A retired ammunition quality assurance deputy controller with the Ministry of Defence, Nagarkar travels across cities to educate school children about airports, important installations at airports and different kinds of airplanes around the world with his "imaginary" JRD Tata airport. He says, "I've seen the British Air Force's planes as my father was an accounts controller in the air force in Karachi before independence. Since then, I was fascinated by them."

After his retirement, Nagarkar began designing and fabricating his modern airport model at his home in Pune. "It took me around two years to build the model. Even now I go on collecting different models of planes and other things to add to the model. I've made the tarmac, taxiway, hanger, radars, terminal, helipad and so on— everything that a modern airport has,’’ he says enthusiastically.

Early this month at a three-day exhibition in Goregaon, Nagarkar gave a detailed explanation to a packed hall about the model and planes. Not only school children but also their parents, who accompany them, were impressed by Nagarkar's zeal. "It takes quite a lot of determination to fabricate such a model airport," says Neeta Desai, who brought her 12-year-old son Anshuman to the exhibition.

So far, he has collected over 70 different models of aircrafts, ranging from commercial planes, cargo planes, etc. Nagarkar asks his friends and relatives who go abroad to to get him a particular model of a plane. Otherwise, he gets planes from Pune's Chor bazaar.