Ajay Harinath Singh Greatest Brand Leader 2018-2019

Dr. P. Shyama Raju
Building the Nation
with both Hands
Possessing a unique mix of entrepreneurial acumen and academic prowess, the Hon’ble Chancellor of REVA
University, and the CMD of Divyasree Developers Pvt. Ltd., Dr. P. Shyama Raju is leaving no stone unturned
in building a nation of his dreams by efficiently contributing to the field of education, infrastructure
development and social welfare
A
diligent and dedicated personality,
Dr. Raju ventured into construction
activities and public works related
projects with a very humble background.
By the virtue of his excellent leadership
skills, tactfulness and earnestness, he
achieved mammoth success not only in the
realm of construction business but also in
the field of education as well. On one hand
he is efficiently leading REVA University,
which has acquired the distinction among
the youngest educational institutes in
India to have been accorded university
status; on the other hand, he has been
spearheading Divyasree Developers Pvt.
Ltd. and has been playing an instrumental
role in transforming the skylines of
Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad with
iconic constructions and infrastructural
marvels. He also holds prominent
positions and memberships in reputed
intuitions across South India and is on
the board of many companies in the field
of infrastructure development, charitable
institutions and welfare trusts.
Earning a Seat at the Table
When an aspiring young man from a
village in Andhra Pradesh arrived in
Bengaluru, little did anyone realise that
he would go on to conquer and establish
his architectural brilliance around the city.
Despite having received immense
success, Dr. Raju was not content as
he did not want to enjoy the fruits of
his success alone, and was nurturing a
burning desire to give back to society.
Thus, he established Rukmini Educational
Charitable Trust in the name of his beloved
wife Late Smt. Rukmini Shyamaraju. She
was an upholder of values and firmly
believed in academics as the fore-runner
of everything important in life. Despite
having no prior experience in the field of
education, Dr. Raju honoured her wish and
quickly mastered the complex aspects of
academic administration.
As he puts it, “When the business was
at its peak in DivyaSree Developers, we
were thinking of what we can give back
to society. My wife, Rukmini suggested
starting an educational institution but
I was reluctant to start one. Later, I felt
that I must fulfil her wish and decided to
start the educational institution in her
name. Therefore we named it as REVA
which means Rukmini Educational Vision
Academy.”
A firm believer of the fact that education
is the foundation for development of
humans and considering the youth as
the wealth of the nation, he aimed at
preparing well educated youth with ethical
and moral values and social commitment
who would become leaders of tomorrow
and enable India to become the most
advanced and developed country in the
world. Thus, under his leadership, REVA
“youngsters must learn from the
mistakes AND not take them as failure. They
should not give up for smaller mistakes”
University has emerged as a torch-bearer
in the field of higher learning, moving
steadily up the rankings in excellence.
Carving an Empire of his Dreams
Dr. Raju is a man who has made his
own way to the top. In fact he has built
an empire of his dreams and scripted
his own fate owing to his exuberance,
determination and an attitude of not
settling for less. Life threw numerous
challenges upon him. However, he
faced each one of them with élan. He
undertook the biggest risk of his life by
establishing DivyaSree. The commercial,
residential developments and projects
by DivyaSree simply offer an out-of-thisworld
experience. For instance, DivyaSree
Chambers is a pioneering example of
one of the best commercial spaces in the
country, for its smart plan, use of space,
molten design and imposing structure.
Under his exemplary leadership, each
project of DivyaSree was rendered with
sincerity and diligence, forming a legacy
and a signature that spanned decades
and took roots in three major cities of
the South. Starting with commercial and
residential projects in Bengaluru, Dr. Raju
launched it in Hyderabad and then in
Chennai. His vision is reflected in all his
projects that illustrate a perfect balance
of art, technique and technology.
Dr. Somashekar, a friend of Dr.
Raju, righly asserts, “Not only has Dr.
Raju created a timeless heritage with
DivyaSree Projects but also etched his
name on the infrastructural history of the
city of Bengaluru, having witnessed and
participated in building it to what it is
today.”
Making a Positive Difference in
the World
The overpowering philanthropic streak of
Dr. Raju’s personality is explicit from the
numerous humanitarian endeavours which
he undertakes. He has spearheaded many
social causes that directly impact civic
understanding and contribute to a better
society. He was felicitated by the State
Election Commission for leading Jagruti
Campaign to create voting awareness
among people. Deeply concerned about
his students, he has allotted a sizeable
number of seats to aid rural students who
cannot afford to pay the customary fees.
Under his leadership, REVA University is
marching towards a sustainable future by
going paperless during exams. He asserts,
“We have started the initiative of paperless
exams recently. One can digitally draw
graphs, do rough work for calculations,
students can take additional sheets, etc.
Even the teachers can evaluate the papers
digitally and the results can be out in an hour
or so. In the next academic year, we plan to
provide this device for all the 15,000 students
on the campus to write their exams.”
As a constant facilitator of knowledge,
imparting education has been his mission
and the sole purpose of his life is to ensure
that REVA University empowers learners
with knowledge and skills that will enable
them to create opportunities and build a
better society. A visionary to the core, he
is a builder of careers, and the one who
channelizes efforts in the right direction,
facilitating conversion of dreams into reality.
He is of the view that “youngsters must
learn from the mistakes and not take them
as failure. They should not give up for
smaller mistakes.”
24 | india’s greatest leaders 2019-20 |