Mr. Hrishikesh J. Dhande

Mr. Hrishikesh Jayant Dhande

Designation: Professor of Practice
Department: Computer Engineering
Institution: MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi, Pune

Educational Qualifications

Degree Specialization University/Institute Year
B.E. Computer Science and Engineering MIT Pune, SPPU 2001

Overview of Profile

Mr. Hrishikesh Dhande is the Deputy Director at Pune International Centre, an independent, multi-dimensional policy think tank that promotes the values of the Indian Constitution and UN Charter. The focus areas include Social Innovation, National Security, Sustainable Energy and Mobility, Co-operative Federalism and Multilevel Governance, Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, and Art and Culture.

Prior to this, Hrishikesh was Region Head - Academic Alliances Group - TCS. He completed his B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT Pune in 2001. He started his professional career with Tech Mahindra in 2003 and was in the USA from 2006 to 2009. He joined TCS in 2011 and worked in delivery roles for five years. After a stint in business roles for 13 years, he took up the Region Head role of the Academic Interface Program (now called the Academic Alliances Group) in April 2016, driven by his passion for academia.

With over a decade of experience in building strategic academia-industry collaborations, Mr. Dhande has been instrumental in driving partnerships between Tata Consultancy Services and leading universities across India. His work has focused on enabling employability, digital skilling, and innovation-driven learning frameworks that connect academia with industry.

After a professional career spanning over 22 years, he decided to retire early from his corporate job and started his own freelance consultancy, "Mentor Mitra", in the same field. He intends to help and mentor academic institutions towards their betterment, employability, and excellence.

Academic and Professional Memberships

  • Board of Governors Member: JJ Magdum College of Engineering, Jaysingpur.
  • Academic Council Member: JSPM RSCoE Pune, JSPM JSCoE Pune, MIT Aurangabad, JSPM University, and Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli.
  • IQAC Member: COEP Technological University, DES Pune University, and MIT Academy of Engineering, Pune.
  • Board of Studies (BOS) Member: Vishwakarma University, RSOL MITWPU Pune, DY Patil PGDM Institute Pune, and School of Engineering, Indira University Pune.
  • Industry Advisory Board Member: MES IMCC Pune and Suryadatta Group of Institutes Pune.
  • Professor of Practice: MIT Academy of Engineering Pune and Suryadatta Group of Institutes Pune.

Personal Interests

Hrishikesh is an avid marathon runner and has completed more than 15 half marathons. He enjoys reading books, playing table tennis and carrom in his leisure time, and mentoring and guiding students on their career journeys.

Contact Information

Email: Hrishikesh.dhande@mitaoe
Personal Email: hrishikeshdhande@gmail.com

Contact Number: 9923266041

Forefront Area of Research: Not provided.

Professional Experience

Total Industry Experience: 22 years

Teaching Experience: 0 years

Research Experience: 0 years

Professional Career Highlights

  • Started his professional career with Tech Mahindra in 2003.
  • Worked in the USA from 2006 to 2009.
  • Joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 2011 and worked in delivery roles for five years.
  • Took up the Region Head role of the Academic Interface Program, now known as the Academic Alliances Group, in April 2016.
  • Served as Region Head - Academic Alliances Group at TCS.
  • Currently described as Deputy Director at Pune International Centre and founder of the freelance consultancy "Mentor Mitra".

Academic Engagement

His academic engagements include academic council, board of studies, board of governors, IQAC, industry advisory board, and Professor of Practice roles at various institutions.

Research Profile

Areas of Interest

  • Social Innovation
  • National Security
  • Sustainable Energy and Mobility
  • Co-operative Federalism and Multilevel Governance
  • Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
  • Art and Culture
  • Academia-Industry Collaboration
  • Employability and Digital Skilling
  • Innovation-Driven Learning Frameworks

Awards and Achievements

No awards or achievements were provided in the submitted profile information.

Publications

A. International Journals

Nil

B. Books / Book Chapters

  • Co-authored a chapter in the Marathi book "AI Yugacha Vedh", written by Dr. Deepak Shikarpur.

C. International Conferences

Nil

D. National Conferences

Nil

E. Patent Details

Nil