I learnt from my mistakes: Avinash Bhosale

Noted Pune builder and businessman, Avinash Bhosale, who first came into prominence after bagging lucrative construction contracts under the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC), shared his rags-to-riches story with actor Rahul Solapurkar at a special programme in his honour, on Wednesday.

Bhosale, who has businesses spanning across real estate, infrastructure and hotels, was felicitated by the Marathi Bandhkam Vyavsayik Association (MBVA) during ‘Uttung Zhep’, a special programme at Westin.

Bhosale revealed how an HSC failed student reached Harvard University and travelled the world at will. He spoke of his rise from being a bicycle owner to the proud owner of a helicopter. Bhosale narrated how his failure in the HSC exams made him stronger and forced him to leave his hometown, Sangamner, and come to Pune where he later made a fortune.

In the 1980s he enrolled in an automobile course and started staying in a rented room in the Peth area. Inspired by his house owner’s idea of giving autorickshaws on rent Bhosale, then 17, borrowed Rs10,000 from his father and bought an autorickshaw.

The autorickshaw was given out on rent by paying the drivers Rs12 per shift. In just six months this young entrepreneur had three autorickshaws.

“The toughest job was to ask for money from the drivers. This is when I learnt extraction,” he said with a smile. “My roommate and I had to visit the slum areas, search for the drivers and ask for money from them.”

His journey as a builder began with another builder who taught him the nitty-gritty of the real estate business.

“He was constructing a building near the house bought by my father on Prabhat Road. I took care of the entire work of the building and in nine months, the building was ready,” he said.

Bhosale’s political connections started developing when he met Gopinath Munde through politician Anil Shirole.

“I asked Munde to lend me some money so that I could invest it in a project,” Bhosale said, adding that when his project was completed and he sold out the flats, he returned the money to Munde with interest.

Speaking about his arrest at Mumbai airport in May 2007 after he was intercepted with undeclared dutiable goods and lakhs of rupees, Bhosale said, “It was like breaking a signal. I didn’t know the rules and I am happy that I learnt from my mistakes.”