A Story of True Resilience: Ashok Dada’s Second Inning

Some stories remind us that a life-changing setback does not have to be the end of the journey. Sometimes, it can become the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

This is the story of Ashok Salgarkar, fondly known as Ashok Dada—a story of courage, resilience and the determination to begin again.

Originally from Karjat, Ashok Dada was a successful construction contractor. He ran a business supplying sand, bricks and stones and owned multiple commercial vehicles. His work provided a stable livelihood for his family, including his wife and two daughters.

Life was moving forward as he had planned until a sudden accident changed everything.

When Life Took an Unexpected Turn

Following the accident, Ashok Dada spent months in hospital undergoing intensive treatment and facing a difficult medical journey.

Eventually, he had to confront the hardest reality of all: he had permanently lost his eyesight.

The sudden loss of vision brought immense emotional and mental trauma. A person who had once managed a business and worked independently now had to rethink almost every aspect of his future.

There was also the responsibility of his family.

At a time when many people would find it difficult to imagine starting over, Ashok Dada chose not to give up.

At the age of 45, he decided to reinvent himself.

Choosing to Learn Again

Ashok Dada began a completely new chapter by joining the GSP training centre in Alibaug.

There, he immersed himself in learning acupressure and massage therapy.

For someone who had spent years working in construction and managing a business, entering an entirely different profession required determination and patience. But Ashok Dada approached the training with the same commitment that had helped him build his earlier career.

The training gave him an opportunity to develop a new professional skill and work toward becoming financially independent again.

For him, learning acupressure and massage therapy was not simply about acquiring another qualification. It was about finding a way to rebuild his professional identity and create a meaningful future for himself and his family.

From Training to Professional Experience

By 2024, Ashok Dada had completed his training and moved to Mumbai.

He went on to gain a year of rigorous, hands-on experience at Delta Wellness Center in Bandra. This practical exposure allowed him to further develop his skills and understand the professional environment of wellness and massage therapy.

The transition from training to professional experience was an important part of his journey.

It demonstrated that with the right training and opportunity, individuals who experience a life-changing disability can continue developing their capabilities and contribute meaningfully in the workplace.

Ashok Dada was no longer simply learning how to begin again.

He was building a new profession.

Finding a Larger Purpose

After spending a year gaining professional experience in Mumbai, Ashok Dada felt that he wanted his journey to have a larger purpose.

In May 2026, he left his position and joined the GSP family.

His decision was driven by more than the desire to earn a livelihood. He wanted to become part of an initiative that could create opportunities for other specially-abled individuals facing circumstances similar to his own.

Today, Ashok Dada is working alongside the GSP Wellness Centre team and contributing to a very special initiative at New Panvel.

The GSP Wellness Centre at New Panvel

To create dignified employment opportunities for trained, visually challenged therapists, GSP has established a Wellness Centre at New Panvel.

The initiative provides trained therapists with an opportunity to use their skills professionally while offering acupressure and massage-based wellness services to the community.

For individuals like Ashok Dada, such an environment can represent much more than a workplace.

It can provide independence, professional dignity and the opportunity to contribute to society through a skill they have worked hard to develop.

The New Panvel centre, supported by BPCL, is part of this larger effort to create an ecosystem where specially-abled individuals can develop their capabilities and find meaningful employment opportunities.

And Ashok Dada is now helping build that ecosystem from within.

Turning a Personal Journey Into an Opportunity for Others

One of the most meaningful aspects of Ashok Dada's journey is his desire to help others.

His deepest aspiration is not simply to use his skills to earn a living. He wants to contribute to GSP's mission of creating sustainable employment opportunities for other specially-abled individuals.

His own experience gives him a unique understanding of what it means to face uncertainty after a life-changing event.

He knows what it feels like to lose a profession.

He knows what it means to learn again.

And he knows how important an opportunity can be when someone is trying to rebuild their life.

That experience now gives him the motivation to help create opportunities for others.

The Larger Impact of Initiatives Like These

Stories like Ashok Dada's also demonstrate why the success of a social-impact initiative should be viewed beyond numbers alone.

Training completed, people employed and centres established are important indicators. But the deeper impact can be seen in individual journeys—the ability to earn a livelihood, regain professional confidence, support a family and contribute meaningfully to the community.

This is where CSR impact assessment becomes important.

A well-designed assessment can help organisations understand not only what activities were completed through a CSR initiative, but also what changed as a result of those activities.

For initiatives focused on skill development and employment, this may include outcomes such as training completion, employment generation, income opportunities, professional development and improvements in livelihood.

Understanding CSR Impact Through Real Stories

For organisations supporting social-development initiatives, documenting stories such as Ashok Dada's can provide valuable qualitative insight alongside quantitative project data.

An Impact Assessment of CSR Projects in Thane, Mumbai can help examine how a project has translated its planned interventions into real-world outcomes and whether the intended beneficiaries are experiencing meaningful change.

While numbers can tell us how many people were trained or employed, stories can help explain what those outcomes mean in a person's life.

Ashok Dada's journey provides one such example.

His story connects training with employment, employment with independence, and independence with the confidence to help others.

Together, these dimensions offer a more complete picture of social impact.

A Second Inning With a Larger Purpose

Ashok Dada's journey from a successful construction contractor to a trained acupressure and massage therapist was not something he planned.

It was a path created by circumstances—and shaped by his decision to respond with courage.

At 45, he chose to learn again.

He completed his training, gained professional experience, moved forward with a new career and eventually joined GSP with a larger purpose.

Today, at the GSP Wellness Centre in New Panvel, his journey is no longer only about rebuilding his own life.

It is also about helping create possibilities for others.

His story reminds us that resilience is not always about returning to the life we once had.

Sometimes, resilience means having the courage to build something completely new.

Ashok Dada's second inning is a beautiful example of that spirit.

And perhaps the most inspiring part is that he is now using his own second chance to help create opportunities for many more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How did Ashok Dada begin his new career?

After losing his eyesight following a serious accident, Ashok Dada joined the GSP training centre in Alibaug, where he trained in acupressure and massage therapy. He later gained professional experience at Delta Wellness Center in Bandra.

2. Why is impact assessment important for CSR projects?

CSR impact assessment helps organisations understand whether their initiatives are producing meaningful outcomes for intended beneficiaries. It can examine areas such as skill development, employment, livelihood opportunities and other project-specific outcomes.

Celebrating Resilience and Social Impact

Ashok Dada's story is ultimately about much more than overcoming adversity.

It is about the power of opportunity.

With access to training, professional experience and a supportive environment, he was able to build a new career after an unexpected life-changing event.

Today, he is helping turn that opportunity into a pathway for others.

The work taking place at the New Panvel Wellness Centre, supported by BPCL and driven by the GSP team, demonstrates how skill development and employment initiatives can create meaningful changes in people's lives.

Ashok Dada's journey is still continuing.

And his second inning may inspire many more people to believe that a new beginning is possible—even when life takes an unexpected turn.