Vithalrao Vikhe Patil – The industrialist and social worker

Vithalrao Vikhe Patil was an industrialist and social worker who lived in the 20^th century. A pioneer of Sugar Co-operative movement, he established Asia’s first sugar factory in the cooperative sector in India. Institute of Business Management and Rural Development, Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation’s Medical College and Hospital and Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited are some of his institutions currently run by Dr. Vithalrao Foundation. Patil was honoured with Padma Shri in 1961.

Patil was born into a farmer’s family in Loni, Maharashtra in 1901. Since young he was deeply movement by the sufferings of poor and illiterate sugarcane growers who were exploited by private companies, money lenders and landlords. In 1948 he established Asia’s first co-operative sugar factory by organizing sugarcane farmers of 44 villages including Pravaranagar, and the factory was commissioned in 1950.

Vithalrao Vikhe Patil – Some interesting facts

1. He organized Asia’s first sugar factor way back in the 1940s, soon after independence.

2. His son Balasaheb Vikhe Patil was a prominent politician, social worker and union minister who made some remarkable contributions towards the fields of agriculture, irrigation and rural development. He was a Padma Bhushan recipient for the year 2010.

3. His grandson Ashok Vikhe Patil is a leading educationalist and his great-granddaughter Nila Vikhe Patil has served as advisor to Stefan Lofven during his term as Sweden’s Prime Minister.

4. His grandson Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil served as the Minister of Educational and Transportation in the Government led by Ashok Chavan and Minister of Agriculture and Marketing in the state government led by Prithviraj Chavan, and currently serves as leader of opposition of Maharashtra.

5. He was given honorary doctorate by University of Pune in 1978 and Doctor of Science in 1979 by Mahatma Phule Krishiv Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.