Trustees

Chairperson	KAVITA GADGIL Kavita Gadgil, Flt. Lt Abhijit Gadgil's mother, has been the fulcrum around which this trust has been formed. She is a recipient of the prestigious Hirkani award presented to a woman who has dared to dream and has the capability to translate that very dream into a reality. Ms. Gadgil has a vast amount of experience in inspiring and guiding people. She founded the Tejas Kumar Melawa, a youth orientation camp. Her deep rooted respect for the people in the defence forces has been the genesis for all her activities. Her passion for the cause of getting recognition for the invaluable contribution of our soldiers has led to the evolution of AASF. A strong willed person, her indefatigable endeavour for justice has made her a legend and an inspiration for everyone. A multi-talented person, she has also held exhibitions and fashion shows in India and abroad. She is also the author of the book 'Bharari Rajhansachi', a Marathi translation of JRD Tata’s biography, 'Aircraft and Engine Perfect' by Murad Fyzee.
Hon. Secretary	Capt. Anil A GADGIL Air India Capt. Anil Gadgil has over 35 years of flying experience. He was commissioned in 1967 by the Indian Air Force and retired as Wing Commander in 1985. Before retiring from the IAF, he had the prestigious assignment of flying VIPs, foreign dignitaries, heads of states & government and other state officials like the PM and the President of India. Currently he flies B-747 for Air India as a pilot.
Treasurer	Dr. DEEPAK KULKARNI Maxillo-facial Surgeon Dr. Deepak Kulkarni has studied dentistry from Mumbai. He is a Maxillo-facial surgeon of high repute. He is a good cricketer and was extremely close to Abhijit Gadgil. He was in fact Flt. Lt. Abhijit’s local guardian in Pune and was present during his Passing Out Parade in NDA and when he received his first commission at Hyderabad.

Trustee	KUMAR KETKAR Editor, Indian Express Group Kumar Ketkar (recipient of the prestigious Padmashree award) is an eminent journalist and the editor of Loksatta of the Indian Express group. He believes strongly in the cause of justice, equality and education. He was actively involved in establishing the trust and helping it gain a firmer footing in realising its objectives. He took a keen journalistic interest in the cause of MiG crashes and continues to give editorial and moral support. He is married to Sharada Ketkar, who is a champion of gender equality and women’s rights.
Trustee	Dr. R A MASHELKAR Director General, CSIR, Government of India A Fellow of the Royal Society of London, Dr. R A Mashelkar is a learned scientist of immense brilliance and qualifications. He has received numerous awards, including the Star of Asia, the prestigious Padmabhushan award, and others including an award from the former US President George Bush Sr. in Beijing. During his tenure as the Director of NCL, Pune he has actively developed and demonstrated the concept of synergy between industry and research, which he still extolls with evangelistic fervour. A believer in the strength of the Indian IP and the Indian IT, he has been forefront in protecting traditional intellectual property like Haldi, for which, he led the battle and won it for India.
Trustee	KEDAR ANIL GADGIL Chairman, IndoGlobal Group Kedar Anil Gadgil is the founder of the IndoGlobal Group of Companies, which conducts business across the globe in various industry verticals like Mass Media, Advertising, E-commerce, FMCG, Electronics and Technology, Agriculture and Aerospace. For over a decade, Kedar's expertise has contributed to helping companies around the world be more profitable via streamlined deal broking, savings through sourcing of cost effective supply streams and the creation of process-driven efficiencies.
Trustee	VAISHALI GADGIL CEO, IndoGlobal Knowledge Ventures Pvt Ltd. Vaishali Gadgil, an alumnus of VJTI, Mumbai is the CEO of IndoGlobal Knowledge Ventures Pvt. Ltd, an IT consultancy in the fields of Bio-sciences, Pharma, Aerospace and Defence Software. She has over twelve years experience with groups such as Tata and Wipro in IT and Project Management and is an expert in SAP, Lotus Notes and Microsoft Technologies. An animal lover and 'bhabi' to Flt. Lt Abhijit Gadgil, she shares the vision of the Trust and is a keen participant in its activities.