Prompt And Perfect
We have heard the words prompt and perfect many times. We also know the meanings of these words. But I understood the true meaning of these words when I met Manoj Madhukar Ghodke, a young businessman of 30-35 age, hailing from the middle-class background from Pune and understood his journey full of problems and crises. You will also realize the meaning of these words when you read this story.
Manoj Ghodke’s business was named as ‘Prompt’ when he started it in 1987-88. The company prospered after the hard work for 20-22 years was attacked by a few workers.
This was December in the year 2004. The workers formed a union and then stopped the work. That time Manoj Ghodke was in HongKong. That country was hit by Tsunami. At the same time, the workers in India hit his business. Ghodke suffered enormous financial and mental stress due to this. He decided to overcome this problem. To avoid any further loss, he quickly stopped this business. In 2005 he started another company called ‘Perfect’ along with his sister.
He spread his business again with new zeal. He proved that he possesses the expertise of this business. He is running two companies successfully ‘Manoj Ghodke Perfect Engineers (Fabrication Engineers Contractors)’ and ‘S M Wirecut Technologies’ with 20-25 associates and workers. He has earned repute in the field of fabrication engineering and contractors with his quality work and honesty. Ghodke has left his mark all over Pune with his work.
There were a lot of problems in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The elder brother of Manoj, Suneel Ghodke suffered from a brain tumour. So, the business of wire cutting of Suneel Ghodke got affected. This business depended totally on technology. Manoj Ghodke had no idea of the fabrication business of Suneel Ghodke. The soul of the business of wire cutting (EDM) was the CNC machine of Japanese technology costing lakhs of rupees. This technology was bought on loan. Work was going on with these machines, but there was no speed to it. Both businesses were suffering due to hospitalizations and illnesses. The amount of money being spent was huge. Suneel Ghodke expired in October 2008.
Manoj Ghodke felt deeply and wanted to preserve his brother’s memories. So, Manoj Ghodke decided to run the business of wire cutting (EDM). The technology of this business was getting old. The payable loan amount was mounting. There was a very little work. He took charge of the business in multiple adverse conditions.
For many years money was coming from the fabrication business and was being used for (EDM) wire cutting business. To get out of this vicious circle, he repaired the old machine and decided to buy a new machine on loan. This helped in getting new work and business started stabilizing. Manoj Ghodke is handling this business as well.
Problems continued chasing him for 30-35 years, but every time he got the help of well-wishers while fighting the situation and he used to overcome the difficulties. The family members supported him in this journey, his wife Mrs Snehal Ghodke, father Late Madhukar Ghodke, mother Meera, sister Sandhya and his trusted colleagues in business Vijay Joshi, Dayanand Takalkar, Nilesh Avari, Vijay Solse, Sunil Sapkal, agar Jagtap and others and the landlord of the factory space Prakash Laygude and other well-wishers. Chaitrali Shelar looks after the accounting of both companies single-handedly. Manoj Ghodke has climbed the ladder of success with all these people.
Manoj Ghodke is a die-hard Puneite. He is a first-generation businessman, and there is no business background. His father was an Engineer. He worked as an Engineer in the Public Works Department. He was a strict, disciplined and honest person. He was brought up in a joint family, and they stayed in Kibe Chawl behind Prabhat Cinema Hall. Manoj has one brother and one sister. He is the youngest one. He is a bright student of Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya. He scored 85% in 10th and 12th. In fact, he wanted to become a doctor; but he could not. The only college for Engineering in Pune at that time was COEP, and he could not get admission there. He was getting an admission outside Pune, but the family did not approve of it allow him (and the family could not afford it as well). He took the B.Sc. degree from S. P. College in 1983. He acquired the skill of selling fire-crackers and soaps during school and college. This skill came in handy when he started his own business.
He got a job immediately after the degree with Pramod Pandurang Bhat and his life took the first turn there. At the time Bhat was going to get the all India agency of CNC EDM machine of Wirecut company of Japan. Bhat also had a fabrication business. Keeping this in mind, he had given Manoj the job. Bhat, however, did not get the agency. Ghodke was temporarily given the marketing work of fabrication. The salary agreed was Rs. 1000. Ghodke used to complete the target in one month due to his excellent network of people. On the remaining days, he used minutely to observe how TV trolleys and other products are made. Some people didn’t approve did not agree with this and they used to say, marketing is simple, production is challenging. Ghodke said, “Production is not difficult. I can also do it.”. Bhat overheard this conversation. He called Ghodke. Ghodke feared that he will lose his job now. But, looking at his confidence and enthusiasm, Bhat told him to start his own business and offered help too. Ghodke narrated this incidence at home. His father supported him as he also thought his son should run a business. This is how the idea of business took root.
The business started with the help of Mr Bhat and was growing. Khole had a fabrication unit of 300-400 Sq. Ft. in 1988 in Dhankawdi. There was some machinery there too. Khole was suffering from paralysis. So that unit was closed. Work started thereafter agreeing on the rent of Rs. 1000. 2 workers helped. This place was residential. So, work had to be stopped after 6 pm. The surrounding was also not pleasant. There was a cemetery also closeby. Ramayan serial was being telecast on television at that time, which affected the work. The work was suffering. Bhale of Bhale industries gave a big order of a window and told to prepare a sample window. Ghodke completed this sample in just three days. The factory space was small, and since surrounding was not good, Ghodke felt awkward to call anyone there. However, Bhale came there to see the sample on a scooter. He praised the work and he gave a lot of work orders after that. The business was growing. Space was not enough to complete the jobs.
