A selfless intent to make a real difference pervades every team member at Samta Foundation. From grassroots to the top, we live with the spirit of service.
A selfless intent to make a real difference pervades every team member at Samta Foundation. From grassroots to the top, we live with the spirit of service.
Ravindra Garje serves as Manager – Networking & Strategic Relationships, working second line under Priyanka Munde. Armed with a BE in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Entrepreneurship Management, he brings 15 years of rich experience in the education sector as a Lecturer, Principal, and Project Head across key initiatives.
Ravindra joined Samta Foundation in 2019 as Principal of Mannalal Agrawal Skill Development Institute, managing institute operations and team activities. He actively leads IT education programs and CSC drives like Ayushman Card camps, alongside dedicated farmer welfare activities within the New Horizon project.
Beyond his professional career, Ravindra is an avid book reader and a passionate marathon runner. His personal discipline, strategic vision, and community dedication continue to foster strong partnerships and drive sustainable social development.
Rushabh Sarnaik leads MASDI (Mannalal Agrawal Skill & Development Institute), Risod, with a focus on enhancing students’ technical knowledge, digital skills, and career readiness through technology-driven education. Holding a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information Technology, he has developed expertise in robotics, programming, and emerging technologies. Rushabh actively promotes hands-on learning and practical skill development, enabling students to gain industry-relevant experience and confidence.
As a member of a successful robotics team, he trained students for Robotex International 2025 in Estonia, where his team achieved an impressive 7th rank globally, placing among the world’s top-performing teams. He is committed to creating an engaging learning environment that encourages innovation, creativity, technical excellence, and continuous learning among students.
Mayur Aher contributes significantly to Samta Foundation’s Fashion Designing, Digital Education, and Skill Development initiatives through training, capacity building, and program implementation. He has successfully expanded the Fashion Designing Outreach Program across multiple villages, enabling students from rural and tribal communities to access quality vocational education.
Mayur has also conducted Generative AI training sessions for government teachers and educational institutions, promoting technology-enabled learning and innovation. In addition, he has trained students in Tally Accounting, helping them develop practical skills and improve employment opportunities. He also manages MBTB certification and affiliation activities to ensure quality educational delivery.
A graduate in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Mayur specialises in digital education, skill development, fashion designing outreach, and emerging technology training.
Amol Kalambe plays a key role in advancing technology education and skill development under the Education Initiative. He oversees academic planning, student development, robotics education, and technology-driven learning programs that equip students with practical and industry-relevant skills. Under his leadership, student teams secured National Championship titles at Robotex India in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He also represented India at Robotex International 2025 in Estonia, where his team achieved an impressive 7th rank globally, placing among the world’s top-performing teams.
Holding an M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering, Amol began his career as a Computer Trainer and progressed through dedication, innovation, and leadership. He is passionate about mentoring young innovators, promoting STEM education, and inspiring students to develop creativity, confidence, technical excellence, and problem-solving abilities through technology and innovation.
Prakash Khillare plays an important role in implementing community development, healthcare, education, and livelihood initiatives at Samta Foundation. He is responsible for stakeholder engagement, project coordination, government liaison, and developing partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and corporate organisations. Throughout his career, he has successfully coordinated programs related to Ayushman Bharat, eye care services, family welfare, skill development, and educational outreach, benefiting thousands of individuals across Maharashtra.
His expertise includes community mobilisation, institutional networking, strategic planning, reporting, and program management. Prakash holds degrees in BBA, MBA (Marketing), and MA (English). With over five years of professional experience, he remains committed to creating sustainable social impact through collaborative partnerships and community-driven development initiatives.
Radheshyam Kesalkar leads the healthcare initiatives of Samta Foundation across the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. With a strong focus on maternal and child healthcare, he works to improve access to quality healthcare services for underserved and marginalised communities.
Driven by a deep commitment to social service, he has dedicated his professional journey to addressing healthcare challenges in tribal and rural areas, particularly in the Gadchiroli region. His efforts focus on preventive healthcare, community awareness, and sustainable health interventions that improve overall well-being.
Radheshyam holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and continues to develop impactful healthcare programs that empower women, children, and vulnerable communities while creating long-term social and health outcomes.
Rajnikant Biranware leads the healthcare initiatives of Samta Foundation across the Kokan and Western Maharashtra regions, focusing primarily on Cataract Care, Mother & Child Care, and Family Planning programs. His passion for social service began in childhood and inspired him to dedicate his career to improving the lives of underserved communities.
Rajnikant has received the Most Recognised Award for his outstanding performance within the organisation and has been widely appreciated for his dedication and contributions to the Foundation’s mission.
