Donate Now

Have Any Query?

+91 20 229 33 441

Leadership

Leadership

Board of Trustees / Managing Committee

The Managing Committee / Board of Trustees of the Hope Foundation and Research Centre (Hope Foundation) have the ultimate responsibility for directing the activities of  the Trust / Society as well as its educational and research institutions, ensuring they are well run and delivering the outcomes for which they have been set up.

Dr. Aruna Mukesh Katara

President and Founder Member
Read more

Mr. Amit Mukesh Katara

Vice President and Trustee
Read more

Ms. Amrita Mukesh Katara

Member and Trustee
Read more

Dr. Mukesh Dolumal Katara

Member & Trustee
Read more

Dr. Samita Moolani

Member & Trustee
Read more

Dr. Avinash Nand Katara

Member & Trustee
Read more

Ms. Sangeeta Sarju Bajaj

Member & Trustee
Read more

Academic & Research Advisory Board

The main objective of the Academic & Research Advisory Board of the Hope Foundation and Research Centre (Hope Foundation) is to provide strategic and external inputs on issues of key importance to its educational and research institutions. This would enable them to grow towards achieving their envisioned short term and long term goals and help contribute effectively to the strategic development of the institutions and propose means to strengthen the academic and research associations among the community.

Some of the broad roles of the Academic & Research Advisory Board of Hope Foundation include:

  1. Recommend strategies that may be employed to achieve the goals of the educational and research institutions and offer guidance on existing and proposed academic programmes and research
  2. Advise on priorities, directions and new avenues for education, research and outreach and propose ways to maintain strong relations with the community and to establish effective institutional associations
  3. Assist the institutional activities obtain financial support for its initiatives and to identify research funding opportunities
  4. Provide a connection to potential internships / training opportunities for students, employment opportunities for graduates and to potential research and service opportunities for the Faculty and  recommend ways to improve and develop the training and skill oriented programmes offered by the institutions in order to meet the human capital needs of the country
  5. Help in sustaining and enhancing the reputation of the educational and research institutions of Hope Foundation
 

Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar

Chairman
Padma Vibhushan Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, National Research Professor, is presently also the President of Global
Read more

Dr. B. B. Ahuja

Member

Prof. B. B. Ahuja is the Former Director, COEP, Pune 

Read more

Mr. Nanik Rupani

Member
Nanik Rupani is an Indian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist who is the Chairman of Roopmeck Electricals Pvt. Ltd.
Read more

Dr. Nitin Karmalkar

Member
Prof. Karmalkar, a former head of Department of Environmental Science and Department of Geology is a well-known
Read more

Dr. Ganesh Natarajan

Member
Dr. Ganesh Natarajan is the Executive Chairman and Founder of 5F World, a platform for Digital Start-ups, Skills
Read more

Mr. S. G. Raheja

Member
S. Raheja Realty has been an integral part of India’s real estate landscape over the last six decades. With three
Read more

Dr. Aditya Abhyankar

Member
Dr. Aditya Abhyankar is currently working as Dean, Faculty of Technology and Professor in Department of Technology
Read more

Dr. Srikanth Thiagarajan

Member
Dr. SrikanthThiagarajan is a Medical devices expert and an academic researcher in applied computation related
Read more

Dr. Sujata Naik

Member
Dr. Sujata Naik – Tolani by profession is a medical doctor since 1985, with a Master of Surgery in Otolaryngology.
Read more

Mr. Sameer Dua

Member
Founder, Institute for Generative Leadership, India Founder, Gift Your Organ Foundation Bestselling Author:
Read more

Mr. Rajiv Vaishnav

Member
Rajiv is heading the Ecosystem & Partnerships Development at GenNext Hub, a Reliance Enterprise. In this role,
Read more

Mr. Narendra Goidani

Member
Narendra is the Founder of Life School and has been conducting inspirational training programs for people
Read more

Mr. Bharat R. Agarwal

Member
Bharat Agarwal is the President of “Vishwakarma University and Vishwakarma Institutes Group”.
Read more

Mr. Abhay Nevagi

Member
Mr Abhay Nevagi started his career as Personnel Manager in Menon and Menon Limited,
Read more

