Every expert starts somewhere — my journey began in a small town in India.

I was fortunate to grow up in a home shaped by values of learning and humility. My father, a dedicated teacher, and my mother, a quiet pillar of strength, laid the foundation of who I am today. Their patience, discipline, and belief in education continue to guide me.

My journey into cybersecurity was not immediate — it was built over years of hands-on experience and continuous learning. I began as a field engineer at Sify Ltd, working with both household and corporate internet connectivity. My days involved climbing 15–25 meter towers, mounting wireless devices, handling cabling, and managing base stations powered by Cisco routers and switches.

I then worked as a hardware engineer in computer warehouses, performing chip-level repairs, maintaining printers, servers, and storage systems, and supporting enterprise hardware configurations. Over time, I expanded into managing websites through WHM and cPanel, handling VPS environments, vCenter clusters, VDI infrastructures, and embedded systems such as thin clients.

Gradually, I transitioned into a NOC engineer role, managing backbone networks — and soon after, discovered my passion for teaching. I had the privilege of training students and professionals at NIIT Technologies, HCL CDC, and Global Talent Track, and later mentoring technical support associates at Mphasis. Across cities like Pune, Mangalore, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Bangalore, and Mumbai, I helped more than 500 students start their careers, achieving a 100% placement record for my batches.

It was only after 6–8 years of learning, building, and teaching that I formally stepped into cybersecurity — a journey that evolved further as I took on leadership roles as an IT Manager and Assistant Director, and today  proudly associated with Coforge as a Consultant in Cybersecurity Services, based in Bangkok, Thailand, supporting large enterprises across Southeast Asia.

Life tested me in ways I never expected, but I refused to quit. I kept moving forward, worked harder each day, and today I’ve built a stable and secure life for my family.

I owe a great deal to my managers and mentors. I made a conscious effort to listen to their guidance, take their feedback positively, and apply it consistently—and that helped me build trust over time. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from such remarkable people & still learning.

Coming from a modest background, it was the guidance of my parents, my teachers, and my mentors that shaped my path. I carry their values with me every day—and whatever I have achieved stands as a reflection of their influence.

No matter how tough the situation gets, my belief remains simple - never give up!

One of the most emotional moments of my life was seeing my father honored by his students on Guru Purnima — a moment filled with deep respect, love, and gratitude.

That day, I didn’t just witness a ceremony — I understood what it truly means to be a Guru: someone who walks beside others, guiding and inspiring through example.

My father taught me that knowledge shared with humility becomes lasting wisdom. He also taught me to remain polite, stay grateful, and always be indebted to my mentors — and to support others whenever I can. His values continue to guide my journey, as I strive to empower others, just as he empowered so many.

© 2026 Dhananjay Naldurgkar. All rights reserved.