Building an entrepreneurial organisation is like giving birth to a vision. It calls for extraordinary foresightedness, administrative abilities and understanding of the market. And G.M. Rao, Chairman, GMR Group is one such person who has not only created institutions but has made them achieve professional heights of excellence. A mechanical engineer by profession, Rao has been heading the GMR group since its inception in 1978. He has battled through numerous problems only to emerge stronger with every passing hurdle.

A businessman with a vision, G.M. Rao recognised the business opportunities in starting a jute yarn manufacturing business in his hometown of Rajam, Andhra Pradesh. His bold venture was a success and enabled him to diversify into ferro-alloys and subsequently, sugar. Recently, his Group, which has alliances with Fraport (Frankfurt airport), was allotted the task of modernising the Delhi Airport. Not only this, the GMR group was given the choice of picking the airport of its liking as it was the only bidder that secured more than the cut-off of 80 per cent as stipulated in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Thanks to Rao's strategy that the company could win the contract for the Group. The Group also submitted Rs.500-crore bank guarantee to the Government. It has been a long way for Rao all along.

It was in the 80s and 90s that Rao entered into banking and played a key role in the transformation of Vysya Bank into a new generation bank. It was around this time that India's rapidly growing economy and the government's liberalisation policies attracted his interest in infrastructure development. Rao was quick to recognise the tremendous opportunities in this sector and resolved to transform GMR Group into a powerhouse in the area of infrastructure development. Under his leadership, GMR Group has adopted a culture of professional-entrepreneurship where enterprise, speed and team excellence are critical ingredients. GMR Group is the only private sector organisation in India to build two Greenfield Power Projects in the country, with the third nearing completion. In fact, its Mangalore Power Plant is the world's largest, and India's first barge-mounted combined cycle power plant.

It is also the first medium-sized Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Karnataka. To add more feathers to Rao, his Power Corporation's Chennai plant is the first Independent Power Project in Tamil Nadu and the largest stationary engine power plant under one roof in the world. It was Rao's contribution to environment that GMR Power Corporation received the prestigious Dr. M. S. Swaminathan award for eco-friendly processes deployed at the Basin Bridge-Chennai plant. Few people know that GMR Group has achieved the financial closure to build, own and operate India's first world class international airport under Public - Private partnership in Hyderabad. But all these successes haven't made Rao complacent. A man of conviction he feels he has miles to go and many more successes to achieve. Indeed, a true hallmark of a man whose mission is to strive towards success and more success.