Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In a decisive shift aimed at revitalizing industrial momentum, Arjun Gaikwad was elected president of the Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA) for 2025–26, during the association’s annual general meeting held on April 17 at the Ratnaprabha Balasaheb Pawar Hall, Chikalthana.
Gaikwad’s appointment marks a new chapter for the association, as he introduced a fresh executive panel comprising vice presidents Manish Agarwal and Rahul Mogle, general secretaries Sachin Gayke and Dilip Chaudhary, joint secretaries Veeren Patil and Ramakant Pulkundwar, and treasurers Rajesh Vidhate and Sarjerao Salunke. The public relations team will be led by Rajendra Chaudhary, with Sandeep Joshi as his associate. Kamalakar Patil and Sharad Chopde will spearhead editorial responsibilities for the association's flagship publication Udyog Samvad. The election process, overseen by former MASSIA chief and election officer Dnyandev Rajale, also saw the induction of 27 new committee members who will steer the organization through the upcoming year. In a notable first, MASSIA introduced its Entrepreneurship Awards to foster industrial innovation and competitiveness. The top honour was clinched by Pritish Chatterjee of Savera Press Comms Pvt. Ltd., while Sanjay Kulkarni and Angiras Joshi of Automat Industries secured second place. Bhagyashree Mule of Vijay Gears received the Women Entrepreneurship Award, and the Emerging Entrepreneurs Award went to Pritika Todi and Ajinkya Save of Savera Polypplast. Adding to the event’s highlights, the fourth edition of the industrial journal Udyog Samvad was unveiled by industry stakeholders Sudeep Adtia and Rohan Yewale. The gathering drew a host of prominent industrialists and stakeholders from the Waluj and Chikalthana industrial belts, including outgoing president Chetan Raut, Suresh Khillare, Kundan Reddy, Nitin Toshniwal, Shrikanth Suryavanshi, and Milind Kulkarni, among others. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by vice President Rahul Mogle, setting an optimistic tone for the association’s future initiatives.