Dr. Mahesh Kotbagi, RC Pune Sports City, RID 3131, has been elected RI director for 2021–23 for zones 4 and 7. Dr. Kotbagi is a professional hospital administrator and chairman of the Kotbagi Hospital in Pune, Maharashtra. He is a fourth-generation medical practitioner; his grandfather was the physician of Mahatma Gandhi.
Dr. Kotbagi is a post-graduate with a gold medal for his thesis on gynaecology from the University of Pune. In 1991, he established a 10-bed hospital which soon grew into a multi-specialty hospital. He also established a low-cost dialysis centre and has a presence in healthcare, hospitality, petroleum and construction industries.
Kotbagi served as DG (2005–06), international training leader (2014), chairman – South Asia Literacy Summit (2014), ARFC (2017–18) and GETS chairman (2020). He has been honoured with Service Above Self Award by RI and the Citation of Meritorious Service Award by TRF. He has volunteered at the Rotary medical mission to Lesotho, Africa.
The Chinmayi Charitable Trust run by Kotbagi supports low-cost healthcare and education for rural children. He has led more than 100 service projects in literacy, polio surgery, rubella vaccination, cow banks for rural women and welfare of special children.
Dr. Kotbagi and his wife Dr Amita are third-level major donors and benefactors of TRF.