Page 52 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

and pick up vans. He then started producing three -wheeler auto
rickshaws under the name ‘Bajaj Auto’, because Navalmal had
cordial relations with Shri. Jamnalal Bajaj, who like him was
also a Gandhian businessman and patron of Mahatma Gandhi’s
ashram at Wardha. During the 1950s, Rahul, his young son,
was getting his engineering degree abroad.
He started separate units of ‘Kinetic Engineering’ and ‘Force
Motors’ fully owned and managed by the Firodiya family.

Garware Group
Abasaheb Garware was born in Tasgaon in the Satara District
in 1903. In his young adolescent age, he attended Tilak’s lectures
and used to read Tilak’s editorials. His father wasted family
wealth and ran into heavy debts therefore he was forced to give
up high school education after the Standard VI examination.
He migrated to Mumbai for getting a job opening in sundry
businesses and self- employment. He got a job of a helper to
head mechanic (mistry) of a motor garage in Girgaum. He
mastered the craft of car repairing by hard work and won the
heart of his mentor by giving him all sundry personal services.
After achieving proficiency in car repairing, he started his
own garage. He got a large clientele by his efficient, reliable,
and prompt services and won trust and confidence because of
his honesty and ethical values. In course of time, he became
a seller and buyer of second hand, good condition cars and
earned repute as a reliable dealer. In 1933, he went to England,
since secondhand cars were cheapest in U.K. There was a great
depression in the industries and businesses during the 1930s,
therefore cars had becoming amazingly cheaper! He bought a
fleet of large number of used cars and sold them in India at
higher prices and made a fortune! Later, he decided to launch a
plastic industry which had infinite prospects due to the World
War II, for plastic buttons wanted by Indian Navy. He started
manufacturing these and because of sure and dependable
market he made a sizeable profit. Then he got interested in
nylon yarn, nylon bristles, fishing nets, nets required for green
houses which produce flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Then he
started manufacturing of polyester films, synthetic ropes, plastic
injection moulding products etc. He was a great philanthropist.
Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata 50