Trustee – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
“We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”
Chairperson – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
Ms. Ekta D. Kakadia has completed her bachelor's in biotechnology from La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
While in India has worked for several years for the family business in medical equipment and herbal dietary supplements manufacturing. After moving to the US, she has been overseeing all departments such as accounting, human resource, quality assurance, and procurement for the businesses.
She has tremendous experience in managing different sectors such as Real Estate, Hospitality, Quick Service restaurants and Global Trading.
Trustee – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
Mr. Bharat P. Reshamwala is a famous personality of Surat. He is the owner and publisher of Gujarat Mitra, a daily news paper of Gujarat. He has earned a name for himself in gujarati print media. He is a very active member of the Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust and takes up many assignments of the trust.
Trustee – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
Mr. Parvat kakadia a renowed businessman since 1999 and the trustee of Aashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust has joined our hands and is on board. He is in the team of trustees of GDGIS. He has number of business under him and he is the owner of Khodiyar Organisers, Shraddha Developers, Sukan Developers and Balaji Corporation. His vision is to provide superior level of services & quality achieving a greater performance.
Digvijay “Danny” Gaekwad was born in Baroda, a former princely state in western India as the son of a Judge and grandson of a Colonel in the Indian Army, Danny graduated in Political Science from the prestigious Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He arrived in the United States with his wife Manisha in 1987 to live the American Dream. Three decades later, he is recognized as a visionary, passionate leader and formidable change agent.
Trustee – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
Mr Yagnik has over three decades of post-qualification experience in research, business and consulting in Energy, Climate Change and Technology. Currently, he is working as Chairman of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) sponsored Center of Social Studies. He is also a President of SRK Knowledge Foundation, set up by India’s lead diamond company, SRK. He is a Chairman of the Tribal Vocational Training Center established at Valsad. He is on a Global Steering Committee of Cities Resilient Network set up by Rockefeller Foundation, USA. He worked as Senior Expert on EU sponsored GCoM project. He acted as a President of Sarvajanik University, set up by Sarvajanik Education Society, catering to the academic needs of 32000 students by running 30 educational institutes. He is also a Chief Resilience Officer appointed by Surat Municipal Corporation. He is a Founder-Trustee of Surat Climate Change Trust. He is acting as a Chairman of Resilience Strata Research and Action Forum, a not-for-profit Company working to build city resilience. He represents small and medium enterprises in flood-prone areas of South Gujarat, India, as Past President of The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is an IIT Mumbai-trained engineer, having studied vulnerabilities, impact and adaptation strategies for climate change and Energy. He is also a Trustee at Goenka School and Lilaba School in Surat. He is a Vice-Chairman (Technical) with Surat Traffic Education Trust. In collaboration with the local government, he has worked on an end-to-end early-warning system for river floods. He has also initiated various e-governance projects for administration. His areas of interest include Education, Urban Resilience, Climate Change and Energy Management.
Trustee, AKPCT
Shri Ajay Kumar Tomar, IPS (Retd.), a distinguished 1989-batch Indian Police Service officer, brings over 35 years of experience in public administration, security and leadership. During his career, he held several senior positions in the Gujarat Police and Border Security Force, including Commissioner of Police, Surat, and retired in the rank of Director General of Police in January 2024.
He is a recipient of the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service, and was also honoured with the Best CEO Award in 2023 for his leadership and outstanding results.
With academic qualifications in Science, Business Administration and Law, Shri Tomar has also been associated with IIM Ahmedabad and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge in the areas of leadership, community engagement and stakeholder management. As a Trustee of AKPCT, his experience, integrity and people-centric approach contribute significantly to the Trust’s vision of strong governance and value-based education.
Trustee – Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust
Mr. Manoj Kumar Godara is an accomplished entrepreneur and global trade strategist with experience across logistics, tea exports, mineral water, technology, real estate, and venture capital. Over the years, he has established business connections across 102 countries, reflecting his extensive international exposure and entrepreneurial vision.
Education and Community Service
Mr. Godara began his professional journey as a volunteer Commerce teacher at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Bijwasan, New Delhi. Under his guidance, his Commerce students achieved a 100% result. Following this success, the Commerce stream was introduced marking a significant milestone in its academic development.
He continued teaching for two years, laying the foundation for his enduring commitment to education and community development. Today, as a Trustee of Ashirwad Kelavani Public Charitable Trust, he actively supports initiatives in education, healthcare, and community welfare.
Logistics and Entrepreneurship
Mr. Godara founded Budget Courier Pvt. Ltd. and Budget Logistics Pvt. Ltd., developing the businesses into an international network with offices across 16 countries and a workforce of more than 300 employees.
International Trade
As Vice President – Business Development at Premier’s Tea Limited, he has played an important role in promoting Indian tea in international markets. His global engagements include participation in a business delegation to Japan and attending the World Economic Forum in Davos for 11 consecutive years.
Board and Advisory Roles
Mr. Godara serves on the boards of Varahi Group Limited and Inery, a deep-technology company focused on data sovereignty and decentralised database solutions. He also advises organisations on international market entry, global trade, business development, and strategic partnerships.
From beginning his journey as a volunteer teacher in a government school to building international businesses and contributing to education and community development, Mr. Manoj Kumar Godara’s journey reflects his commitment to creating opportunities, building meaningful connections, and contributing positively to society.
