Mehernosh Daruwalla
From international cabin crew to Human Factors Trainer and entrepreneur, Mehernosh Daruwalla built a new professional direction by following his interest in training and developing people.
From international cabin crew to Human Factors Trainer and entrepreneur, Mehernosh Daruwalla built a new professional direction by following his interest in training and developing people.
In 2013, Mehernosh Daruwalla was working as international cabin crew for a leading airline. The role offered international travel, comfortable hotels and the security of a well-paying job. Yet, as he shared in his personal story, the career that looked ideal from the outside did not fully reflect what he wanted for himself.
An opportunity to become a Human Factors Trainer with the same airline prompted him to explore a different side of his abilities. He was selected for the role and spent nearly three years developing his training experience.
Towards the end of 2016, Mehernosh took the step into entrepreneurship. With more than a decade of experience across hospitality, aviation and management, alongside his growing interest in training, he began exploring a professional path that better aligned with his ambitions.
In mid-2017, Mehernosh joined the Image Consulting Business Institute (ICBI) to pursue a career as an Image Consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. He was entering a field that he recognised as promising but also less familiar than a conventional corporate career.
The learning experience extended beyond developing professional capabilities. Mehernosh particularly valued ICBI’s Business Enablement Training (BET) sessions, which offered practical guidance on taking the next steps towards building a professional practice.
For him, the value of the programme lay in implementation. He describes the training as a source of motivation, direction and step-by-step guidance, helping him translate what he learned into action. The experience strengthened his confidence in pursuing an independent career in image management and skill development.
Mehernosh’s turning point came through applying what he learned at ICBI. By following the Business Enablement Training process and putting the guidance into practice, he says he recovered his course investment within the first year of his career. This became a tangible milestone in his transition from a salaried role to an independent professional journey.
Mehernosh’s professional journey spans aviation, hospitality, training and entrepreneurship. His experience as international cabin crew gave him exposure to professional presentation and service environments, while his subsequent role as a Human Factors Trainer helped him explore his aptitude for training.
After moving towards entrepreneurship in 2016, he pursued formal training in image consulting and soft skills at ICBI in 2017. He then applied the programme’s learning and business guidance to establish his professional practice.
Today, Mehernosh is the founder of UPGRADEN and works as a certified Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer and Etiquette Coach. His Find an Expert profile states that he has trained more than 10,000 professionals across sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, BFSI and NBFC, IT, and public-sector organisations.
His journey demonstrates how experience from one profession can become a foundation for a different career when combined with focused learning and consistent implementation.
Based in Vadodara, Mehernosh Daruwalla is the founder of UPGRADEN and a certified Image Consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. His work brings together image management, professional communication, etiquette and corporate training.
He helps individuals strengthen their appearance, grooming, body language and etiquette to create positive first impressions. For organisations, he develops customised training programmes aligned with their goals and works across a range of professional sectors.
Mehernosh has also completed WSET Level 1 certification in wines, enabling him to facilitate wine etiquette workshops and etiquette coaching. In addition, he is a certified POSH Enabler, with a focus on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace.
His professional profile reflects a practice built around helping people strengthen how they present themselves, communicate and interact in professional environments.
Mehernosh joins Suman Agarwal for an in-depth conversation about her journey, experiences and professional growth
In this short interview, Mehernosh answers a few questions about her experience with ICBI and her professional journey