Keshav Gholave and three other union office bearers of Thermax Kamgar Sanghatana were on a ‘study tour’ to Mumbai and called up seeking my help. I invited them home. Thus began my long association with Keshav.

Keshav is a tall man who smiles easily, and his enthusiasm brushes off people. Usually clad in white shirt tucked in dark trousers, he speaks with a loud tone. If he is listening to anyone, his eyes show curiosity about the subject, and he will listen with a smile. Keshav actively looks for ways to overcome problems; his solution orientation defines him.

Very few people would have seen the vicissitudes in life which Keshav has seen.

Keshav was born into a poor family. His parents cut sugarcane on plantations. His family was rehabilitated at a village ‘Dalaj Number 2’  Tal Indapur, Dist. Pune, while building the Ujani Dam in the Solapur District because their land and residence were submerged in the dam. Abject poverty forced his family to eat Bhakari (Bread) with rock salt. The family stayed in ‘Kop’ near sugar factory which is a Marathi name for a makeshift hut. He raised money for his education by making and selling cow dung cakes, firewood etc. to look after cow & buffalos. He befriended senior students so that he could buy their used books at a cheaper price.

On completion of studies, which was passing the 10^th standard exams, he was confronted with a career question. One option was to get Diploma in Education, but an educational institution asked for a donation of Rs 35 thousand. The second option was to enroll for an ITI course which did not require any donation. Keshav’s father offered to take a loan to raise Rs 35 thousand, but Keshav asked him not to spend money on his education. Keshav enrolled at the Industrial Training Institute and qualified as a welder.

For six years he worked as an apprentice and temporary worker in various industries in Pune. During this period, he supported his family and contributed to the marriage expense of his sisters. He saw workers getting permanent jobs, surpassing him, but Keshav was acutely aware of his disadvantageously placed position to raise his voice against such injustice. To work well, giving his best with positive outlook on life was all that he could do, he realized. And that bore fruit when he got a permanent job at Thermax in 1998.

And soon he was elected as the representative of workers; he won a place as a union committee member in Thermax Union. Around this time, Keshav read ‘Shriman Yogi,” a well-known novel on the life of Shivaji Maharaj which left a deep mark on his psyche. Keshav was instrumental in constructing a Shiva Temple and he feels that the inspiration came from the book.

At Thermax he met Arvind Shrouti who was advisor to many unions. Under Arvind’s tutelage, Keshav’s leadership blossomed, and he redefined the role of a union.

Thermax Kamgar Sanghatana (TKS) took unusual steps – unusual for the unions. Thermax Kamgar Sanghatana obtained ISO 9001 certification, it conducted ‘satisfaction surveys to determine the extent to which the members-workers were satisfied with the work of the union. They informally decided not to admit any member in the managing committee who smoked, who was a drunkard, and who was not regular in his attendance. Value based management, as experts will say.

TKS even declared its ‘Quality Policy.’ They undertook projects to cut costs and the savings were substantial. They learnt 5S, RFT (Right First Time), and other modern techniques like Kaizen, TPM, TPT, TQM, etc. TKS created its vision statement and inspired a union at a big FMCG company’s factory to create their vision statement.

Arvind explained the unions, their role, numerous factors which have bearing on union’s effectiveness, and Keshav grasped them quickly. Arvind visualized a federation of unions which could support small unions in Pune – Chinchwad industrial belt. ‘Shramik Ekta Mahasangh’ thus came to be established in 2004. Initially twelve unions affiliated themselves to Shramik Ekta Mahasangh, gradually the number swelled to one hundred and fifty unions.

The name of TKS spread among the HR professionals and Keshav started getting invitations to speak at the HR summits of big industries. Keshav was no longer addressing workers but groups of senior managers in his Hindi mixed English.

His style was to present facts in a simple yet dramatic way, and the facts of TKS achievements were unusual for the industry. The achievements of TKS had the context of liberalization where unions were perceived as a huge obstacle to growth by the managements of the industry. Against this backdrop TKS stood out by its proactive work supporting productivity and wastage reduction.

Keshav visited Italy for a study at ILO’s Training Centre at Turin and later travelled to Germany, Spain, and France. ‘When we studied Fiat and other companies,’ said Keshav, we realized that ‘Continual Development’ is accepted there as a way of life. It comes out of RFT (Right First Time), Kaizen, 5 S, TPM, TQM, Kanban etc. If the employees’ wage rate must go up, they must also ensure higher value addition. The employees there are trained extensively in these aspects of work.’ His approach was significantly influenced by the ICE Model—Investment, Consumption, and Expansion—as the core drivers of growth and decision-making.

Keshav had obviously outgrown the job of a worker-leader. In some unhappy developments which followed, he lost his job at Thermax. As an employee and as a leader that was lowest point of his career.

During the period of suspension that preceded his separation from Thermax, Keshav faced one of the most challenging phases of his life. It was during this difficult time that he was elected as a Corporator of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

The most testing aspect of this journey was that Keshav and his family were surviving solely on subsistence allowance during his suspension and were facing severe financial hardship. Despite these constraints, he chose to contest the municipal election. The campaign was sustained not by financial resources but by the support and contributions of workers who stood firmly behind him.

