DSK - The man of commitment

If you want to learn how to respect others, meet Deepak Sakharam Kulkarni. Never heard this name? Confused? I am talking about D S Kulkarni aka DSK.

D S Kulkarni began his illustrious career in 1970 with D S Kulkarni Developers Limited, more popularly known as DSK Group. DSK Group subsequently ventured out into real estate construction in 1981.

DSK was born on 28th June 1950; in a highly cultured Maharashtrian Brahmin family. His parents, especially his mother, who put a premium on 'Good Character', had a great influence on his personality. The value system imbibed in his childhood inspired DSK to dream big yet have his feet firmly rooted in ground realities. From a very young age DSK showed traits of a promising entrepreneur. While completing his education, simultaneously he was also getting himself trained in the art and science of doing business.

Today his dream success story often belies the hardship and toil he has put in, in order to hone his business acumen to perfection. However, this period which was full of struggle also taught him lessons in marketing and building instant relationships with people that last for a lifetime.

DSK was brought up in Kasba Peth area in Pune, Maharashtra. He was always surrounded with friends who would toil throughout the day to support their families since an early age. He understood their condition and extended a helping hand by sharing their daily chores of selling vegetables, salted peanuts, jungle berries, supari, crackers, lottery tickets, rose saplings or distribution of newspapers and milk bottles. He never developed any inferiority complex of doing small jobs. Rather he enjoyed these small ways of sharing happiness.

Though he was never forced to work by his family, he had that inner feeling of helping his friends so that they can also get time to play their favorite game of Cricket! The formula of helping his friends unknowingly taught DSK his first lesson of business.

DSK firmly believes in respecting the “work” irrespective of its magnitude. But, whatever work is undertaken should be done with precision, hard work and trustworthiness. He always believed in golden mantra, “Keep your customer's happy & give more than their expectations”.

While doing odd works DSK established a small firm called “Tele-smell” in 1970, which involved cleaning of telephone receivers and perfuming them. This small business was started with a meager capital of Rs. 70 and loan of Rs. 500. He used to paddle from one corner of Pune to other for cleaning telephones and earned Rs. 3 per phone for his grueling hard work of 30 days. DSK kept growing in his experience and understanding the needs of customers. Soon, with his “always say YES to work” attitude he went on getting small contracts of plumbing, electrification, furniture and painting. This lead to a strong foundation of starting DSK Construction Company which today has snowballed into a Rs. 4000 crore empire in the name of DSK Developers Ltd. Today DSK Group is one of the most respected business houses in India. DSK’s Business Mantra is “Eye at the hearts of customers and NOT on their pockets”.

DSK has the record of building over 27,000 homes till date. Buying a house always is a big and ultimate dream for a person either rich or poor. But, authenticity of the construction group is very important before buying a house. The word “DSK” has developed itself as most trusted brand-name. The whole DSK Empire is built on the basic ingredients of trust, value and ultimate satisfaction of its customers. Through its commitment to quality and details, DSK Group truly lives up to its slogan “Gharala gharpan denari manase”.

When DSK decided to enter in Mumbai market he was welcomed by major hurdles. Firstly, he faced bad attitudes of the established builders who had a major role in Mumbai’s construction world. In spite of being hurt, he was not demoralized and took it as a challenge. The result of which is the “Durgamata Tower”, which stands tall reflecting the grit of a Marathi man. Secondly, evacuating tenets from the old buildings in Mumbai is an arduous job than constructing a building itself. Most high end area of Mumbai, DSK preferred the religious name of Goddess ‘Durga’ instead of any English name for this special edifice. He kept his commitment at any cost. This 32 storey tall building houses only 18 sprawling DSK Durgamata Towers, DSK has always strived for newer & bigger opportunities. He proved his mettle on home ground. Now, it was time to look beyond home boundaries and capture foreign market. Now, DSK is getting ready to build a 150 storey grand project in Manhattan, USA.

DSK Motors is a yet another success story. Today DSK Motors; a 1100 crore turnover company, is synonymous with Toyota and vice versa. DSK Toyota is Toyota’s largest dealer in the western asia.

Recently, I visited DSK Supinfocom; India's 1st International Institute for Animation, Video Gaming & Industrial Design. The campus is complete with international quality amenities and is an ideal institute located at Fursungi and is spread over 20 acres of land with world class infrastructure and residential facility. It is a result of a joint venture between the DSK Group and Globally recognized French Institute - Chamber of Commerce and Industry of North De France (CCINDF).

The Talk Show 'Majestic Gappa' rocked Pune's cultural scene some 15 years ago. To fill the void created by it DSK announced the launch of “DSK Gappa”. Today, DSK Gappa has grown as one of the most awaited and reputed talk shows in Pune and continues to entertain people since the last 11 years. In fact, I met DSK in connection of DSK Gappa program in 2010, when he invited young MLAs Amit Deshmukh, Pankaja Munde-Palve & Praniti Shinde. All 3 MLAs are my friends and on behalf of DSK I requested them to attend the function. Immediately after second day of the function, DSK called me and said, Rahul Sir, you are a very powerful man. Thanks for your help for DSK Gappa. I was shocked as such a big person called me to say thanks and taking my name as Sir… I felt awkward. I said respected Sir say me Rahul only I am like your son. One day I went to meet him in his office. We discussed many things. He asked about me and came till door to say me bye! I had seen DSK personally in the period of Home Exhibition while giving information till satisfaction of the customers.