Prakash Laygude had 4000 Sq. Ft. space on Sinhgad road at Lagadmala and it was good. There was a 2 to 3 months period for it to become ready for commercial use. Rs. 25,000 deposit and Rs. 2000 rent was agreed. It was challenging to arrange the deposit amount. His friend was working in ACC company, Ghodke told him about the situation and he immediately arranged the deposit amount. This amount was to be returned to that friend in a year. The number of workers increased. Shift duties were started. During this time, he met Narayanrao Kanetkar, who was a famous architect. Before assigning the work to him, Kanetkar got assurance about the capacity of labour and machinery and gave him a job for a bungalow. Kanetkar’s nephew, Vishwas Lokare, also helped. He referred some work too.
Kanetkar asked him to work for 35 bungalows around 1990 in Bawdhan (windows, doors, railing etc.). But this work was to be done on-site. A separate team of 5 people was working for this. Independent machinery was purchased. Other work was going on in the factory and also the work of these bungalows. The work was properly organized and executed. It was found out that a worker had done theft in the factory; the landowner Laygude solved this quickly by calling the worker. Some thieves tried to rob the money while returning form Bawdhan after making worker’s payments. Money was not lost, but fistfights had to be faced. The Bawdhan project went on for a year. It gave the experience of the site and other work.
The workflow increased tremendously after this. V. N. Tamhankar of Gharkul builders, Kolte Patil Developers, Buildcon Corporation, Pethe construction, Ganatra builders, and others gave him work. Narayanrao Kanetkar helped him a lot to get this work. Kanetkar helped to get a considerable amount that was pending from a builder. Due to which for some days, the work needed to be stopped. He learnt this that pending amount was not be taken lightly and recovered quickly. Ghodke did a lot of work for the famous builders like the Jalan group and Kotibhaskar Builders.
He was quite comfortable with Kotibhaskar and they became good friends. Dhananjay Kelkar was Ghodke’s good old friend. He was always there with him in good and bad times, so his friendship was always encouraging and inspiring.
The builder community respected Ghodke for his prompt and quality work. He also started working for local builders from Sinhgad road, Dhayari etc. He got introduced to the famous architect Uday Chipalkatti in 1993-94. He got to know Dada Deshpande through this contact. At first computer tables designed by Chipalkatti were delivered to Persistent. This strengthened the bond between Ghodke and Dada Deshpande, Anand Dehspande, G. D. Joshi. Ghodke got an opportunity to do fabrication work for buildings of Persistent in Hinjewadi like Panini and Bhagirath. Dada Deshpande of Persistent is also Ghodke’s Guru for a commercial advice. He understood many things of business from him.
At the same time, Ghodke became acquainted with an excellent Engineer and Interior designer Amarendra Joshi. He converted this friendship into partnership for his new business. They both started taking work for interior designing. They started their new office in Classic in Appa Balwant Chowk, Pune. Ghodke’s business flourished with this new initiative. Ghodke learnt management, discipline, decision-making skills from Amarendra Joshi.
In addition to the builder community, Ghodke also did fabrication work for celebrities like P. L. Deshpande, famous artist Lalita Pawar, famous singer Arun Date. While Ghodke was at P. L. Deshpande’s place for fabrication work, Deshpande told him not to behave literally like a fabricator, dictionary meaning of it is a liar.
He got to do the most significant work received until now in 2004. This was the work assigned by Kamlesh Jhala for the Rajyog Society of Jhala Associates; it had 54 row-houses and 650 apartments. All the workers formed a team and completed the work. The year 2005 started for Ghodke on a wrong note. Some workers expressed a lack of trust and formed a union and stopped the work. Ghodke handled this problem with maturity and wisdom. His family, trustworthy associates like Joshi, Takalkar, Avari supported him. They closed the company ‘prompt’ and started a new company called ‘perfect’.
For 3-4 years he was engrossed in the illness, hospitalization and then death of his elder brother. In his absence, all his trustworthy associates looked after the company. His brother’s business was kept alive because of his father’s wish and to cherish his memories, which faced a lot of problems, had to buy new machinery, and there was a large debt.
The years were very stressful, but he got the fruit of his hard work. He decided to buy 2-3 new machines to expand this business. This business has shaped very well with the able management of Vijay Kolse and Suneel Sapkal. This business is called SM Wire cut technologies (SM means Suneel and Manoj).
He started work with Rotary in 2011. He was the president of Rotary Club of Pune, Sarasbaug in 2014-2015. He was fond of social work and patient care. Dr Dhananjay Kelkar of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital is his friend. Ghodke organizes blood donation camps in hospitals and elsewhere three times during a year. So far, he has collected more than 3000 blood bottles. He has donated blood 56 times to date. He has donated through Rotary 48 Lakh Rupee worth dialysis machines to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
This helps patients avail the services at half price. Approximately two crore Rupees charity has been done by him so far. A separate section was opened at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital recently through Rotary Club for the Thalassemia patients. Every Sunday, these patients get free treatment there.
Uttara and Omkar are Manoj Ghodke’s children. They are intelligent and enthusiastic like their parents. They both like painting and other creative tasks. They completed primary education from the reputed school Muktangan. Uttara selected ‘design’ as her career and completed graduation in Industrial Product Designing from MIT, Loni. She recently completed masters from OCAS University, Toronto, Canada. She was awarded a gold medal for this course from OCAD University. Omkar has appeared for the final year Engineering examination. He got the first prize two years back for set painting in Firodiya Trophy.
“Women power of my mother Meera, my wife Snehal and my sister Sandhya was always behind me, and they were always helping and supporting in crises”, says Ghodke humbly.
A big network of people, honesty, priority to quality and fighting spirit has given Manoj Ghodke the courage to keep going and succeed in his businesses. The journey till now was nice with support from family and friends. His journey simply tells us:
“I had started alone towards my journey, but people joined me, and a caravan was formed.”
Originally Published in Yashashwi Udyojak. Subscribe Today.
