Keshava Rao, a Versatile Personality

He follows the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi in business being in business for generations. With all the busy schedules and engagements in professional life, social service is an integral part of his routine. He takes the model roles for personal life from Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Loka Manya Bala Gangadhar Tilak, and Gurajada Appa Rao from the innumerable stalwarts born on the Indian soil.

Instituting and establishing many associations and organisations, he is striving for the welfare of the Vysya community besides the well being of the people at large in the society. In addition to business, social service and some personal activities, devotion also forms part of his life.

He is Kabalavai Kesava Rao, chief of the reputed Kabalavai Jewellers Private Limited situated in the busy business centre of twin cities, Chikkadapally.

As a common practice, those are in tune with success in business will be exclusively concentrating and flowing with their own current. Asked, how come you are spread so vastly for social service and other activities, he simply and humbly submits that as a person in the society, it is his responsibility to do something good for it. For a question about how he was managing all these, the response reflects his character as he says, ‘it depends on our thinking attitude, dedication and above all mercy of the Creator.’

Kabalavai Satyanarayana, father of Kesava Rao established a jewellery firm in his own name at Sultanbazar in the year 1935. Kesava Rao was associated with his brother for a short period digested all the trade secrets. Later he graduated from Osmania University in Commerce.

Recognising Kesava Rao’s contribution for the cause of the society during his three decades membership of Lions Club, the Lions International honoured him with Melvin Johns Fellowship. In the year 1979, he floated Chikkadapally Federation of Commerce with an ambition to unite all the trading communities in the area and is founder president of the Federation. This was taken as a model role by many associations and societies that came up in the state at a later date for the unique concept in the memberships for the Federation.

It is a common phenomenon that a particular line business persons establish associations exclusively for their trading community, where as the Chikkadapally Federation of Commerce has members from every trade and business from the RTC crossroads to the Narayanaguda bridge.

He formed The East City Jewellers Association in 1999 and is President for it. This Association objectives include price uniformity, quality stabilisation, offering best services to the consumers. He also floated Andhra Pradesh Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Trade in the year 1980 which has emerged in to a powerful organisation. He is taking care of its activities as Secretary. Kesava Rao is the founder Editor-in-chief of the Trade Samachar, a quarterly publication from the Federation.

He registered as donor member in 1983 with the All India Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari Temples Federation at Penugonda. Gradually he occupied the treasurer responsibility and now he is the General Secretary. He is chief patron of Sri Thyagaraya Gana Sabha which was instituted in 1966.

His memberships include Donor Member in Vasavi Academy of Education since 1983 and Governing Body Member Vasavi College of Music and Dance since 1996. This College was set up to promote the Indian classical music and dance in the region. To extend a helping hand to the needy and poor through medical assistance, Kesava Rao started Vasavi Medical Research Centre in 90s. He says, “Even though efforts in this direction took off since 1980, materialisation was possible only in the 90s”.

Abhinandana Apna Ghar, an orphanage again set up by Kesava Rao is now having 29 inmates. Along with the orphans, some poor students are being provided food, clothing and educational facilities free of cost. He referred to the state owned Social Welfare Department and said that a meager financial assistance is being channelled to the orphanage.

He is also Executive Body Member for the Andhra Pradesh Gold, Silver and Diamond Merchants’ Association. For providing proper shelter for the girl students of the Vysya community reaching the capital city in pursuit of education from across the state, he planned to begin a women’s hostel from 1979 and was finally successful by 1981. Now the Vasavi Mahila Hostel is housing about 120 girl students.

Vasavi Public School, which took off with just 41 students in 1983 started by Kesava Rao under sponsorship of Vasavi Academy of Education is now giving education to over 1,200 students. He is a life member with Vamsee International Cultural Organisation.

During his association with the Lions’ Club, he served thrice as President for Lions’ Club of Golconda. Hinting about the near future projects that he would take up, Kesava Rao said that from the academic year 2002–03, a chain of primary schools would be established for imparting basic academic education in addition to health education. An online education facility is on the cards for Kesava Rao for extracting and developing the inherent qualities in middle aged persons through distance education mode.

Speaking as a representative of the business community, Kesava Rao feels that the present taxing slabs and license system need not be amended for ages to come. One of the slain Prime Ministers of the country, he recalled, Rajiv Gandhi said ‘about 90% of the budgeted project funds were being pocketed through out the hierarchy and the intermediaries or contractors. A meager 10% is being properly and exactly utilised for the targeted purpose. Hence, he says it is the duty of the rulers to plug all the leakage in the system. If all the holes were sealed properly, the exchequer will definitely be in surplus even after spending thousands of crores for the welfare of the people and need not increase the rates and taxes often.

If we take a glance about his personal life, he is married to Leelavathi who is an ideal homemaker today. The couple are blessed with two daughters and two sons. Both the daughters are married and are living comfortably. Elder son Srikiran after completing his Bachelor of Science and Master of Computer Applications is now employed with a reputed firm as software engineer in US. Another son Srivijay is assisting his father to continue his traditional business.

Kesava Rao is having another unique qualification. Along with commerce graduation, he had achieved expertise in Sitar completing Sangeetha Visarada course.

Kesava Rao, is definitely a versatile personality with his dedication to business, social service, devotion, fine arts and so on at the same time and balancing all of them like a perfectionist.