Mr. Dinanath Kholkar

Member

Dinanath Kholkar is a distinguished Professor of Practice, board member,

Read more

Leadership

Founder President

Remembering Late Shri Pralhad P. Chhabria

12.03.1930 – 05.05.2016

“I have not gone, just moved on. Each morning we are born again to work hard and live another beautiful journey.”
Late Shri Pralhad P Chhabria, Founder President, Hope Foundation and Research Centre (Hope Foundation) and Founder Chairman, Finolex Group of Companies has been an inspiration to many. Despite having received only primary education, with his ingenuity and inventive business strategies, Shri Chhabria established the Finolex Group of Companies in 1958 and over the years built it into a well-known conglomerate. He firmly believed that the future of our country depended on two critical aspects; quality education and women empowerment.
Shri Chhabria been known for his philanthropic activities encompassing education, health care, religious and spiritual teachings. Through the educational divisions FAMT at Ratnagiri and I²IT at Pune, he has established a number of scholarships, assistantships and cash awards for students who have displayed academic excellence but lack the financial opportunity to pursue their dreams.
Shri Chhabria often said, “It is an irony that I never had the benefit of formal education, but can now be instrumental in providing education to hundreds of deserving and underprivileged students. It gives me great satisfaction that my contribution will leave behind something lasting for these youngsters and for the country.
PRALHAD P. CHHABRIA
FOUNDER PRESIDENT – HOPE FOUNDATION 
Biography
There’s is No Such Thing as a Self-Made Man  – Pralhad P. Chhabria
On 8th March 2008, Finolex Chairman and MD Mr. P.P. Chhabria released his autobiography There’s No Such Thing as a Self-Made Man at the campus of the advanced-technology higher-education institute I²IT at Hinjawadi, Pune.
The book was released by a group of dignitaries including Maharashtra State Finance Minister Mr. Jayant Rao Patil, speaker of the Goa assembly Mr. Pratapsingh Rane, former Industries Minister of Karnataka, Mr. R.V. Deshpande, Mr. S.P. Hinduja, Head of Hinduja Group, Mumbai industrialist Nanik Rupani, child specialist Dr. Anand Pandit, and well-known computer scientist Dr. Vijay Bhatkar.
Speaking on the occasion, K.P. Chhabria, younger brother of Mr. P.P. Chhabria and Managing Director of Finolex Industries gave the touching story of the struggle the family faced when their father died an untimely death and P.P., who was only 12, went to work as a cleaning boy in a cloth shop. The family was later uprooted by Partition and moved from Karachi to Pune where they began trading in electrical accessories.
London-based industrialist and head of the Hinduja empire Mr. S.P. Hinduja who had come specially for the occasion addressed the gathering and said that though he is not a regular reader of books, he was enthralled by Mr. P.P. Chhabria’s story and was able to complete it within a few hours at one sitting.
The function, attended by more than 800 people including Finolex channel partners from all over India, industrialists from other cities and Pune, family members and well-wishes, and students of I²IT, ended with the audience singing the National Anthem, and was followed by lunch. Aruna Katara proposed the vote of thanks.
Telling the story of Mr. P.P Chhabria’s personal struggle as well as of the rise of Finolex to be the number one cable manufacturer in India and second only to Reliance in the manufacture of PVC resin, this book is not just a thrilling rags-to-riches story but also a management text. Mr. P.P. Chhabria himself does not have the benefit of formal education, and in this book he shares his experience and subsequent learning in the area of Sales, Finance, Quality, and people management, and tells what he did to build an enviable, almost formidable, reputation for both Finolex and himself. This year Finolex celebrates its 50 glorious years.
Text for the 350-page memoir was provided by columnist Saaz Aggarwal after extensive discussions and reviews with Mr. P.P. Chhabria and his close associates.
All proceedings from the book There’s No Such Thing as a Self-Made Man will be donated by the family of Mr. P.P. Chhabria to the neonatal wing of KEM Hospital, Pune.
More than 300 copies of the book were sold at the launch itself. The book is available at all leading bookstores or contact : info@hfrcpune.org to purchase a copy of the book.

