The senior Dalit leader was also working president of Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan in Mumbai. Rupawate was an authority on Buddha Dharma and a versatile orator.

He had participated in various socio-economic programmes initiated by Dr Ambedkar. Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar said in Rupawate's death, Maharashtra had lost a loyal disciple of Ambedkar and a leader of Dalit masses.