From Cobbler's Son to Padma Shri: Ashok Khade's Journey

A boy who once went hungry in a Maharashtra village now runs a company that builds giant steel platforms for the world's energy giants.

Ashok Khade received the Padma Shri award for 2026, recognizing his journey from acute poverty to building DAS Offshore Engineering, a company serving the global oil and gas industry. Born around 1955 in Sangli district to a Dalit family, Khade was one of six children whose father cobbled shoes while their mother worked as a daily laborer.

After finishing school, Khade moved to Mumbai and joined Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in 1975 as an apprentice draftsman. He worked there for over 15 years, earning a diploma in mechanical engineering and eventually rising to quality control executive. In the 1980s, he traveled to West Germany for a submarine project, where exposure to international engineering standards sparked a new dream.

In 1993, Khade and his brothers Datta and Suresh founded DAS Offshore, using their three initials as the company name. The timing was fortunate, coming just after India's 1991 economic reforms opened opportunities in oil services. Early breaks came through his former employer Mazagon Dock, with supplies often secured on credit from colleagues who trusted him.

The company grew from small subcontracts to building fabrication systems for offshore platforms and ships. Today DAS Offshore serves major clients like ONGC and employs around 4,000 people. Khade dedicated his award to his mother and family, crediting their sacrifices for making his success possible.

Why This Inspires

Offshore engineering means building and maintaining the massive steel structures that extract oil and gas from the sea. It requires precision welding, heavy fabrication, and the ability to work safely in harsh ocean conditions. Building such a company from nothing, without family wealth or industry connections, is exceptionally rare.

What makes Khade's story resonate beyond business circles is what it represents. As a Dalit entrepreneur who built a globally competitive company from rural poverty, he's become a symbol that talent and determination can overcome even the steepest odds. His work with the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce helps widen opportunities for others from marginalized communities.

The Padma Shri confirms a powerful truth: given a fair chance, grit can build something that stands strong in the toughest markets.