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Educational and Research Divisions of the Trust / Society i.e. Finolex Academy of Management and Technology (FAMT), Ratnagiri and the International Institute of Information Technology (I²IT), Pune are entering a challenging and exciting phase in the field of higher education and research.
The Academic & Research Advisory Council of the Hope Foundation and Research Centre (Hope Foundation) has been set up of eminent personalities with respected knowledge and rich experience to provide the right impetus to our educational and research divisions to strengthen the academic, research and development in India.
Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar
National Research Professor & President, Global Research Alliance, NCL
Chairperson
Dr. B. B. Ahuja
Director & Professor, CoEP, Pune
Member
Mr. Nanik Rupani
Chairman Emeritus, Priyadarshni Academy
Member
Dr. Aditya Abhyankar
Dean – Faculty of Technology Professor & Head, Dept. of Technology, Savitribai Phule Pune University
Member
Mr. S. G. Raheja
Chairman, S Raheja Realty Pvt Ltd
Member
Dr. Ganesh Natarajan
Chairman, Executive Chairman and Founder – 5F World and Chairman – Global Talent Track
Member
Mr. Sameer Dua
Founder, Institute for Generative Leadership
Member
Dr. Sujata Tolani Naik
Chairperson, Tolani Shipping Company Limited
Member
Dr. Srikanth Thiagarajan
Senior Algorithms Engineer, Philips Connected Sensing
Member
Mr. Rajiv Vaishnav
Head – Ecosystem & Partnerships Development, GenNext Hub, a Reliance Enterprise
Member
Mr. Narendra Goidani
Founder, Life School
Member
Previous
Next
The 1st Meeting of the Academic & Research Advisory Council was held on 12th February, 2018 at the registered office address of the Trust / Society
The 2nd Meeting of the Academic & Research Advisory Council was held on 12th January, 2019 at the registered office address of the Trust / Society
The 3rd Meeting of the Academic & Research Advisory Council was held on 8th February, 2020 at the registered office address of the Trust / Society.
The 4th Meeting of the Academic & Research Advisory Council was held on 6th March, 2021 through Video Conference (Google Meet).
The 5th Meeting of the Academic & Research Advisory Council is scheduled to be held on Saturday i.e. March 26, 2022.

Leadership

Managing Committee

Ms. Aruna Mukesh Katara
President & Founder Member
Ms. Amrita Mukesh Katara
Member & Trustee
Dr. Mukesh Dolumal Katara
Member & Trustee
Mr. Amit Mukesh Katara
Vice President & Trustee
Dr. Samita Moolani
Member & Trustee
Dr. Avinash Nand Katara
Member & Trustee
Ms. Sangeeta Sarju Bajaj
Member & Trustee
Previous
Next

Site Maintenance in Progress & Improving for You!

We apologize for the inconvenience. We’re working diligently to enhance your browsing experience. Thank you for your patience!

About

Public Trust Registration Number
F-1425 / Pune
Society Registration Number
MAH / 298 / Pune / 79
Registered CSR Number
CSR00004831

Navigate

General

Useful Links

Let's Connect

FAMT, Ratnagiri

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

I²IT, Pune

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin

PPCRC, Pune

Facebook

Get Involved

© 2024 - All rights reserved - Hope Foundation and Research Centre

Website designed, developed and maintained by GrowBizon

Dr. Aruna Mukesh Katara

President and Founder Member

Dr. Aruna Mukesh Katara holds a PhD from Vishwakarma University and has over 35+ years of professional experience in the areas of Materials Management, Strategic Planning and Development, Public Relations, Publicity and Promotion, Property Management and associated logistics and facility aspects. She is currently working as the Dean – Administration of the Hope Foundation and Research Centre (Hope Foundation), Pune.

Mr. Amit Mukesh Katara

Vice President and Trustee

With 15+ years of work experience, Mr. Amit Mukesh Katara is a Whole-time Director of M/s. Katara Dental Private Limited, Pune, India. He has previously worked as a Personal Financial Consultant at Standard Chartered Bank, Pune, and interned at Boston Lobsters LLC, Boston, USA.

Ms. Amrita Mukesh Katara

Member & Trustee

Ms. Amrita Mukesh Katara has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s degree in Media and Communications. She looks after the media, communication and PR activities of the Hope Foundation. She is also an independent artist and art educator.

Dr. Mukesh Dolumal Katara

Member & Trustee

Dr. Mukesh Katara graduated from the Government Dental College & Hospital, Mumbai in 1980 and completed his post graduation in 1984. He launched DENTECH LABORATORY in 1985, which is now one of India’s finest, best-equipped and staffed laboratories. Subsequently he set up multiple dental laboratories in Pune, Bangalore and Delhi under the name of Katara Dental. Dr. Katara’s special interest is esthetic metal free restorations, Implant prosthetics, and has Implant prosthetic experience.

