Company Overview
Headquartered in Ludhiana with a strong presence in Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Middle East and Canton USA, we serve as a trusted partner for CXO recruitment, leadership hiring, project-based recruitment, strategic workforce planning, and talent advisory services.
Across India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, we have supported organizations of all sizes with one promise—to deliver talent that moves you forward.
Our Mission
To transform talent acquisition by aligning visionary workforce strategies with memorable, meaningful experiences—for both clients and candidates. We help build teams that power success today and shape the future of work.
Our Vision
Our Values
01
Creativity
We solve challenges with fresh thinking and innovative methods.
02
Collaboration
Great outcomes happen when we grow together.
03
Excellence
We push for quality and consistency at every step.
04
Integrity
We lead with honesty, fairness, and commitment.
These values aren’t just words— they shape how we engage, communicate, and deliver.
Our Journey
With that philosophy in their hearts, Abhishek & Shruti Upadhayay and Bela & Swikar Sethi laid the foundation of StepUp HR in Ludhiana. What began as a small team with big dreams soon turned into a trusted recruitment partner for the Oil & Gas industry.
Between 2007–2013, the company grew rapidly, especially in the Oil & Gas sector. When global oil prices dropped in 2014, instead of slowing down, we reinvented ourselves—expanding into e-commerce, infrastructure, automotive, power, real estate, BFSI, and more.
By 2015, we were onboarding 50+ new clients in emerging sectors.
Today, we are a team of 65+ recruitment consultants with an average of 10 years of experience—serving global markets with agility, expertise, and humility.
Our journey is a story of resilience, reinvention, and relationships. And we’re just getting started.
Our Strategic Investments
We partner early, back bold ideas, and help founders level up to transform their industries. Our investment and sectors such as Fintech, Metaverse, Health-Tech, Ed-Tech, Mobility, and Digital Banking.
We have invested in more than 25 Startups as angel investor/ series one. Our Investment in Education Sector is North Hill International School Bangalore.
What Sets Us Apart?
Here’s what makes the StepUp approach different:
01
Boutique attention, enterprise capability
02
Upfront deep-dive into culture, priorities, and growth plans
03
High-touch engagement from mandate to onboarding
04
Expert recruiters with deep sector intelligence
Here’s what makes the StepUp approach different:
05
Precision-driven search reinforced by proprietary tools
06
‘No Repeat’ commitment for zero duplicity
07
Backup profiles for every position to ensure closure
08
White-glove candidate experience & post-onboarding check-ins
Our goal is simple: make hiring faster, sharper, and more meaningful.
Leadership Team
Abhishek Upadhyaya
CEO & MD
A people-first HR and Talent Acquisition leader with over 20+ years of experience, Abhishek Upadhyay has played a pivotal role in building high-performing teams and strengthening organizations through strategic hiring and people practices. With deep expertise across end-to-end recruitment, HR operations, employer branding, and stakeholder partnership, he believes great hiring goes beyond resumes—it is driven by meaningful conversations, cultural alignment, and long-term potential.
Bela Sethi
Founder, COO & Head, Retained Search
A strategic executive search leader with 20+ years of experience, Bela Sethi is known for connecting organizations with transformational leadership talent across global markets. With deep expertise in executive search, talent advisory, and client partnership, she brings a sharp business lens and a results-driven approach to hiring—believing the right leadership can redefine an organization’s future.
Swikar Sethi
Founder & CAO
A visionary entrepreneur with 25+ years of global experience, Swikar Sethi is the driving force behind StepUp HR. With strong expertise in business strategy, HR operations, branding, and organizational leadership, he blends commercial acumen with people-first thinking to build scalable, high-impact talent solutions across industries and geographies.
Shruti Jindal
Practice Head
A focused and results-driven talent acquisition leader with 20+ years of experience, Shruti Jindal specializes in identifying and engaging the right talent to meet business needs. Known for her agility, stakeholder connect, and execution excellence, she consistently delivers hiring solutions that drive organizational growth.
Our Locations
Corporate Office
Ludhiana, Punjab (Feroze Gandhi Market)Regional Sales
Mumbai – Bandra Kurla Complex Bangalore – Tower 34, LnT Raintree Boulevard, Sahakarnagar, Hebbal Noida KochiGlobal Sales
Middle East Canton USA – Silverton Dr Canton MI 48187