what is loksadhana?

We are Loksadhana, and our story began in 1982 when Dr. Raja Dandekar and Prof. Renu Dandekar came to Chikhalgaon, the birthplace of Lokmanya Tilak. Tilak built schools across India, yet his own village lacked a secondary school.  So we began here, using education as our catalyst for change. Today, we’ve reached 56 villages, creating rural solutions rooted in people, soil, and homegrown strength.

About Our Founders

Dr. Raja Dandekar, a Pune-trained Ayurvedacharya, and Mrs. Renu Dandekar, a professor of literature, left the city to begin life in Chikhalgaon. Together, they brought their knowledge, resilience, and vision into rural India, founding Loksadhana and shaping generations through education, healthcare, and community leadership.

Our Vision

One day, all children will have access to pragmatic, hands-on vocational education in their schools, empowering rural India through skills, self-reliance, and opportunity.

Our mission

To make Loksadhana’s pragmatic, hands-on vocational education model accessible to 5 million students from marginalised rural backgrounds by 2042, while also creating replicable, context-driven rural solutions to address local challenges.

Meet our Board of Trustees

Guiding Loksadhana’s journey with vision, expertise, and commitment to rural transformation.

Advocate with multi-domain legal expertise, actively managing projects and ensuring Loksadhana’s operations are community-focused, ethical, and legally sound.

Kaivalya Dandekar

President

Senior Chartered Accountant from Mumbai, guiding Loksadhana’s compliances, fundraising, and processes with steady insight and financial acumen.

Sujal Shah

Trustee

Engineer-turned-entrepreneur, founder of mithai4all.com, blending technical knowledge and business insight to align tradition with modern opportunities.

Kedar Saraswate

Trustee

Mechanical engineer and renewable energy expert pioneering sustainable rural technology, ensuring innovation balances community needs with environmental responsibility.

Dr. Nitant Vishnu Mate

Trustee

Former student who introduced and taught DBRT at Lokmanya Tilak Vidya Mandir, now runs a fabrication unit while mentoring rural entrepreneurs.

Dinesh Kashiram Advilkar

Trustee

Dynamic architect with deep expertise in sustainable design, creating context-driven solutions that blend innovation with social impact.

Hrishikesh Deshpande

Trustee

Agro-entrepreneur empowering Ratnagiri communities by creating rural livelihoods, combining business leadership with deep commitment to social progress.

Chetana Subhash Bal

Trustee

Advisory Committee

Guiding Loksadhana’s journey with vision, expertise, and commitment to rural transformation.

Dr. Arvind
Bhome

Renowned physician and pulmonologist, educator, and innovator who co-developed India’s most widely used Dry Powder Inhaler.

Shri V. T.
Purandare

Former Charity Commissioner, Shri Purandare lends his legal and administrative expertise to strengthen our governance and accountability.

Prof. Sudhir
Vitthal Daptardar

As a professor at Indira Institute of Management, Pune, Prof. Daptardar offers strategic academic insight to support our educational initiatives.

Mr. Yogesh
Kulkarni

Director of Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, Mr. Kulkarni shares his rich experience in rural technology and innovation to enrich our community programmes.

Mr. Shailesh Shrikant Tilak

From the Kesari daily newspaper, Mr. Tilak brings his understanding of media and public communication to amplify our mission.

Dr. Sagar Deshpande (Ph.D)

As Chief Editor of Jadanghadan monthly magazine, Dr. Deshpande offers guidance on knowledge-sharing and rural storytelling.

Mr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe

Director General of Rambhau Mhalghi Prabhodhini, Mr. Sahasrabuddhe contributes his leadership experience in public policy and training.

Dr. Pandurang
Hari Vaidya

Dr. Vaidya supports Loksadhana with his expertise in health and community development.

Dr. Uday
Nirgudkar

With an MBA and a PhD in Marketing Management, Dr Nirgudkar has over three decades of experience in various sectors like Information Technology (IT), Education, Infrastructure, Finance, Media and Economics.

Smt. Savita
Ghokhale

Based in the USA, Smt. Ghokhale brings her perspective as a social worker to foster global connections for local change.

Smt. Vidya
Hardikar – Sapre

Also a social worker in the USA, Smt. Hardikar-Sapre supports Loksadhana in bridging communities across continents.

Mr. Shekhar
Bhatavdekar

With four decades of expertise in the printing industry, Mr Shekhar is a committed entrepreneur who combines professional excellence with a heart for service. He has conducted several skill-development programs for underprivileged children, empowering them toward self-reliance.

Shri. Vijay
Kuvalekar 

Vijay Vishwanath Kuvalekar, Indian Newspaper editor-in-chief Recipient 4 State Government awards for feature films, 1997. Member Maharashtra State Workers Welfare Board, Bombay, 1993-1996; secretary Sakal Relief Fund, since 1987; vice president Vidyanidhi Trust, Pune, since 1992. Member Press Club (president 1992-1995), Editors Guild India.

MR. Madhav
J. Joshi

For the past 50 years, he has worked in senior positions in the corporate sector. He served as an advisor with Tata Teleservices Limited. He worked with Tata Teleservices Limited for 14 years as President, and for 5 years, he headed operations at Ericsson India as Vice President. He also served as Chief Operating Officer at Hutchison Max and Head of Company Secretary and Legal Departments at Grasim Industries for 13 years.

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