Dr. Samita Moolani

Member & Trustee

Dr. Samita Moolani is an Ophthalmologist and has trained in Mumbai and Singapore, and specializes in Cornea and Anterior Segment surgery.
Dr. Samita has a keen interest in refractive surgery, dry eye disease and also charitable work in Ophthalmology. She has worked as the Creative Coordinator of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. During her tenure, she was responsible for organizing conferences and workshops on Research Methodology and changing the face of the journal, making it more interactive and appealing to the new generation of ophthalmologists.

Dr. Avinash Nand Katara

Member & Trustee

Dr. Avinash Nand Katara is a Consultant Minimal Access and General Surgeon. He works with the Hinduja Hospital & Hinduja Healthcare, and Health Suites 101, Mumbai. He performs a variety of advanced laparoscopic, thoracoscopic, endovenous and protological procedures. He has trained extensively in India, Singapore, Australia, UK, Germany and USA and has over 20+ years of experience in Minimal Access Surgery. He is a keen academic, has several publications, presentations, and lectures to his credit, both at national and international platforms. His key areas of interest are Hernias, Varicose, Veins, Sweaty palms, Gallstones and Proctology.

Ms. Sangeeta Sarju Bajaj

Member & Trustee

Mrs. Sangeeta Sarju Bajaj is a Postgraduate in Biochemistry and has previously worked as a Biochemist in a pathological laboratory.

Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar

Chairperson

Padma Vibhushan Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, National Research Professor, is presently also the President of Global Research Alliance, a network of publicly funded R&D institutes from Asia-Pacific, Europe and USA with over 60,000 scientists.
Dr. Mashelkar served as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with thirty-eight laboratories and about 20,000 employees for over eleven years. He was also the President of Indian National Science Academy and President of Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK). Deeply connected with the innovation movement in India, Dr. Mashelkar is currently the Chairman of India’s National Innovation Foundation, President, Global Research Alliance, Reliance Innovation Council, KPIT Technologies Innovation Council, Persistent Systems Innovation Council and Marico Foundation’s Governing Council. He co-chairs the Maharashtra State Innovation Council.

Dr. B. B. Ahuja

Member

Prof. B. B. Ahuja is the Former Director, College of Engineering, Pune. Prof. B. B. Ahuja is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering with a post-graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering.  For his doctorate, he did his research in the area of Hybrid Bearing Design for High Speed Spindles at College of Engineering, Pune (COEP).

 He also holds a Master’s degree in Management Science. He has to his credit over 130 technical published papers in National & International Journals and Conferences.

For his zeal and commitment recognizing his excellent teaching skills he was honoured with Best Teacher Award by Government of Maharashtra in the year 2009-10.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India) and the Indian Institution of Production Engineers. He is a member of, Computer Society of India, Operations Research Society of India and the Association of Mechanisms, Robotics Society of India and Machines Indian Society for Technical Education. He is also a Member of the Romanian Society of Mechanical Engineers of Romania.

Mr. Nanik Rupani

Member

Nanik Rupani is an Indian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist who is the Chairman of Roopmeck Electricals Pvt. Ltd. He is also the Chairman, Emeritus of Priyadarshni Academy, Mumbai; a prominent NGO which provides educational scholarships to needy and deserving students. He is also Director of Echo Valley Developers, Points Projects Pvt. Ltd. and Aon Global Insurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd.
Nanik Rupani was honoured with an opportunity of addressing the Central Hall of Parliament where the Academy paid a tribute to the nation’s beloved leader, late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. He has arranged Film Talent Contests and contributed large amounts for the welfare fund of three wings of India’s Defence Forces – 1971. He was also conferred with H.H. Jagadguru Sankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswati 3rd National Eminence Award 2003, the first Kriyasheel Global Award from Sadguru Shri Mangeshda Kriya Yoga Foundation and many more awards in his credit.

