G.M. Rao is founder chairman of the GMR Group, which operates in urban infrastructure sectors such as energy, airports and highways. Rao’s family was financially comfortable but his home was surrounded by extreme poverty—something that deeply influenced his formative years and led him to set up a foundation focused on health, education and livelihoods. In an interview, Rao said he hopes that the foundation will not need to exist in the next 15-20 years. Edited excerpts:
When and why did you start giving?
I would say my desire to start giving came from my observations of social conditions around me. I come from a village called Rajam in the Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.
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It’s a really underdeveloped district that is also said to be the birthplace of the Naxal movement. People lived in strictly defined segregation—one section had only farmers, another only dhobis, another for scavengers…it was a very divisive and unhealthy practice.
How would you describe your evolution as a philanthropist?
I think the turning point in my philanthropic process was when I saw that my giving was merely reactive—if someone was poor, I simply gave them some money; if someone had health issues, I funded their hospital bills. I realized it had to become proactive.
As I saw it, the four main reasons for poverty in India are: illiteracy, disease, general apathy among people, and corruption in the government. I felt government corruption was something we couldn’t do much about, so we went after the other three areas.
Who inspires you in your giving?
For me, Warren Buffett has been a really inspiring role model. There is my father of course, P.D.K. Rao. He used to teach nuclear physics at Boston University in the US but in 1979, he left it all to return to our village, where he continues to serve. Today, he is the director of my foundation and I always take his advice.
What is your advice to people on finding causes to support?
My sense is that as a starting point, they should go to the villages—any typically underserved rural region—and see the conditions that people live in. Just seeing the disparity between these people’s lives and their own is certain to touch their conscience.
What is your long-term goal for the foundation?
My dream is that after 15-20 years, my foundation won’t need to exist. Because if my foundation is doing work, it means people are still so poor and unempowered. I strongly feel education and vocational skills are key to eliminating poverty.
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Creating more vocational training centres is a core part of my long-term plan for the foundation.
What are your thoughts on philanthropy in India today?
I think in India we focus too much on rituals and this drives crores of rupees into temples that misuse it for things like jewellery for the deities. Also, philanthropy is not just corporate social responsibility, it’s also individual social responsibility. You may not have a lot of money, but you can always invest your compassion.
This interview is a part of the India Philanthropy Series, a joint initiative between Dasra, a strategic philanthropy organization, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This series showcases through videos the journeys of some of the most strategic and innovative philanthropists in India.
