From a Small Business to Top University: The Inspiring Journey of Sanjay Ghodawat and His Vision for Education

The journey of the Chairman of the SG Group is very inspirational. It was his grandfather Khivraj Ghodawat to migrated from Didwana, Rajasthan after King Chatrapatti Shahu Maharaj declared Jaysingpur as a market place. He came here with his family and started small business selling tobacco products in his shop. His son Danchand Ghodawat continued and increased the business. The Chairman, Sanjay ji Ghodawat is the youngest son of Danchandji Ghodawat who started out to venture in various business projects in the 90s after completing his Mechanical Engineering studies. He failed in many of his earlier projects but learnt from them and diversified his business activities. He found success in his Consumer Goods project and soon forayed into other businesses like Textiles, Real Estate, Marble Mining, Renewable Energy, Education, Aviation and many more. Today the Sanjay Ghodawat Group boasts 10,000 and more employees and a student base of 20,000 in its educational campuses. 

The Chairman Sanjay ji Ghodawat is himself an Industrialist, Mechanical Engineer, Trained Pilot for fixed-wing airplanes, Helicopters, Paragliders, Educational Entrepreneur and noted Philanthropist. 

It was the Chariman Sanjayji Ghodawat mother’s dream that good educational facilities should be provided to the students of the region. He was inspired to do something in the Education field and commenced the Sanjay Ghodawat Educational Campus in 2009 with Engineering and MBA colleges. In 2010 he commenced the Sanjay Ghodawat International School with a CBSE curriculum and later added Cambridge, IB, and American curricula with the strength of 5000 students with campuses at Atigre, Belagavi, and Pune at Mulshi. In 2012 Diploma Engineering courses were commenced in the Educational Campus at Atigre with the Sanjay Ghodawat Polytechnic.

Today it has evolved as Sanjay Ghodawat Institute providing also degree engineering courses affiliated to BATU, Lonere. In 2013 the Sanjay Ghodawat IIT and Medical Academy was commenced and also the Sanjay Ghodawat Junior College with the facility of preparing students for competitive exams like JEE Main, Advance, NEET, CET, etc. The Sanjay Ghodawat IIT & Medical Academy soon caught popularity with its proven results and has extended branches to 14 cities. In 2015 the Sanjay Ghodawat Residential Academy commenced providing training for Administrative exams like MPSC, UPSC, Banking, etc.

It was in the year 2017 that the Sanjay Ghodawat University as a Private University formed to accommodate more students with more courses that are aligned with Industrial and market practices for ease of student transition from Institute to industry. Sanjay Ghodawat University was featured in the promising band in Private & Deemed University by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India for Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements, 2021. Today the University offers courses like Engineering, Management, Commerce, Liberal Arts, Science, Pharmacy, Legal studies, Design, etc. 

The University is located at Atigre on the Kolhapur – Sangli Highway, Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The University campus area is 165 acres and it is an eco–friendly green campus. The campus provides facilities like spacious classrooms, well-equipped state-of-the-art laboratories, a Food court, a Cricket and Football stadium with day-night playing facility, plush hostel rooms for boys and girls, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a shooting range, a music academy, a gymnasium, and many more delightful facilities. 

The University runs Global Articulation Programs with many International and National Universities of repute. It gives cent percent placement assistance to students.  As the University belongs to a Business conglomerate, it gives students an advantage in terms of exposure to Industrial practices and a curriculum designed to keep Industry needs in sight. Recently Education World has ranked Sanjay Ghodawat University with 1st rank in Kolhapur City and 5th Rank in Maharashtra State among Private Universities for 2024. Navbharat Education Awards 2024 has ranked the University as ‘India’s Best Private University.’