Velagapudi Ramakrishna
Encyclopedia
Velagapudi Ramakrishna was an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer, industrialist, and philanthropist
. He started the KCP group of companies in 1941 with a co-operative
sugar
factory in Andhra Pradesh
. His pioneering industrializing
efforts in the erstwhile Madras State
are commendable.
, near Repalle
) in the Guntur district
of Andhra Pradesh
, India
. He studied at Oxford University and acquired B.Sc.
and M.A. degrees. His father (pre-adoption surname: Katragadda) originally came from Tellapadu
, Maddipadu
Mandal, in Prakasam District
.
He was survived by two sons and a daughter: V. Maruthi Rao, V. Lakshmana Dutt, and Rajeshwari Ramakrishnan..
Ramakrishna's second son, V.L. Dutt, a past chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI
), is the current chairman and managing director of KCP Limited. His wife, Indira Dutt, is a daughter of the Raja of Muktyala
and the President of the World Telugu
Federation.
Ramakrishna's daughter, Smt. Rajeswari Ramakrishnan, is the managing director of Jeypore Sugar Company Limited. Her son R. Prabhu is the Congress MP
from the Nilgiris (Ooty
), Tamil Nadu
, a five-term Member of Parliament
and a former Union minister in India
.
has been posthumously named after him.
He also funded the VSR & NVR College in Tenali
and the Sri Velagapudi Ramakrishna Memorial College in Nagaram, Guntur district
.
The Andhra Chamber of Commerce
building in Chennai
has also been named after Velagapudi Ramakrishna.
V Ramakrishna Polytechnic in Thiruvottiyur, Near Chennai is an institution within KCP campus and is named in memory of Velagapudi Ramakrishna
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He started the KCP group of companies in 1941 with a co-operative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
factory in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. His pioneering industrializing
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
efforts in the erstwhile Madras State
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
are commendable.
Family
Ramakrishna was born in 1896 in the village Bellamvaripalem (Nagaram mandalNagaram
Nagaram is a village and a mandal in Guntur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. - Successful personalities :* Ramakrishna Velagapudi - Founder KCP Limited and the founder of Sri Velagapudi Ramakrishna College,Nagaram...
, near Repalle
Repalle
Repalle is a town, mandal and a municipality in Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 28 miles south of Guntur.-Geography:Repalle is located at...
) in the Guntur district
Guntur district
Guntur district is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District. The district is a major center for learning.-Etymology:There are...
of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He studied at Oxford University and acquired B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and M.A. degrees. His father (pre-adoption surname: Katragadda) originally came from Tellapadu
Tellapadu
Tellapadu , is a village of Doddavaram Panchayathi in the Maddipadu Mandal of Prakasam District in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.It is a part of the Bapatla parliamentary and Addanki assembly constituency.-Geography:...
, Maddipadu
Maddipadu
Maddipadu is a village and a mandal in Prakasam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Maddipadu is located 13 kilometres from Ongole on NH5 towards Guntur, on the bank of the Gundlakamma River. It is a big village with all common facilities. Local residents mainly depend on cultivation....
Mandal, in Prakasam District
Prakasam district
Prakasam District is an administrative district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, in India. The district headquarters is located at Ongole City...
.
He was survived by two sons and a daughter: V. Maruthi Rao, V. Lakshmana Dutt, and Rajeshwari Ramakrishnan..
Ramakrishna's second son, V.L. Dutt, a past chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI
FICCI
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is an association of business organizations in India, headquartered in the national capital New Delhi. FICCI is one of the main organizations to fund and support many governmental and non-governmental educational institutes...
), is the current chairman and managing director of KCP Limited. His wife, Indira Dutt, is a daughter of the Raja of Muktyala
Raja of Muktyala
The Muktyala Raja named Vasireddy Ramagopalakrishna Maheswara Prasad fondly called Projects Prasad belonged to the illustrious Vasireddy Clan and was noted for his efforts in infrastructure creation in India...
and the President of the World Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
Federation.
Ramakrishna's daughter, Smt. Rajeswari Ramakrishnan, is the managing director of Jeypore Sugar Company Limited. Her son R. Prabhu is the Congress MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from the Nilgiris (Ooty
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
), Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, a five-term Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and a former Union minister in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Positions held
- District CollectorDistrict collectorThe District Collector is the district head of administration of the bureaucracy in a state of India. Though he/she is appointed and is under general supervision of the state government, he/she has to be a member of the elite IAS recruited by the Central Government...
- Director, Department of Industries
- CommissionerCommissionerCommissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
, Labour - Development Commissioner, Government of MadrasMadras PresidencyThe Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
- Member of ParliamentParliament of IndiaThe Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
Memorial institutions
The Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College, near VijayawadaVijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
has been posthumously named after him.
He also funded the VSR & NVR College in Tenali
Tenali
Tenali , is a town and a mandal in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It has a population of 149,839 . It is located 16 miles east of Guntur City. Three canals of the Krishna River flow through Tenali making it a part of the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. One of the canals is...
and the Sri Velagapudi Ramakrishna Memorial College in Nagaram, Guntur district
Guntur district
Guntur district is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District. The district is a major center for learning.-Etymology:There are...
.
The Andhra Chamber of Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
building in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
has also been named after Velagapudi Ramakrishna.
V Ramakrishna Polytechnic in Thiruvottiyur, Near Chennai is an institution within KCP campus and is named in memory of Velagapudi Ramakrishna