selected for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee TV. She also enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, and taking care of her pet. Rajeshwari manages her personal and professional life really well and always considers her family as her priority, no matter how busy her days get. She believes that a strong support system is crucial for success and often credits her family for being her biggest source of motivation and strength. Despite her busy schedule, Rajeshwari ensures that she spends quality time with her loved ones and actively participates in their lives. This balance between work and family life has not only allowed her to excel in her career but also to maintain a fulfilling personal life.

Rajeshwari believes that one’s life struggles help inculcate leadership qualities in people. Earlier, she had a very strict demeanor; however, she realized later that only with love and affection can she win the hearts of others, especially her students. Rajeshwari, as a leader, never compromises with discipline and is blessed with a pleasing personality. A strong-headed and ethical leader, she believes in supporting, motivating, and inspiring people along the way.

Rajeshwari urges the youth not to look for inspiration outside but to find the fire within them and pursue it. She says that learning is not enough, but its implementation makes you successful. She encourages her students to embrace challenges and take risks, as she believes that growth and development come from stepping out of one's comfort zone. Rajeshwari emphasizes the importance of perseverance and hard work, reminding her students that success is not achieved overnight but through consistent effort and dedication.