Early Life and Education
Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao was born on July 14, 1950, in Rajam, Andhra Pradesh, India. He comes from an upper-middle-class family. He graduated from Andhra University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Rise to Success
GM Rao began his career with a paper mill and later worked in the Public Works Department. His entrepreneurial journey started with commodities trading at his mother's insistence. He acquired a failing jute mill, which proved to be lucrative and enabled him to acquire other assets. After the economic liberalization in 1994, his moves became entirely strategy-driven. Over the last four decades, he has successfully established GMR Group as one of the most recognized brands in the country.
Key Business Strategies
GM Rao's business acumen led him to focus on core infrastructure sectors. He divested unrelated businesses and focused on airports, energy, highways, and urban infrastructure. GMR Group is one of the leading airport manufacturers in India, with projects spanning across several countries. He also co-owns the IPL team Delhi Capitals. GMR Group is the second-largest private airport operator in India. The GMR Group opened the GMR School of Aviation in Hyderabad in partnership with European aircraft maker Airbus in 2024.
Philanthropy
GM Rao is known for his commitment to charitable causes and has stated that Warren Buffett was an inspiration for his pledge to ‘give back to society’. He established the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), the CSR wing of the GMR Group. In 2012, he donated ₹1,540 crores for charitable purposes. The GMRVF focuses on developing social infrastructure and improving the quality of life in communities near GMR Group's locations. The GMRVF is supported by 2-3% of group earnings annually.