Dr. Nitin Karmalkar

Member

Prof. Karmalkar, a former head of Department of Environmental Science and Department of Geology is a well-known scientist in the field of Igneous Petrology. With more than 25 years of teaching and more than 30 research publications in various national and international journals,
he is actively involved in academics and research along with constantly guiding various facets of academia being a part of the Member of Board of Studies & Research and Recognition committees for Geology and Environmental Science. Over the years, he has strongly shouldered various administrative duties including Coordinator of IQAC cell at SPPU, Member of Central Purchase Committee, Member of Senate, Member of Alumni Association, Placement and Corporate relation Cell S.P. Pune University, etc.
National Assessment and Accreditation Council [NAAC], Bengaluru has nominated Prof. Karmalkar as an assessor of NAAC. In addition, University Grants Commission has nominated Prof. Karmalkar as a Member of the Governing Board and Governing Council of Consortium for Educational Communication [CEC] under the category of “Vice Chancellor of the University, having Media Centre”.

Dr. Ganesh Natarajan

Member

Dr. Ganesh Natarajan is the Executive Chairman and Founder of 5F World, a platform for Digital Start-ups, Skills and Social Ventures in the country. He is also the Chairman of Global Talent Track and Skills Alpha and a Co-Founder of two Indo-US Joint Ventures – Kalzoom Advisors and the Center for AI and Advanced Analytics.
Ganesh is also the Global Board Director and Chairman of the India Board of Social Venture Partners and Chairman of Pune City Connect, a unique collaborative platform that enables corporations to work with the Government on social and city innovation.

Mr. S. G. Raheja

Member

S. Raheja Realty has been an integral part of India’s real estate landscape over the last six decades. With three generations into the business, the group has truly perfected its craft and developed numerous landmark projects. Ethics, Experience and Expertise are the pillars that sustain S. Raheja Realty Pvt. Ltd.
In the corporate development vertical, S. Raheja undertakes the designing, building, and interior work as per the client’s specification and hands over a completed, ready to use work environment. The group also strongly believes in multiple uses of one space. An example of this is the Hinduja Healthcare and Surgical, Khar (W) which blends healthcare and hospitality to create a boutique experience.
Today, S. Raheja paves the way forward with a vision to incorporate evolved architectural practices and develop projects that are both sustainable and secure. Civil engineers and architects at the management level coupled and an integrated team of experts; enable the group to deliver on its commitment to quality and efficiency.

Dr. Aditya Abhyankar

Member

Dr. Aditya Abhyankar is currently working as Dean, Faculty of Technology and Professor in Department of Technology of SP Pune University. He is on lien from his duties as Dean R&D, Director CERD (Center for Excellence in R&D) and Professor in Computer Engineering Department of VIIT, Pune.
He is associated as an adjunct professor with COEP, Pune, as research associate with Clarkson University, NY, USA and on advisory committee and BOS (board of studies) of many national and international universities.
Aditya has also earned M.A. (Sanskrit) with specialization in Vedant where he stood first in university in 2011, M.B.A. with specialization in finance in 2013 and M.A. (Philosophy) with specialization in Existentialism in 2015. Aditya has been working as Ph.D. guide for universities of repute and has guided and has been guiding doctoral and masters students. Dr. Abhyankar has also won a number of national and state awards with the likes of IEI scientist of the year 2011 award, sir C V Raman 2015 award at the hands of Hon’ble CM of Maharashtra to name a few. He has contributed to national level programs for education like NPTEL at IIT Bombay.

Dr. Srikanth Thiagarajan

Member

Dr. Srikanth Thiagarajan is a Medical devices expert and an academic researcher in applied computation related to bio-signals and images. Previous academic and research experience in IIT Chennai, University of California, San Diego along with academic teaching and management experience at I²IT shaped the teaching and research expertise of Dr. Srikanth Thiagarajan. 

Dr. Srikanth is currently in a leadership role in research and development in Philips Healthcare, North America, as part of Connected Sensing group. He is the author of more than 30 Journal and conference publications and 5 International Patents on Bio-signal processing.

Dr. Sujata Naik

Member

Dr. Sujata Naik – Tolani by profession is a medical doctor since 1985, with a Master of Surgery in Otolaryngology. Later, she moved to the US and obtained professional certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Sujata Naik – Tolani has also been on the Board of Tolani Group of Companies since 1984, often participating in the activities of development of higher education by the group companies and charitable trusts promoted by the Group.
In 2007, she was elected Vice Chairperson of the Board of Tolani Shipping Company Limited and in 2009; she was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Tolani Shipping Company Limited. Since then, she is actively steering the growth and well-being of the Company. Dr. Sujata Naik – Tolani is also the Chairperson of the Governing Body of Tolani College of Commerce and the Governing Council of the Tolani Maritime Institute.

