Our Founders

"Great men are born to lead" and so the birth of Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil in an affluent agriculturist family of Kolhapur was the beginning of great things to come. Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil did not rest on his laurels as a social worker but dreamt of contributing better values to the society. Thus began a vision "To endow the people with quality education in all fields". Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil attributes this to the blessing of a great saint of Maharashtra, Shri Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon. His dreams have been realised under the umbrella of a prestigious education foundation called Dr. D. Y. Patil Unitech, which runs various institutions in Kolhapur, Navi Mumbai and Pune.

Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil is a pioneer in ushering an era of privatisation of technical education in Maharashtra. He is a philanthropist, educationist and social worker. Under his able guidance, the Unitech has more than 75 academic institutions of international repute from kindergarren to post graduation in various disciplines in Pune. For this contribution to the cause of education, Dr. D. Y. Patil was honoured by the President of India with the Padmashree in 1991. He was also conferred with two doctorate degrees in Philosophy, the first by The World University Round Table (USA) in 1985, and the second by a University in Britain in 1996.

Dr. P. D. Patil is a distinguished academician, visionary leader, and philanthropist known for his significant contribution to the field of education. Over the last several decades, Dr. Patil has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of higher education in India. A visionary leader with a deep commitment to excellence, Dr. Patil has been instrumental in establishing and nurturing a diverse range of educational institutions across the country. He has led initiatives to promote academic innovation, research, and holistic development among students. He has been instrumental in establishing several top-quality academic institutions across the country, which are comparable with the best in the world. He serves as a member on several important bodies, including the Consultative Group on Higher Education of the Planning Commission of the Government of India, the Planning and Monitoring Group of the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar (Haryana) as a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Management Council of the University of Pune as a nominee of the Chancellor (Maharashtra Governor), and the Board of Governors of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU). Dr. Patil is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Pradnya Vant Award 2017, Jivan Sadhana Gaurav Award 2017, Jivan Gaurav Award 2016, Yeshwant-Venu Award 2015, Samaj Shri Award 2005, Rashtriya Ekta Award 2005, Man of the Year 2003, and Pimpri Chinchwad Bhushan Award 2002.

Dr. Bhagyashree Patil is the vice-chairperson of Dr. D. Y. Patil Unitech Society, Pune. A strong believer in empowerment through knowledge, she along with her husband, Dr. P. D. Patil, has founded many prestigious educational institutions with state-of-the-art facilities.
She is a skilled administrator in the field of education, and she thinks that education has the power to change our nation and improve the lot of the poor in society. She works in school management at all levels, from primary schools to professional colleges. She is a philanthropist and educationist who is well-known for her unwavering energy and desire to work toward improving society. She has shown an interest in working for disadvantaged and downtrodden women since she was young. By achieving economic independence, she hoped to improve and personalize their lives, enabling them to provide for their families. She realized that education matters in order to accomplish it.
The future lies with it. Education gives people the power to take charge of their life and make the necessary changes in their neighborhoods. She has consistently underlined the need for systemic innovation in education. According to her, education should foster the balanced development of all facets of the human being, which cannot be achieved without creativity. She has devised a strategy to achieve this by bringing about a paradigm shift in the way academic accomplishments are achieved. Thanks to her tireless work and fervor, all the institutions that were under her guidance have now attained the pinnacle of perfection. She manages these organizations with the same generosity, compassion, and care that characterize her own life. She is now recognized as an advocate for women and girls and as a role model for women thanks to her initiatives. She continues to advance with passion, devotion, and dedication to the advancement of society. She firmly feels that in order to succeed, one needs to be willing to work endlessly and have a laser-like dedication to their goal. Throughout her extensive career, Dr. Bhagyashree Patil has worn many hats and been recognized with numerous prizes for her achievements in a variety of sectors.
She is eager to go on working on causes that are important to her, like empowering women and girls and assisting them in leading better, more fulfilling lives. The woman with the unstoppable energy has played a key role in the introduction and execution of numerous beneficial and socially conscious programs in the various universities and institutions. Dr. Bhagyashree Patil has received several awards, including the International Excellence Award for Corporate Leadership at Dubai 2019, a doctorate from the University of Swahilli Panama Central America in Business Management 2019, the Outstanding Women Leadership Award for Business Excellence at Bangkok 2019, the Government of Maharashtra Entrepreneurial Award 2018, Indian Agribusiness Excellence Award for Women Empowerment 2017, Krishi Kanya Award 2017, and the Rashtriya Nirman Ratan Award 2009.

An educationist, business leader, visionary technocrat, environmentalist and edupreneur, Dr. Somnath Patil belongs to that rare breed of entrepreneurs who are accessible to mentor their staff members and encourage new creative ideas in spite of the vast scale of their operations. He leads by example, helping members of his team reach their full potential. Dr. Somnath Patil is the Secretary of Dr. D. Y Patil Unitech Society, Pune. He is a Member of the Senate and the Management Council of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. He has a rich academic background – after completing his bachelor’s in Information Technology from Savitribai Phule Pune University, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Management from Regis University, United States. His belief is that inventive and creative work cultures should be fostered both within his organizations and in his immediate environment. Dr. Somnath Patil is one of the few leaders who has recognized the trend of technology, namely in the areas of analytics and digitalization.
By introducing complete digitization through in-house ERP and Health Information Systems, he brought about a revolutionary technological transformation the institutes that he leads. This resulted in increased operational efficiency in the provision of services, closer connections with students and patients, the creation of an environment and avenues for research and innovation, and the collection of crucial data for strategic decisions in the healthcare industry. Dr. Somnath Patil has been a pioneer in the field of skill development and entrepreneurship. He realized early on that intellectual property and startups represent a new era in education, and that an ecosystem is necessary to turn ideas into reality. In this particular setting, his broad vision allowed him to create the DPU Foundation for Innovation and Incubation. Through the provision of start-up facilities and intellectual services, it has established an entrepreneurial culture and ecosystem on DPU campuses.