Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao Biography

Personal Background of Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao

GMR belongs to coastal Andhra's traditional merchant moneylender caste, Komati.He was born into a family of gold merchants. He failed his 10th class examination, due to which his father asked him to leave his studies altogether, and instead assist him in the family business.But after two years he asked his mother to let him join school, once again. He went on to pursue Mechanical Engineering from Andhra University.

Failing in grade 10th and leaving his studies altogether and yet becoming a billionaire- Rao definitely justified the fact that degrees don't guarantee financial success.

Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao's Career

• After the death of his father, GMR moved on to work briefly for A P Paper Mills in Rajahmundhry, from his family's gold and jute business in Srikakulam. There, he closely observed the modus operandi of an experienced Marwari businessman.
• He learnt the art of managing diverse stakeholders by handling the Jute business.
• He gained experience in infrastructure building by joining the state's public works department as an executive engineer, on the Vamsadhra Project.
• After extensive research and learning through two salaried jobs, one in the private sector and another in government, GMR started out on his own, manufacturing cotton ear buds.
• In the meanwhile, he sold off a brewery that he had started in partnership with Shaw Wallace, to Vijay Mallya, along with a small-time insurance business to the Rahejas.
• It was finally in the year 1991, when a big opportunity opened itself up for him.
• He won the bid for the Hyderabad airport, beating competitors like L&T, but felt unsure about the steps he should further take, in order to turn the project into a success. So he did what he now regards as the most important step needed to be undertaken by an entrepreneur — he consulted experts in this stream of the business. He invested time, energy and money in learning, by bringing about experts in airport construction and management from Germany, Singapore and Malaysia, to teach his team members.
• GMR believes in providing high quality work to his customers, and strives to obtain the position of a leader through practical work and theoretical knowledge obtained through investing in proper learning and research.

GMR Group- Company Profile

• GMR group is amongst the nation's fastest growing organizations.
• It was founded in 1978, and its headquarter lies in Bangalore, India.
• The group holds superior position in diverse business areas such as Airports, Highways, Energy and Urban Infrastructure including SEZs.
It believes in providing sustainable development through public-private partnerships.
• GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), is its social responsibility arm, that works with the under privileged sections of society, in areas where the group is present.
• The group has established three greenfield power plants in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Thirteen power projects in Hydel and Thermal power have been developed, of which three are operational with a capacity of 808 MW and ten are under various stages of implementation.
• The Group has already completed six road projects, under the highway banner.
• Realizing the importance of airports,GMR has also successfully invested in this field of business, and has built the following airports around the world:
• New Greenfield International Airport at Hyderabad,
• New Sabiha Gokcen International (SGA) airport terminal at Istanbul, Turkey.
• MALE International Airport (MIA), Maldives.
• It won the bid to modernize India's third busiest airport, the Delhi International Airport by constructing a world-class integrated terminal 3 (T3).

The founder envisions that :

“GMR Group will be an Institution in Perpetuity that will build Entrepreneurial Organizations making a difference to society through Creation of Value”.

Problems faced by GMR Group

GMR's single minded engagement to the core infrastructure sector has resulted in some failures for the group.

It had to make an exit from some highly profitable businesses such as banking, insurance, breweries and jute, due to lack of focus and attention diverted towards them.

Awards and Acheivements of Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao

India's fifteenth richest person, and Forbes billionaire with a worth of US $ 3.2 billion, GM Rao stands apart today as a business tycoon.

He is the recipient of many awards and honor, such as:

• The "Entrepreneur of the year" at the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2006 – 07.
• The "Most Promising Entrant to the Big League" by CNBC TV18 at its "Indian Business Leader Awards 2007".
• On 12th March, 2009, he received the Infrastructure Person (Infra Person) of the year award at the Infrastructure Journal Award Ceremony held in London.
• The "Sir. M. Visveswaraiah Award - 2008" instituted by the Federation of Karnataka Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).
• The "Most Inspiring Entrepreneur of the Year – 2008" award by National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai. The 'First Generation Entrepreneur of the Year' at the CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards 2009.

In April 2009 he took over English Premier League's Liverpool F.C for 500 million pounds.He also owns the cricket team of Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League T20 cricket. The team has shown a good performance, and enjoys a huge fan-following.A self-made infrastructure magnate, GM Rao's success story has impressed people all over the world.

Last Updated on June 5, 2015