In today’s political environment, instances of contesting and winning an election without substantial financial backing are extremely rare. Keshav described this election as a struggle between Dhanshakti (financial power) and Shramshakti (the power of labour). His victory symbolized the strength of collective faith, worker solidarity, and grassroots leadership.

Reflecting on that period, Keshav says, “It is true that I lost my job, but the leadership experience I gained in the industry taught me lessons that no amount of money could have bought. Problems always come hand in hand with opportunities. Losing my job opened the door for me to serve society as a Corporator.”

This ability to transform adversity into opportunity reflects Keshav’s defining characteristic — a deeply positive outlook and resilient leadership spirit.

The training and exposure Keshav received during his industrial and trade union career equipped him with the ability to understand public issues analytically and to design solutions in a systematic manner. Applying this approach to public life, he began working on the holistic development of his constituency.

Keshav believed that the region possessed significant tourism potential. Acting on this vision, he strengthened existing infrastructure by enhancing the Science Centre with the addition of a planetarium. At Bird Valley, he conceptualized and developed a laser show and musical water fountain project using advanced technology, transforming the area into a major public attraction.

He played a pivotal role in several socially meaningful initiatives, including the development of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar Srushti and the establishment of Divyang Bhavan, a dedicated facility for visually impaired and differently abled citizens. His contribution to the expansion of the Metro Project in the city was also widely acknowledged.

After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, Keshav’s industrial background and understanding of labour economics earned him appointment to the Committee on the Consumer Price Index. His analytical contribution in revising the Consumer Price Index basket received considerable appreciation. Subsequently, he was nominated to the Minimum Wages Committee, where he advocated and supported higher wage revisions based on the principle that workers’ wages must at least meet their basic living needs.

While he had worked closely with organized sector workers, his public role expanded his engagement with the unorganized workforce. Due to his persistent efforts, crematorium workers began receiving statutory minimum wages along with additional benefits. (Read about it here.) He also played an important role in challenging the exploitative nature of the NEEM (National Employability Enhancement Mission) scheme by contributing to a writ petition, which ultimately led to its withdrawal by the Government.

Keshav actively supported reforms relating to labour welfare, including advocacy for linking bonus calculations with Minimum Wages under the Payment of Bonus framework. Earlier, bonus calculations were restricted by a wage ceiling of ₹3,500, resulting in stagnant and inadequate bonus payments. Due to this intervention majority of the workers benefited.

At the municipal level, he worked toward effective implementation of Minimum Wages for contract labour under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, covering sweepers, drivers, crematorium workers, and paramedical staff. He introduced a two-year wage agreement for Balwadi teachers and improved their wages quite significantly, contributed to increasing the honorarium of ASHA workers, supported the application of Seventh Pay Commission benefits to Shikshan Sevaks, and addressed long-pending promotion issues of municipal school principals.

However, these progressive interventions adversely affected certain vested interests. Therefore, some contractors — including individuals associated with his own political ecosystem — allegedly viewed his actions as a threat. A First Information Report was subsequently filed against him based on false and mala fide allegations. He was detained and remained in custody for nine days before being granted bail. Notably, the complainant in the case has remained untraceable, raising serious questions about the intent behind the complaint.

Despite facing imprisonment arising from what appeared to be a well-planned attempt to discredit him, Keshav emerged legally vindicated. The episode stands as a reflection of the challenges often faced by public representatives who pursue reforms in favour of workers and vulnerable sections of society.

Keshav was appointed as a Deputy Mayor of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Corporation albeit for a brief period. It tells us that the worker leader in his new avatar is rising again. Corona- period- he was consistently supported to number of patients and saved number of lives….

In November 2019, I invited Keshav to address a gathering of managers and factory level union representatives of BASF (Mangalore Unit), he presented his personal story and his professional achievements. And he clearly expressed his positive views on the union leaders’ as well as managers’ roles. The audience was bowled over. They gave him a standing ovation. His positive outlook, solution orientation and indomitable will to succeed was begetting appreciation from across the industry.

He has been invited to deliver lectures and address diverse audiences ranging from trade union leaders and workers to industry associations, management forums, and academic institutions. His speaking engagements include invitations from leading professional bodies such as the Employers’ Federation of India, National Institute of Personnel Management, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture, Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Kaizen Institute, as well as the MRA Centre for Leadership, Panchgani.

He has also been invited by several reputed educational institutions, including MIT World Peace University, Symbiosis International University, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth.

Keshav is honoured with nearly 31 awards in recognition of his contributions and achievements. Among these, the most significant was the Excellence Award conferred by the Kaizen Institute.

He received this prestigious award from Masaaki Imai, widely regarded as the pioneer of the Kaizen philosophy and a key global promoter of continuous improvement practices associated with the Toyota Production System.

That is Keshav Gholave, who rose from abject poverty to a position of leadership, both in the industry and in the society because of his industrious habits, a receptive mind, and a positive outlook despite a period of great adversity.

Vivek S Patwardhan

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” All matter copyrighted.