Khandekar - FROM LABOURER TO MILLIONARE

BHAGWAN GAWAI HAS EXPERIENCED progress first-hand. He has seen Mahindra & Mahindras Kandivali plant in Mumbai, Eugene Steels Khopoli plant in Raigad and the Satpur plant of Tapadia Tools Limited in Nasik, come up with his own eyes, as his mother worked as a labourer at these sites. When he was a little older, in class six, he did the same work at construction sites during his summer vacations. The few hundred rupees that he earned took care of his school fees and other expenses through the year. The only thought in his mind in those days was how to get his mother out of her menial job.

Today, the same Bhagwan Gawai owns a business worth Rs 100 crore. He is chairman and managing director of Dubai-based Saurabh Energy DMCC (Saurabh Energy), a company with a turnover of Rs 128 crore. The company deals in oil, and Gawai is its sole owner. Additionally, he is a director on the board of more than ten companies in Abu Dhabi and India.

Bhagwan Gawais transformation from construction worker to entrepreneur began in 1964. The Gawai family belongs to Buldhana district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and lived in Raheli in Sindkhed Raja tehsil. Bhagwans father was a beldar, i.e., he worked at construction sites, while his mother worked in the fields.

In 1964, Bhagwans father died an untimely death, and putting together two meals a day became a challenge for the family. But Bhagwans mother didnt give up, and along with her two sons and two daughters, moved 600 kilometres away to MumbaiBhagwan was in class two and his brother in class five.

Mahindra & Mahindra had started building a jeep manufacturing factory in Kandivali, a suburb in west Mumbai. Bhagwans mother had found a job there, and the family lived close to the construction site in a small hutment. His mother was so afraid of sending the children out in a big, unfamiliar city that Bhagwan remembers not going to school for almost three years. Later, he was admitted to Kandivalis municipal school in class three. But by that time, the construction of Mahindra & Mahindras jeep factory was complete, his mothers work at the site also ended. That meant no home and no work for the Gawai family.

The next destination was about 100 kilometres away from Kandivali: Khopoli in district Raigad. The Mahindra Group was setting up the Mahindra Eugene plant there, and both Bhagwans mother and brother took up jobs as labourers. This time, Bhagwan was fortunate to be able to go to school. But, just as he completed class four, his mothers work at Khopoli ended. The familys next home was 140 kilometres away at the Satpur plant of Tapadia Tools at Nasik. The company manufactured screwdrivers and other hand tools. The work for the plant had ended before Bhagwan could complete class five, so Bhagwan had to stay back alone at the site to finish the school year. By then, his mother and brother had travelled 500 kilometres away to Ratnagiri in the Konkan region, in search of work.

Ratnagiri brought some stability to their lives. It offered a lot of work opportunities, and the family spent four years working at construction sites of government offices, hospitals, schools, etc. It was at Ratnagiri that the course of Bhagwans life changed. According to him, even though all the children in his school were Brahmins, his caste was never a problem. His teachers were good people and never made him feel like he was less than anyone. But even when he scored 85 per cent, he would still rank 20 in his class. He realized that a difference of a mark or two could seriously affect ones ranking. This is when his competitive spirit developed and he became determined to move forward in life. Additionally, his familys tough financial situation had made him very conscious of his responsibilities and added to his resolve to prove himself.

During the schools summer and Diwali holidays, when other children had fun, Bhagwan worked to earn money as a mason and carpenter. He must have earned Rs 100200, and this was enough to cover his expenses on clothes and books for a year. By the time he finished class nine, the family had moved back to Kandivali in Mumbai after having lived away for ten years.

Fortunately, this time around, they were somewhat better placed. His mother worked at a tractor factory site for two years, and then switched to selling vegetables as it was less taxing physically. Bhagwans elder brother had started working as a contractor and Bhagwan himself had finished class twelve and taken up a part-time job writing accounts for a company in the Malad suburb of Mumbai. He says that even though he was good at studies and wanted to become a doctor or an engineer, studying further didnt seem viable. He was itching to find a decent job as quickly as possible so his mother wouldnt have to sell vegetables by the side of the road. Though he did find a good job, it took him another twelve to thirteen years to relieve his mother of her job.