The pioneer of Sugar Co-operative movement, who had a humble beginning, was chiefly instrumental in, organizing the much exploited sugarcane ‘growers of the 44 villages, in and around Pravaranagar, way back in 1948, and establishing Asia’s first co-operative sugar factory, which was commissioned in 1950.

Born in a farmer’s family at Loni in 1901, he was distressed by the pitiable plight of the poor, the illiterate and the downtrodden peasantry who were exploited by the money lenders, feudal lords, and private sugar factory owners. In those days the local peasantry of Pravara area had to face difficulties in marketing of sugarcane, as conversion of sugarcane into Sugar was totally uneconomical and the “Jaggery Prices, reached the rock bottom.