[1] Kolhe was born Yesgaon village, now in Kopargaon taluka, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.
[1] In 1953, he travelled to Salt Lake City, Utah as an agricultural education program trainee.
[4]: 10 Kolhe began his political career as a sarpanch in 1950 and moved up to the state minister post.
[citation needed] He served as the vice-chairman of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi from 2004 to 2012.
In 1963, he founded the cooperative sugar factory Sahakar Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. (previously The Sanjivani (Takli) Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd.) near Sahajanand Nagar, Shingnapur in Kopargaon.