In the 45th Annual General Meeting of the Maharashtra Economic Development Council held on 17th October 2006, Mr. Nandkishor Kagliwal has been elected as President of the Council and Mr. S.G. Chougule and Mr. Vithal Kamat have been elected as Vice-Presidents of the Council for the year 2006-07.

Mr. Nandkishor Kagliwal is a first generation entrepreneur and is the Founder Chairman of Nath Group of Companies. Mr. Kagliwal has been deeply involved with rural development, education and health care. He also served as a member of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Development Council for Paper, Pulp & Allied Industries and is a Senate Member of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad.

He established an Agriculture Research Foundation for development of improved seeds through research work in genetics and plant breeding. He also founded one of India’s largest seed companies, organizing seed production on 20000 acres of land annually. He was a Member of Planning Board, Govt of Maharashtra and was Director of SICOM, IDBI (W.R.Committee) and State Bank of Hyderabad.

Mr. S.G. Chougule is Chairman, Indage Group of Companies. With his sheer dedication and spirit of enterprise resulted in establishing Indage Group with global vision and global markets. Today the Group has 14 different private and public companies engaged in diversified activities in the country as well as in global market. With untiring efforts and commitments for the international quality, Mr. Chougule successfully steered the Champagne Indage Ltd., a pioneering company.

Mr. Vithal Kamat, an entrepreneur, a Hotelier, a Consultant, a Sportsperson, a Globetrotter, a Linguist, an Author, is the Chairman & Mg. Director, Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd. He is a pioneer in introducing Asia’s first environmental friendly hotel – “The Orchid” an Ecotel Hotel. Mr. Kamat has engineering background. He has not only reinvented Hospitality Industry, but has given a whole new perspective to it. The Orchid and Ecotel hotel has the distinction of being the recipient of the highest number of awards (environment) in the world. The Orchid has received 42 national and international environment awards. He has authored ‘Idli Orchid and Willpower and ‘Idli Orchid And Me’, which is already in it 14th edition in its 2nd year publication.

Dr. C.S. Deshpande
Executive Director