Ashok Khade’s journey from a financially struggling family in Maharashtra to leading a ₹350-crore engineering business is a story of skills, experience and entrepreneurship. Born in Ped village in Sangli district, Khade was one of six children. His father worked as a cobbler and his mother as an agricultural labourer.
Khade moved to Mumbai and joined Mazagon Dock in 1975. He started as a welding apprentice earning around ₹90 a month, later became a draughtsman and completed a diploma in mechanical engineering while working. He also travelled to West Germany as part of India’s submarine programme, gaining exposure to advanced marine engineering and quality-control practices.
After around 15 years at Mazagon Dock, Khade joined his brothers Datta and Suresh to build DAS Offshore. Founded in 1992, the company started as a small fabrication contractor and gradually developed into an engineering, procurement and construction business.
One of its early breakthroughs came through a ₹1.82-crore project from Mazagon Dock. The company later expanded into offshore structures and infrastructure projects, completing more than 270 offshore projects for ONGC and over 70 major infrastructure projects, according to the government’s profile.
DAS Offshore reported operating income of ₹357.18 crore in FY2025, compared with ₹185.52 crore a year earlier. CRISIL also reported an unexecuted order book of ₹506 crore as of January 2026.
In 2026, Dr Ashok Khade was awarded the Padma Shri in the trade and industry category for his contribution to India’s offshore engineering capabilities and efforts to reduce dependence on foreign contractors.
From a ₹90-a-month apprenticeship to building a major engineering business, Khade’s story highlights how technical skills and industry experience can become the foundation for entrepreneurship.
