Rajiv Upadhyay
I help senior IT leaders close the gap between how capable they are and how visible that is — so the right people make the right decisions about their careers.
The work
I specialise in one thing: helping senior IT leaders in Indian MNCs make the transition from functional expert to executive leader. Not through generic leadership workshops or reading lists — through focused, personalised coaching that addresses the real gap.
The gap is rarely about capability. Directors and AVPs who come to me are technically excellent, consistently delivering, respected by their teams. What they're missing is the ability to translate that capability into the language of executive influence — the presence, positioning, and political savvy that makes leadership take notice before decisions are made, not after.
With over 15 years of experience coaching technology executives through critical career transitions, I've developed the Gravitas Shift Model — a three-pillar framework built specifically for the Indian MNC context.
"Working with Rajiv has been a transformative experience. His structured approach helped me become aware of and recognise my blind spots — and gave me a renewed sense of how I am perceived vs how I want to be perceived."
Piyush Bandhu
Sr VP, Financial Services Industry
The approach
My coaching combines practical frameworks with the kind of personalised attention that makes them stick. I work with a limited number of clients at any given time — not to manufacture scarcity, but because the depth this work requires can't be replicated at volume.
Every engagement starts with an honest diagnostic. Where are you actually? What's the real gap — not the one you've been told about, the one that's showing up in outcomes?
The Gravitas Shift Model
Three pillars. One transformation. Built for the Indian MNC context.
Presence
Executive bearing, strategic communication, and the advisor mindset.
Positioning
Cross-functional visibility, stakeholder management, personal brand as strategic asset.
Political Savvy
Organisational dynamics, influence networks, C-suite alignment.