Vasantrao Ghatge

Ghatge belonged to a Deshastha Brahmin family of scholars.[6] Madhavrao had studied Upanishads while his elder brother Amrutrao was an Indian Sanskrit scholar. Ghatge had three brothers and one sister, Ghatge being the youngest. Vishnupant had studied Aeronautics while Sakharam was a builder by profession. Born in a small village Hasurchampu in Gadhinglaj Taluka, the Ghatges are traditional Brahmins with strong roots in Kolhapur. Going back, six to seven generations, it is known that the Ghatges actually belonged to the Kulkarni community of Kolhapur. Madhavrao Venkatesh, father to Ghatge was born into the Vaishnav community of Kolhapur in 1886. Madhavrao and Radhabai had five children, the youngest being Vasantrao.

After the World-War II, the infrastructure and specifically roads were in ruins which directly affected vehicle transport and the motor components. Ghatge noticed a growing need of such replaceable components i.e. spare parts. He identified that if he made Spare parts available in Kolhapur, he can provide to numerous trucks in the town. He would take trips to the Royal Opera House (Mumbai) in Girgaon to would spare parts not just for his business but for creating a market place in Kolhapur.[9] The Mumbai trips not only helped Ghatge to gain entry in the spare components market but he made acquaintances with the vendor and fellow transporters. Later, Ghatge explored the Truck & Body building business started by building variety of closed vans and ambulances but were remembered for building Kolhapur Police Vans and were applauded by the then Inspector G.P Khan Bahadur Sadari.

Ghatge was soon eyeing the Motor or Automobile industry but it was not possible to buy or manufacture in India since every make was outsourced due to better available quality overseas. But in 1959, when Morris Motors company shut down its production, Ghatge was hopeful again. He visited the FRENCH MOTOR CAR CO. who had the spare parts for one of Ghatge's trucks. Along with the spare parts, they also had the agency of Morris Motors. Ghatge & Patil, then held the agency of Morris Motors because of the sheer dedication and strong corporate relations of Ghatge in the Industry. Alongside, Ghatge also bagged the Morris Commercial trucks which gave India its first Diesel truck.[10] With the help of G.P Khan of Kolhapur Police, Ghatge & Patil held the General Motors agency too.[10]

Post World War, the small towns generated demands of motor vehicles and components, too. Initially the major distributors isolated the metropolitan cities for supplying their motor components but with the changing era they wished to distribute by giving agencies in the small towns like Kolhapur. Ghatge opened its first showroom at Rajaram Road, Kolhapur with a spacious display of motor equipments and multiple bays and workshops for repair work. Soon, all the verticals of Ghatge & Patil excelled and word spread that they are the top dealership house for automotive components, trucks etc. which brought numerous dealerships under their house.

The Bicycle demand in the country was booming and Ghatge did not miss the opportunity. Raleigh Bicycle Company, one of the oldest bicycle manufacturing company in the world from England that goes by the brand name Raleigh had given its agency to the Sen & Pandit of Kolkatta. Ghatge & Patil took the Open general licence with the help of Mr. M. F. Vasvani who was the Manager of Raleigh and ordered the bicycles directly to Kolhapur that led to the sale of 300 lot of bicycles in a very short span. In 1952, when TI Cycles of India started its production of Hercules Cycles, Phillips Cycles and BSA motorcycles in Madras, Ghatge had it under his belt too.[11]

In the small town of Kolhapur, the only ice factory shut followed by which Ghatge founded the Pearl Ice Factory to meet the demands of the people of his town.

In 1952, Ghatge- Patil shocked people with their decision to shut its flagship transport business. They eventually did not stand by it and changed the decision owing to the growing market needs of surface transportation and in 1954, Ghatge Patil Transports resumed its bookings.[12]

The growing popularity of Ghatge as the dynamic and social businessman brought multiple dealerships to the doorstep of Ghatge & Patil. The Italian company, Automobile Products of India, the manufacturer at Bombay in 1949, produced Lambretta scooters and autorickshaws & offered Ghatge & Patil to become the distributors of their products in 1956. They also bagged the dealership of Mahindra & Mahindra which started its production in India around 1954; Ghatge founded the dealership showrooms in Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Satara and Solapur.[7]

Ghatge Patil held the Massey Ferguson agency in 1957, a major American manufacturer of Agricultural Equipments along with Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited TAFE in 1960.[7]

API, under the wing of M. A Chidambaram was granted the permission to manufacture two out of the three models of Lambretta by the Indian Government. After having all the major dealerships under his wing, Ghatge decided to manufacture the third model which was better known as an Auto Scooter. It was a big leap for the Ghatge-Patil and under the guidance of Kirloskars, the production of the model started in Uchgaon under KGP Auto Ltd. (Kirloskar Ghatge Patil Auto Ltd.)[13] which was set up near Ghatge Patil Industries Foundry.which was named. The Auto Scooter was named as "Laxmi Scooterette" touching upon the emotions and connect better with the people. Kirloskar Kisaan, an oil company supplied Engines and Oagle Brother's Delstar supplied the body, fuel tank along with the front and rear fork assembly for Laxmi. Laxmi was released in the market during 1972 with a target to produce 24000 models by the year 1975.[14] Unfortunately, Laxmi could not make a mark in the industry due to technical and market inefficiencies. Around four years after Vasantrao Ghatge's demise, the group saw the end of Laxmi Scooterette in 1990.[15]

Laxmi 48 select, a Ghatge & Patil make shown to Abasaheb Garware by Ghatge

Commencement of Lambretta Scooter Sale by Ghatge & Patil started in 1956