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Visakhapatnam, November 12: Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, Chairperson of the GMR Group, made a direct pitch to investors at the inaugural session of the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026.
He said that in a new world order, investors look for a place they can depend on, and that this place is Andhra Pradesh. He pointed to strong leadership, fast decisions and full support as the state’s strengths. He described the airport as an economic engine for the whole of Andhra Pradesh. He added that some of the world’s largest technology companies are building their data centres in the state, calling it the right place and the right time to invest.
About Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao
- Position: He is the founder and Chairman of the GMR Group, a global infrastructure developer and operator based in India.
- Background: He was born on 14 July 1950 in Rajam, in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district. He is a first-generation entrepreneur and a mechanical engineer who studied at Andhra University.
- GMR Group: He started the group in 1978. It is now active in airports, energy, highways and urban infrastructure, and airports are its largest business.
- Airports: Under his leadership the group entered the airport business, including Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. He holds chairman roles in the group’s airport companies, including GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd.
- Philanthropy: He has pledged large sums to charity and education through the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, the group’s CSR arm. The foundation is named after his wife, Grandhi Varalakshmi.
- Public service: In 2014 he was appointed Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation.
- Family business: His son, Grandhi Kiran Kumar, is the group’s Corporate Chairman, and G.B.S. Raju is Vice Chairman. The group also co-owns the cricket franchise Delhi Capitals with the JSW Group.