Skill Up Nation
The Team

An officer at the helm, specialists on the floor.

Skill Up Nation brings together facilitators with deep, lived expertise — from the Indian Air Force and corporate L&D to law, communication, and well-being.

Wg Cdr RD Deshpande (Retd.)
Founder & Managing Director

Wg Cdr RD Deshpande (Retd.)

NDA and IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus and a Chief of Air Staff Commendation recipient. After distinguished service in the Indian Air Force, he led L&D and operations at Reliance Retail and BYJU'S before founding Skill Up Nation — bringing officer-grade rigour to corporate training.

Associate Faculty
Jyotsna Jaswal

Jyotsna Jaswal

Communication & Confidence Coach · L&D Facilitator

Jyotsna Jaswal is a Communication & Confidence Coach and Learning & Development Facilitator with over 19 years of experience across corporate training and education. She specializes in designing facilitation-led learning experiences focused on communication effectiveness, professional presence, emotional intelligence, behavioral development, and confidence-building.

Her work integrates neurobehavioral insights with practical workplace communication strategies to help professionals build clarity, credibility, executive presence, and interpersonal effectiveness in dynamic work environments.

Jyotsna is currently associated as Faculty with Image Consulting Business Institute (ICBI), serves as the Country Mobilizer for International Visual Facilitation Hub (IVFH), and is a Consultant Trainer with Prepsil.

She has delivered training interventions for corporates, educational institutions, and leadership communities in areas including business communication, assertive communication, workplace behavior, emotional agility, public speaking, and professional image. Known for her highly engaging facilitation style, she combines reflective learning, visual facilitation, and experiential methodologies to create impactful and outcome-driven learning experiences.

Advocate Thakur

Advocate Thakur

Partner, MKA Legal · Director, LAWGYSTIX Foundation

A Delhi-based lawyer, Advocate Thakur is serving as Partner at MKA Legal, and Director at LAWGYSTIX Foundation.

She has 13+ years' total exposure in the legal field, with diverse experience in advocacy & consulting, teaching, corporate compliance-support, soft skill mentoring, and image-management.

A Springer & Taylor Francis published chapter author, her books on multiple intelligences & on PoSH-DEI are in the matured stage towards launch.

A former resource-person with prestigious institutions like UN House, IIC, Delhi Police, DLSA, Press Club of India, NBCC, Indian Oil Corporation, Bank of Baroda Card, American Oncology Institute, Universal Weather & Aviation Inc. etc.; she is also a NET-qualified Asstt. Prof. (ex-faculty at DU, Jamia Hamdard, IPU, NorthCap, Jaipuria Institute of Management), IPR & DPDP consultant to startups, & legal advisor to NGOs. She serves her Univ. clients as a campus-to-court trainer, and her court-clients as a marital journey coach.

A Member of NDBA, DHCBA, LEAP Club, Scientology Foundation, and BSG, she is a certified Advance EI & NLP practitioner, a team-building training enthusiast, and an energy science & occult-based coach & healer.

Deepashree

Deepashree

Power Skills Trainer · L&D Professional

Deepashree is an accomplished power skills trainer, facilitator, and Learning & Development professional with nearly three decades of experience across the corporate, education, and skills ecosystem. Having worked with leading hospitality brands including The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels, and Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, extensive experience has been gained across housekeeping, front office, guest relations, banquets, sales, and marketing in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram. Transitioning into training and development in 2000, the focus has since been on building emotionally aware, skilled, and future-ready professionals through experiential learning and guided self-discovery. Experience also includes handling the profile of AGM – Learning & Development at one of India's leading creative arts educational institutions, leading impactful capability-building initiatives. Known for building instant rapport with diverse audiences, core areas of specialization include Campus to Corporate readiness, Emotional Intelligence, Growth Mindset, Diversity & Inclusion, Superannuation Programs, Behavioral Skills, and Leadership Development.

Monika Bhardwaj

Monika Bhardwaj

Emotional Spiritual Well–Being Life Coach · Founder, Resonating Innocence

For over 20 years of experience working with children in mental health and well-being. I started my life coaching journey in 2024. The Philosophy behind the Resonating Innocence is a true feeling that each one of us hold an unshakeable core of Innocence, A pure essence that is never lost only veiled by layers of unresolved emotions, unhealed traumas or fixed pattern of thoughts creating disharmony in mind, heart and body. When we reconnect to our Innocence we return to our natural state of Joy and Truth. This work is my offering to Teenagers and Adults who raise them, to tune into their inner resonance and rediscover the core of Innocence. This is the Heart of Resonating Innocence. Every child deserves to be nurtured, supported and empowered to know themselves deeply, experience true freedom and live with authenticity.

MY BACKGROUND: Coach, and youth development specialist with years of hands-on experience, including trauma-informed practices and integrative healing modalities.

MY MISSION: Is to create a space where every child feels safe to talk about emotional well-being and is equipped with the skills to understand and navigate life challenges through emotional wisdom and confidence.

MY APPROACH: Is blended with principals and competencies of Emotional Spiritual intelligence, rooted in Psychology, research, ancient knowledge and neuro science, putting together trauma-informed practices, Conscious Parenting, integrative healing, and evidence-based SEL to support teens, parents, and families holistically. Also working closely with educators on school emotional climate.

WHAT WE OFFER:

IN SCHOOL SEL WORKSHOPS — Immersive, curriculum-aligned workshops delivered directly in schools. Sessions are curated using interactive, age-appropriate activities.

EDUCATORS TRAINING — Professional development for teachers and administrators to integrate SEL practices into everyday classroom culture — creating emotionally safe learning environments that benefit all students.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS — Workshops and resources for parents and caregivers to reinforce emotional intelligence at home, extending the impact beyond the school building and into daily family life. Also using trauma informed practices and integrated healing modalities to reach at deeper layers of well-being for parents.

INTEGRATIVE HEALING & THERAPY — whole person approach honoring mind, body and spirit. weaving together somatic healing, breathwork, mindfulness, therapeutic expressive arts, energy-based practices. My work hold space for the spiritual and intuitive dimensions of human experience.

Radhika Bali

Radhika Bali

Image Consultant · Soft Skills Trainer · Author

Radhika Bali is an Image Consultant, author, Soft Skills Trainer, and speaker with over 27 years of experience in corporate training, coaching, and education. Through Aक्स by Radhika, she helps individuals build confidence, strengthen communication, and develop a powerful personal presence.

She specializes in communication skills, executive presence, presentation skills, grooming, etiquette, personal branding, and cross-cultural intelligence. Radhika is the Past President of the Delhi Chapter and currently serves as Secretary of the Professional Speakers Association of India (PSAI). She is also a visiting faculty member at Pearl Academy and a trainer with Image Consulting Business Institute (ICBI)