Mr. Sameer Dua

Member

Founder, Institute for Generative Leadership, India Founder, Gift Your Organ Foundation Bestselling Author: Declaring Breakdowns-Powerfully creating a future that matters, through 6 simple steps Second book, published by Harper Collins Publishers, the number 1 publishing company in the world, being released in November 2018.
The book is titled “Become-The 5 critical conversational practices that shift ‘who you be’ as a leader” TEDx Speaker Over 25 years of experience in the field of management and leadership education, and worked with program participants from 52 different countries Clients include organisations like Mercedes Benz, John Deere, Siemens, NetApp, T-Systems, BMC Software, Reliance Entertainment, Faurecia, amongst many other global and Indian organisations Leadership faculty member for the Naval Higher Command Course at the Naval War College, Goa Lead institutions in India and in the UK, and worked with top global universities from the US and the UK.

Mr. Rajiv Vaishnav

Member

Rajiv is heading the Ecosystem & Partnerships Development at GenNext Hub, a Reliance Enterprise. In this role, Rajiv is responsible for evangelizing the Start-Up ecosystem, identifying and connecting with the deserving start-ups, academia, government agencies, mentors, angel investors and VC networks globally.
He was the Vice President – Member Outreach at NASSCOM for over 13 years. He has been an integral part of NASSCOM’s Trusted Sourcing Initiative and has led the Cyber Labs and cyber awareness initiatives in Mumbai, Thane and Pune in partnership with the enforcement agencies.

Mr. Narendra Goidani

Member

Narendra is the Founder of Life School and has been conducting inspirational training programs for people from all walks of life, for more than 14 years now. His main focus is training people on “EMPOWERED LIVING”. He has a magical ability to identify talent and nurture it. He is a mentor to thousands across the globe. His emphatic long standing ‘Life Value’ has been these three words, ‘Inspire OR Expire’.
He believes the youth of this country have the potential to bring India its deserved pedestal in the world. To empower students towards this destination, he has started a social initiative – “Keep Moving Movement”.

Mr. Bharat Rajkumar Agarwal

Member

Bharat Agarwal is the President of “Vishwakarma University and Vishwakarma Institutes Group”. He is a Mechanical Engineer from University of Pune. Before taking up his directorial position, he trained as an engineer with Tata Motors Ltd., Pimpri, for a short span.
Belonging to a business family based out of Pune since 3 generations, his entrepreneurial skills with commercial acumen has helped in the progress of renowned business entity “Vishwakarma Group”, diversifying into varied business verticals of Retail, Education, Manufacturing and Publishing, The Vishwakarma Institutes Group today comprises of : 1) Vishwakarma Institute of Technology (VIT), Pune 2) Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) 3) Vishwakarma Institute of Arts, Commerce and Science (VCACS) 4) VishwakarmaVidyalaya (VV) 5) Wisdom World School (WWS) And recently started “Vishwakarma University”
Under his leadership, premier flagship institute VIT (Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune) was the first private college in the state of Maharashtra to have gained Autonomous Status from UGC, Govt. of Maharashtra and University of Pune. Today the second Engineering Institute “VIIT” is also Autonomous and accredited. Over3 widespread campuses, offering 50+programs at various levels from KG to PG, 2000+ employees, 20+ International tie ups and more than 20,000+ studentsis what makes Vishwakarma Group stand high today. Both VIT and VIIT are ranked amongst the top 200 engineering colleges of the country today by “National Institutes Ranking Framework (NIRF)”, Ministry of HRD, New Delhi. Mr. Bharat Agarwal is also the commencer of a Manufacturing wing, named as “Aakar Foundry” Pune, who are the major manufacturers of aluminium auto components for Automotive Industries like Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra Greaves Cotton, Cummins India Ltd. Etc.
The Retail operations of the group are in the form of three shops viz. “Bansilal Cloth Market” and “BansilalReadymades” on Laxmi Road Pune and “Kudos” – store for kids and ladies on MG Road Pune. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) and also the co-chair of the Higher Education and Skills Development Committee of the Chamber. He has been felicitated by the Agarwal Samaj, Pune for outstanding contribution in the field of Education in the year 2014. He is also the Trustee of the famous MahalaxmiMandir, Sarasbaug.