Rajnikant holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and is committed to creating sustainable healthcare solutions that reach the most remote and inaccessible communities and improve the quality of life of vulnerable populations.
Vishal drives growth, innovation, strategic partnerships, and skill development across the Prisoners’ Transformation, IT, and Fashion Designing initiatives of Samta Foundation, supporting their expansion and impact across multiple regions of Maharashtra. Since 2019, he has played a key role in establishing IT and Fashion Designing labs in tribal and underserved areas, including Palghar, Nandurbar, Gadchiroli, Melghat, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Indore.
He has contributed significantly to strengthening educational programs through curriculum enhancement, CAD-based learning, teacher training, and strategic partnerships. Under his leadership, the Fashion Designing initiative received the prestigious SNDTWU CHETNA Non-Credit Course of the Year 2024–25 Award.
A graduate in Mechanical Engineering with an MBA in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Vishal specialises in educational program development, institutional collaborations, skill development, and strategic expansion initiatives.
At Samta Foundation, Priyanka Munde leads Corporate Strategy & Operations, driving organisational growth, strategic planning, and operational excellence across the Foundation’s initiatives. She plays a key role in strengthening systems, improving program effectiveness, and ensuring seamless coordination between departments to achieve the Foundation’s long-term vision and objectives.
Priyanka has earned Excellence Certificates at several national-level events and received the prestigious “Master Award 2023” from IIT Bombay for her exemplary contribution as an Educator Resource in the implementation of the Spoken Tutorial Project.
A B.E. graduate in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering and an MBA in HR & Project Management, Priyanka has previously worked as a Computer Trainer and Educator. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she enjoys studying holy books and pursuing continuous personal growth.
Vivek leads the overall Healthcare Initiatives of Samta Foundation, with a focus on Mother and Child Care. He turned his childhood passion for social work into a profession when he joined Samta Foundation and started working for the tribal community of Melghat in Amravati district of Maharashtra, considered the second deepest remote area in India.
Vivek bagged an incentive award for his outstanding performance within the organization and has also been awarded “Covid Yoddha” by the Governor of Maharashtra State for his performance from 2020-21 in combatting the Covid19 pandemic.
Vivek holds a master’s in social work (MSW) and is also pursuing an MBA. Other than professional work, he excels in composing Marathi poetry.
Ananya brings a contemporary perspective and a robust structure to the Computer Programmes helmed by the Foundation. She infuses joy into learning by introducing innovative ways, like creating music books with song ideas and exam syllabus for schools. At prisons, she has helped define the Computer curriculum, streamlining it with the objectives of prisoner education.
Studying in Grade XII at Ecole Mondiale, Mumbai, Ananya’s vision for the Foundation is, in her words, “limitless”, while strengthening and expanding its work. Ananya has received her Visharad Certificate in Indian folk dance and has earned her Senior Diploma in Hindustani Vocal Classical after a decade of training. She also volunteers as a music teacher at an NGO tutoring underprivileged children in Mumbai. Deeply inspired to walk in the shoes of her grandfather, Purushottam Agrawal, she feels that respecting diversity can restore balance in the world.
Dipak is passionate about leading the prison activities undertaken by the Foundation. With an unwavering focus on release of deserving prisoners, rehabilitation and improving their health, he aspires to expand the Foundation’s prisoner release activity across the nation and motivates his team to bring forward their best.
During his previous stints, Dipak has been the Administrative head at MAIT, Risod. He put his Diploma in Pharmacy from Nagpur University to practice as the Proprietor of Ajanta Enterprises, Aurangabad. As a Trustee of the Dhamma Ajanta Vipassana Centre, Aurangabad, his aim is to spread the importance of meditation in life – a cause that blends seamlessly into his work for prisoners.
With the values of giving back to society firmly instilled in him, Ravi focusses on building efficiency in the way Samta Foundation is run, maximising its reach to the beneficiaries.
Ravi is Managing Director of the Samta Group. Before this, he started the infrastructure vertical and developed the industrial area and solar power projects, over the past 7 years. He now leads Gencrest, a biotech research venture with operations in India and abroad and is also involved with its Mining and Infotech verticals. In the past, he has also worked in the pharmaceutical domain with Ajanta Pharma.
Ravi is a Management Graduate with a love for music, apart from long distance motorcycling. His passion for contribution is evident in a Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari biking trip he completed, to raise money for the Armed Forces Welfare Fund.
Inspired by the ethics of Mr. Purushottam Agrawal and his late wife, Mrs. Samta Agrawal, Richa takes a hands-on approach to managing the activities of Samta Foundation. Attending camps in tribal areas, she has witnessed that people there desperately need better healthcare and educational facilities. She is driven to provide access to those opportunities and envisions the Foundation to be synonymous with efficiency and quality.
