State President – Disability Wing (Maharashtra) – Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Bhagyashri Rajendra Vartak is a senior Special Educator, social leader, and advocate with over 33 years of professional experience in the field of inclusive education, empowerment of persons with disabilities, and community development.
She currently serves as the pro-bono State President – Disability Wing (Maharashtra) for the period 2025-30 at the Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry
She is a former Headmistress of Rochiram T. Thadani High School for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai, and the Founder of Shubhra Project, Bandra, a grassroots initiative dedicated to livelihood creation, skill development, and social inclusion of tribal communities and persons with disabilities.
Bhagyashri Rajendra Vartak has played a significant leadership role at the state and national levels.
She is the State President (Maharashtra) of the Divyang Cricket Control Board of India and the Maharashtra State Coordinator of Special Olympics Bharat, where she actively works to promote inclusive sports, leadership, and confidence-building among Divyangjan.
She has been associated with the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech & Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), Mumbai, as a guest faculty since 2017, training B.Ed. students in the Total Communication systems. Over the years, she has trained hundreds of teachers across Maharashtra, strengthening Special Education practices in schools and institutions.
Bhagyashri Rajendra Vartak has also served as an official Sign Language Interpreter for courts, law enforcement agencies, and investigative authorities in sensitive legal and criminal cases, ensuring access to justice for persons with hearing disabilities.
Her work has been widely recognised through numerous national and state-level awards for excellence in special education, social service, and leadership. She has been featured across leading print, television, radio, and digital media platforms for her contributions to disability inclusion and education reform.
As State President – Disability Wing (Maharashtra) at Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry™, Ms. Bhagyashri Rajendra Vartak focuses on advancing economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, accessibility, and policy advocacy for persons with disabilities, while building strong linkages between industry, education, and social development sectors.
Statewide Leadership Mandate
In her role as State President, Disability Wing (Maharashtra), Ms. Bhagyashri Rajendra Vartak will be responsible for expanding and strengthening the Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry™ State Chapter across Maharashtra. Her mandate includes the appointment of office bearers, formation of district and city-level committees, and induction of members, ensuring broad-based representation and grassroots presence of the Disability Wing.
She will lead and oversee welfare, empowerment, skilling, and entrepreneurship-focused initiatives for Persons with Disabilities, aligned with Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry™’s rights-based and enterprise-led approach. Ms. Vartak will also work closely with industry stakeholders, institutions, and government bodies to create sustainable opportunities, promote accessibility, and advance the economic participation of PwD. Through strategic leadership and inclusive outreach, she will play a key role in fulfilling the Ambedkar Chamber’s mission in Maharashtra, translating its national vision of economic justice and inclusive growth into meaningful action at the state level.
Vision of Ambedkar Chamber on Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
The Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry envisions a society where Persons with Disabilities (PwD) are not seen as beneficiaries of welfare, but as active contributors, entrepreneurs, leaders, and decision-makers in the economy. Ambedkar Chamber believes that disability inclusion is a critical pillar of economic justice, constitutional equality, and nation-building.
Through its Disability Wing, Ambedkar Chamber is committed to:
- Promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment among PwD
- Ensuring equitable access to skilling, finance, markets, and technology
- Advocating accessibility, dignity, and rights-based inclusion
- Creating pathways for leadership and economic participation
- Building strong industry, policy, and institutional linkages for PwD
Ambedkar Chamber’s vision aligns with Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s philosophy of empowerment through economic independence, where dignity flows from opportunity, not charity.
Rightful Disability Leadership
“Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities must move beyond sympathy and welfare. Leaders like Bhagyashri Vartak represent a new India, where ability, dignity, and economic participation define inclusion. The Ambedkar Chamber’s Disability Wing is not just about representation—it is about rightful leadership.” – Rusen Kumar, National President, Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry™
The Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce and Industry™ empowers entrepreneurs from SC, ST, OBC, Women, DTNT, Minority, EWS, LGBTQ+ communities, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD). As a national-level chamber of commerce, Ambedkar Chamber has been promoting inclusive entrepreneurship, economic justice, equitable access to opportunities, skilling, financial inclusion, and holistic economic empowerment across India.
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