DSK messagaed me from France recently, after reading my blog on the sad demise of MNS MLA ‘Goldman’ Ramesh Wanjale. DSK has always maintained a social attitude. Few days ago the media highlighted the inconvenience for ladies toilets in Pune. DSK immediately declared that he will built 100 toilets for ladies. It shows his attention for social responsibility. When he contested Loksabha election from Pune last time, people (including me!) thought that he must have some project proposal in UP. That’s why he is candidate of BSP. But no, actually his interest to become MP is to make Pune green, pollution free and beautiful. Nothing else! Otherwise, a millionaire like DSK has no need to enter in politics.

Being a religious person, DSK has taken initiative to construct rest-room for devotees who throng at Vani Temple and Satara in large numbers. He has also reconstructed & conserved Kalwan temple, thus treasuring the history.

DSK Foundation announced the creation of 200 crore fund corpus for those young deserving individuals aged between 18-27 yrs who do not have any business background or family support to start a new business by giving them loans. DSK introduced his own DSK Quota for providing free houses to police personnel and poor artists. Till date more than 100 houses have been allotted under this quota. DSK's father was in police department. The soft corner for his father's profession always has kept him in forefront to help and contribute to Police Welfare Fund.

On the eve of his 60th Birthday, DSK instituted ‘Self Made Man Award’ of cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation.

DSK Group is in Engineering, Chemicals, Hotels, IT, Education, Trading, Pharmaceuticals, Import & export and many other businesses. Along with Pune and Mumbai he started his projects in Nashik, Bangalore, Chennai & America too.

Today DSK group has crossed turnover of Rs 4000 crores. Today he has completed 61 years. Sir, you are the best and we wish you all the best!!

Ramesh Wanjale- The man with a golden heart!

Alongwith Maharashtra, it was a great shock to me when I heard the news of MNS MLA Ramesh Wanjle’s death. Wanjale, the man famously known as the 'Gold Man', and the only Pune MLA elected from Khadakwasala constituency in 2009, passed away in Jehangir Hospital at 10.05 pm on 10th June 2011 following a cardiac arrest.

Wanjale was a colourful personality - his physique and the gold that he always used to wear made him stand out. He was fascinated with gold and used to wear thick gold chains and bracelets totally weighing 800 grams and worth Rs 12 lakh. Essentially a farmer, who became wealthy due to rising land prices in and around the city, Wanjale had represented Pune Zilla Parishad as a Congressman and had been politically active for the past 15 years in Ahire village and the Haveli Panchayat Samiti. He was also the president of Jai Ganesh Education Society.

On 15th Aug 2010, Wanjale came for some election campaign to my hometown Jamkhed. I called him on mobile and invited for a cup of tea. I thought that he might not come as he was too busy but still after the campaign meet he said we will go to your home. More than 500 party workers were following him and whole main road where I stay became crowded. He entered my home and touched my mother’s feet. He said, Rahul your mother and my mother are the Madhubala’s of olden time. He added, Aai, I look like the villain Spot Nana but I am a very spiritual person. The same day midnight, while I was coming back from Ashti after dinner with my friends; we saw Beed police van was chasing some people. I asked them what happened and coincidently by that time Wanjale was on his return way to Pune. He saw us and offered his help to cops. He gave battery to the cops from his car and left for Pune, without expecting anything… neither his battery nor a thanks!

Wanjale was like a coconut, looked tough from outside but very soft from inside. After I met him, I understood that you can’t judge a person from his outside personality or physical appearance. Wanjale was a classic example of this. Last year he gave speech in Pune on the occasion of noted builder D S Kulkarni’s birthday function. He said that I am a fan of DSK & came here although I have not been invited. DSK invited me on dias because I am MLA. In fact, we don’t know each other personally!! His speech was superb and included portions of Sant Tukaram’s Abhangas. He was very transparent and straight forward person. Man with innocent mind indeed.

The MLA was a household name in his Khadakwasla constituency from where he won the assembly election in 2009. In fact, Wanjale shot to fame from 2009. He was suspended along with three other MNS MLAs for causing a ruckus in the assembly after Samajwadi party MLA Abu Azmi took the oath in Hindi instead of Marathi. Wanjale had rushed to the well of the house and lifted the podium to disrupt the proceedings. The suspension was later revoked. Wanjale, a wrestler, was also an eloquent speaker and often quoted writings of Sant Dnyanewshwar and Sant Tukaram in his speeches. Besides a good political leader he was KIrtankar. In his speeches he used to say that if Abu Azami is from Azamgad, then I am also from Sinhgad!!.

I saw whenever he speaks about MNS President Raj Thackeray he mentioned him like Rajsaheb…Thackeray Saheb. His love and affection for Raj was evident in each of his reference. He took more than 25000 old people for Haridwar, Kashi, Tuljapur, Pandharpur darshan several times with his own expenses. Besides, he had also taken Muslim people to Ajmer for darshan. It shows the spiritual personality behind him. He also visited Europe, Thailand, Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Mauritius, Switzerland and England.

Recently I called him for some work and he told me to meet personally. Unfortunately I couldn’t go and the meet remained incomplete… forever.