Nurturing a strong desire for service, Richa not only hails from a family of philanthropists, but believes that Samta Foundation gives her a platform to contribute meaningfully.
Richa is a mother of two, a Commerce Graduate and a painter. Her passion for giving reflects in her role as an English Teacher and Spiritual Mentor at an NGO tutoring underprivileged children in Mumbai.
Purushottam Agrawal is on a mission to make rural and tribal communities healthy, literate and self-reliant. His entrepreneurial brilliance and unrelenting spirit to make a meaningful contribution is the seed of Samta Foundation. His vision is carried forward in our activities, associations and achievements in community development; and has won him several recognitions including an award by the Honourable Vice President of India.
As a businessman, he started with a borrowed seed capital of merely Rs. 10,000 in 1973, and went on to become the Founder of Ajanta Pharma: a pharma major with a market capitalisation of over two billion dollars and employee strength of 6500+. He is also the Chairman of the Samta Group of Companies, which includes Gencrest, the biotech arm, Samta Mines & Minerals Limited, a mining specialist company, Infinichains, IT Company based on block-chain technology and and Samta Energy, a sustainable energy company. Today, his bold ideologies have not only benefited millions in India but across 30+ countries including US, Europe, Asia and the entire African continent.
Vivek leads the overall Healthcare Initiatives of Samta Foundation, with a focus on Mother and Child Care. He turned his childhood passion for social work into a profession when he joined Samta Foundation and started working for the tribal community of Melghat in Amravati district of Maharashtra, considered the second deepest remote area in India.
Vivek bagged an incentive award for his outstanding performance within the organization and has also been awarded “Covid Yoddha” by the Governor of Maharashtra State for his performance from 2020-21 in combatting the Covid19 pandemic.
Vivek holds a master’s in social work (MSW) and is also pursuing an MBA. Other than professional work, he excels in composing Marathi poetry.
Warli painting is an internal journey for Chetan Laxman Madha – a source of his inner happiness and solace. As he debuted at Palghar Perspectives, Chetan took his first big step towards making his presence felt as an established Warli painter.
Prabhakar Vitthal Talha inherited the skill of Warli painting from his mother. Palghar Perspectives was Prabhakar’s debut show, and what he considers the beginning of a career in this unique artistic field. He does not just want to sharpen his skills and rest on his laurels alone, but is keen on sharing his knowledge and continuing the tradition of excellence by teaching budding artists.
From learning the nuances of Warli painting with the help of a friend to exhibiting his talent at shows in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi, artist Dilip Rama Bahota has come a long way. The will to preserve his culture keeps him inspired and motivated to deliver flawless artwork. Dilip’s contentment lies in helping people with similar interests come together, so that everybody gets a platform to progress in this field.
Vansha Jaanu Bhujad gained proficiency in bamboo art by practicing at home, and ultimately participating at an exhibition in Mumbai’s Welingkar College in 2017-2018. Vansha wants to keep learning the nuances of Bamboo art so that he may pass on the knowledge to other artists as well.
Artists need inspiration to sculpt masterpieces. For Naresh, it was the customs, traditions and festivals in his village that inspired him to become a Warli painting artist. He also regards nature as a major source of inspiration for him. It is his eagerness to learn, and sincerity towards his work that earned him the opportunity of exhibiting in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Baroda, and Surat before exhibiting in Mumbai.
From learning the nuances of Warli painting with the help of a friend to exhibiting his talent at shows in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi, artist Dilip Rama Bahota has come a long way. The will to preserve his culture keeps him inspired and motivated to deliver flawless artwork. Dilip’s contentment lies in helping people with similar interests come together, so that everybody gets a platform to progress in this field.
Young Ashwini Shraavan Chaudhary proves that art knows no age. Being an ardent art lover, she first learned Warli painting in school. The driven artist has not only participated in exhibitions conducted in her school, but has also showcased at an exhibition at Bhartiya Vidyapeeth High School. This college-going artist is now keen to craft a career in Warli painting.
Yashwant Shankar Ravte mastered the intricate art of Warli painting from a friend. It was a skill he cultivated with such finesse, that he had the wonderful opportunity of exhibiting several times in Mumbai through the Ministry of Tourism. Today he not only pursues his craft with great eye to detail, but is also passionate about promoting Adivasi culture and art to the world.
Sudam Kashiram Ghoye is a self-taught craftsman. He works with old newspapers and magazines, and makes his glue from local Chera and Dharan Trees, which lends a unique brown hue to his work. Sudam mainly sculpts animals and masks. With 22 years of experience, Sudam exhibits up to 5 times a year in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. His wife Jayee and son Arun are also paper mache artists.
