Sudarshan ( su- dar- shun) Sathe ( Saa-the) earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with first division honors, from the world famous IIT engineering school in India. He arrived in the U.S at a young age of 22 to join University of Akron’s master’s in chemical engineering program.
At the same Alma mater, he earned an MBA in International Business. After doing a series of jobs in the chemical and metals industry, and upon acquiring U S Citizenship in 1990, Mr. Sathe founded a company called NewConcepts, influenced by an adage of Akio Morata of Sony corporation that marketing is not simply shipping what you have made, but rather knowing what to make.
He developed products and processes that he has earned patents for and are used in the Steel industry today. New Concepts is also a supplier of various metals and raw materials to the Steel Industry, counting nearly every Steel Mill in North America among its customers.
He is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations and has supported many causes having to do with amelioration of hunger, and with education of the underprivileged children, especially girls’ education.
Sudarshan’s philanthropic activities extend to Ekal, the One Teacher Schools, Akshaya Patra the inexhaustible food bowl- lunch program in schools- 100,000 Meal goal of Richfield Mayor Mike Wheeler, to end world hunger and Medical Yatra, among others. He has been on the board of Project Love, Values-in-Action that aims to end bullying in schools.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Federation of India’s community associations, FICA, the pan-Indian American organization in Northeast Ohio.
To this day, he remains a keen student of India’s History and philosophy and applies the age-old philosophical principles in business practice. The simplest of them being,” What you do with what you have, will determine what will materialize in your life”. He also follows not just the golden rule but the platinum rule, that says, Treat others as they wish to be treated.
He believes in the values of Indian culture and legacy that continue to enrich the world, be it Yoga, language, mathematics, or primacy of the mind. Because after all the battles and conquests, after all the technology and modern conveniences have been acquired, one last battle remains: and that is achieving a moment of pure inner peace.
Sudarshan is a Clevelander through and through where he lives with his wife Swati. They have two adult sons, Tejas and Ojas.
Sudarshan was inducted by Baiju Shah
Watch the video (below) of Baiju Shah’s induction speech and then Sudarshan Sathe’s acceptance speech.
