Our people

Anuj Bhagwati completed his B.S. (Engineering Physics) with distinction (1991) and M.S. (Applied Physics) (1994) – both from Cornell University, USA. Mr Bhagwati, who now heads the A.T.E. Group, joined the Group in 1994. He has been actively involved in a wide range of activities in the group: he introduced IT to the group, managed several companies, put together joint ventures, and has been a part of divestments, turnarounds, start-ups and scale-ups. In the process he has transformed A.T.E. into a modern and technology-oriented group. Under the leadership of Mr Bhagwati, the group has diversified into IoT solutions and safety, health and sustainable technology. The group’s foray into sustainable technology reflects Mr Bhagwati’s personal commitment to the environment. Mr Bhagwati has been involved over the last two decades with the Textile Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (TMMA), India, and was the Chairman for the years 2009-2011. He is deeply involved with various non-profit bodies as well, such as the Urban Design Research Institute (Trustee), the Kala Ghoda Association (Executive Committee Member), Praja Foundation (Trustee), K J Somaiya Trust (Trustee) and the A.T.E. Chandra Foundation (Director). From 2012-2018, he was a member of the Advisory Council of the College of Architecture Art and Planning of Cornell University, USA.

Nikesh Jain is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has over 30 years of experience across functions: Corporate accounts & finance, business planning, investor relations, IPR, legal and commercial, administration and HR. He is responsible for group finances, projects, joint ventures, and general management of the group.

Abhijit Kulkarni holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Pune and a post graduate diploma in Marketing Management from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune. Prior to joining A.T.E., Mr Kulkarni has served as Business Head, General Machinery (Motors, Gear Boxes, Fluid Power, Construction, Textile) at SKF India where he worked for a period of 24 years. He has also served as a Business Head, Defence division as well as Business Unit Head, Energy Segment Sales. Mr Kulkarni is a seasoned business leader with 24 years of experience of which 16 years in sales domain and 8 years in manufacturing functions.

Vasant Terwadkar holds a diploma and degree in textile engineering from DKTE’s Textile and Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, where he topped the Textile Plant Engineering branch. He has over 24 years of experience, including tenures with textile OEMs such as KTTM and Rieter, with his longest stint being at SKF India Ltd for nearly 17 years.

At SKF, he managed key segments of the bearings business, including textiles and general industry motors, oil and gas, agricultural equipment, and channel sales. He served as the segment specialist and led application engineering and sales for these segments at SKF India Ltd.

With extensive experience in key account management, value selling, and product development, Mr Terwadkar has been associated with the A.T.E. Group since 2022, heading TeraSpin – an accessories manufacturing unit based in Ahmedabad—for sales and business development.

Hemant Apastamb holds a Master of Management Science and a degree in Mechanical Engineering, bringing over 30 years of extensive experience in diverse fields, including Operations, Business/Operational Excellence, Supply Chain Management, Lean Manufacturing, Innovation, Quality Management, EHS (Environmental Health & Safety), and Industrial Engineering.

Key Certifications:

• TRIZ Level 2 Practitioner – Certification by MATRIZ (Russia)
• Edward de Bono Certified trainer for ‘Lateral Thinking’ & ‘Six Thinking Hats’
• SKF Certified – ‘Business Excellence Practitioner’ and ‘Six Sigma Green Belt’
• LRQA Certified Internal Auditor for ISO 14001 & for OHSAS 18001

In addition to his professional qualifications, Mr Hemant Apastamb is an honorary Joint Secretary of the Indian National Suggestions’ Schemes Association (INSSAN), Western India Chapter. His leadership and expertise continue to drive innovation and operational excellence in every venture he undertakes.