Mr. Abhay Nevagi

Member

Mr Abhay Nevagi started his career as Personnel Manager in Menon and Menon Limited, Kolhapur and was looking after a workforce of more than 1500. He started practising as an Advocate from 1979 onward and is the Founding member of his own law firm. At present, he is the Legal Adviser to more than 125 Companies across India. Under his stewardship, the firm has successfully delivered various corporate deals for its Indian clients, such as; Acquisition of minority stake by MIBA, Sweden in Maxtech Sintered Product Pvt. Ltd.;
The joint venture between Garware Motors Ltd. and Hyosung Motors, South Korea for selling high power motorcycles in India; Acquisition of majority stakes by Grupo Antolin in Machino Autocomp India; Technology Transfer Agreements between Premium Transmissions and various European MNCs. Advised an Indian Promoter in respect of selling his stake to a Swiss company Advised an Indian Company regarding the acquisition of a large Spinning Mill Mr Nevagi has appeared in various types of Civil matters like Recovery Suits, Rent Act Matters, Matrimonial Matters, Adoption Matters, Appeals / Revision in District Court, Accident Claims, Injunction Matters, appeared before State as well as District Consumer Forum, State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Appellate Tribunal of Electricity. He has also appeared in various criminal matters such as Trials under Indian Penal Code, theft of electricity, misappropriation, criminal matters under Provident Fund Act, Anticipatory Bails, Criminal Revisions and Appeals.
Being an expert in labour, employment & industrial matters he has appeared before the Labour & Industrial Court beside the High Court / Supreme Court and other Forum as well. Abhay Nevagi has also carved out a niche for himself in the field of electricity laws. He has advised the Maharatta Chambers Of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MCCIA) at Pune and has represented the Chambers before the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), the Appellate Electricity Tribunal, Delhi and Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. He successfully prepared and implemented Rehabilitation Schemes of many clients before the Board for Industrial &Financial Restructuring. While appearing before the Appellate Authority under Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985, the Appeal of the Unsecured Creditor was allowed and the Creditor was given relief at par with Secured Creditors. Abhay Nevagi joined CBA in March 2015 as M&A Adviser, Legal Expert and Consulting Professional on recommendation of our Associate in Switzerland.

Mr. Dinanath Kholkar

Member

Dinanath Kholkar is a distinguished Professor of Practice, board member, and independent advisor with a remarkable career of over 34 years, including his role as Senior Vice President at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Currently at COEP Technological University, he is committed to driving digital transformation, fostering industry-academia collaboration, and empowering individuals. He is dedicated to guiding organizations in their digital transformation journeys, fostering collaboration between industry and academia to advance education, and empowering individuals to reach their full potential. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from VJTI.

In addition to his advisory roles, Mr. Kholkar chairs the IT/ITES Committee at the MCCIA and leads the Science, Technology, and National Innovation Ecosystem research track at PIC. Throughout his tenure at TCS, he held diverse leadership roles, spearheading transformation initiatives, building strategic businesses, and delivering value to customers, partners, and stakeholders. Notably, he led the Partner Ecosystems & Alliances function, oversaw the Analytics & Insights business, and helped establish TCS as an industry leader in these areas. He also set up the TCS Data Office and championed the Tata Group’s Data Excellence program through TCS Datom. Earlier in his career, he developed his expertise in database and open systems, architecting high-performance, scalable solutions and delivering large-scale programs.

As a P&L leader, he managed the $2 billion Business Process Services (BPS) and Business Analytics unit, led the BFSI vertical, and served as CEO & MD of TCS eServe, which emerged as a recognized success in IT acquisitions. His decade-long leadership in the Capital Markets sector at TCS included oversight of Wall Street client accounts, driving impactful transformations for key stakeholders.

A strong advocate for sustainable development, Mr. Kholkar has led initiatives such as TCS Sustainathon Pune, focusing on waste management. He is also a champion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), pioneering initiatives like the WILL forum, the All Women Center in Riyadh, and programs that promote inclusive education for girls.

An active contributor to the IEEE Pune section for over 20 years, he served as Section Chair in 2018 and 2019. His dedication to education is reflected in his advisory roles across several academic institutions, including his alma mater, VJTI, where he is honored as a Distinguished Alumnus.

Dr. Y. M. Gajmal

Best Paper Award

The Department of Information Technology is pleased to announce that our faculty Dr. Yogesh Manohar Gajmal received the Best Paper Award in Springer Conference – International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Network Systems (CINS 2023) held from 18 to 20 October at Dubai, UAE.