WESTON, MA—Boston entrepreneur Ramesh Motwane, whose general contracting firm Eastern Contractors Inc. remained on the largest Indian-American-owned companies list in the United States for four years, has donated 40 percent of his assets to Northeastern University in Boston and 40 percent to his alma mater in India: Gandhidham Civil Engineering Institute, now known as Tolani PG Polytechnic in the Indian state of Gujarat.
All India Council for Technical Education, which is run by India’s Ministry of Human Resources Development, recently gave approval to Ghandhidham institute for commencement of Master of Business Administration (MBA) course. The institute will now be also known as Tolani Motwane Institute.
Motwane, a 1962 graduate of the school, has been continuously contributing towards the progress and development of the institute. Recently, he also graced the 20th Convocation of Tolani Institute of Management Studies as Chief Guest and awarded degrees to graduating students.
Motwane reconnected with his alma mater in 2005 after he met institute president in Bombay, now Mumbai.
“I showed interest to visit Gandhidham, and she (college president) invited me to visit the institute in 2007,” Motwane told INDIA New England News. “This was the first time I visited the college after my graduation in civil engineering in 1962. I was impressed. I donated an entire building to electrical engineering building.”
It’s a brand new three-story, 40,000-square-foot building. The construction of the building began in 2009 and was completed a year later.
“When the building officially opened in 2010, I went to inaugurate the building,” Motwane said. “I have been pushing the college to gain the status of an university, but they wanted to have MBA program first. Now, they have it.”
Since 1995, Tolani Institute of Management Studies has provided quality management education benefitting students and industries alike. Now with the change over from postgraduate degree to MBA will further benefit the students greatly as they would now be able to pursue their Masters in Business Administration with high quality education.
How does Motwane feel about helping his alma mater in India?
“I am very happy. I cried when I wrote the first check in 2009,” said Motwane, adding that six years after graduating from the institute, he went to Kuwait and then came to the United States in 1971 and did odd jobs. He worked as a machinist and as a numerical programmer. Then, he joined Northeastern University and received a bachelor’s degree. He also joined NU’s Master’s program, but soon after completing one semester he got a full-time job and never went back.
Motwane is donating 40 percent of his assets to Northeastern University, and he sits on the university’s board of directors.
Motwane’s entrepreneurial journey began 1978-79 when he founded Eastern Contractors Inc.
“It was the largest Indian-owned business in Massachusetts from 2003 to 2006,” recalled Motwane. “Time came that business was becoming very tough and owners were withholding too much money called retainage. I saw this was the time to close the business and I did so in 2008-2009.”
Now, Motwane focuses on his non-profit organization Motwane Foundation Inc. Motwane, a former president of the India Association of Greater Boston, remains active with TiE-Boston, sits on its board of directors and mentors entrepreneurs.
“After closing my business, I have been taking a lot of interest as well as participating in TiE,” said Motwane, who lives in Weston, MA, with his wife Rita Wadhwani Motwane.
Congratulations Ramesh for providing opportunity to learners in India where you grew and USA where you made the mark for such wonderful giving
Best wishes for your continued passion to be helpful to all