Meet man, who failed Class 10th, began career as engineer at paper mill, today known as India’s airport tycoon, his net worth is Rs…

GM Rao was born on July 14, 1950 in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. He had failed his Class 10th exams and started assisting in the family business but later resumed his education at his mother’s encouragement.

There aren’t many people who face failures and setbacks but still go on to achieve incredible feats in life and their respective field. But Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, popularly known as GM Rao, was one of those. GM Rao’s company, GMR Group, today operates several major airports in India and abroad in addition to other properties. Even though he doesn’t have a great academic history or impressive career beginnings, that didn’t stop him from becoming the man that he is today. This is his story.

Humble beginnings

GM Rao was born on July 14, 1950 in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. He had failed his Class 10th exams and started assisting in the family business but later resumed his education at his mother’s encouragement.

He went on to complete his graduation in mechanical engineering from Andhra University in Visakhapatnam.

Rao began his career working as a shift engineer at a paper mill and later joined as a junior engineer in the Andhra Pradesh Public Works Department.

Entrepreneurial journey

In 1978, Rao acquired a failing jute mill with an investment of Rs 3 lakh, turning it profitable and thus kickstarting his business journey.

After that, he ventured into diverse industries, including rice mills, transport, sugar, and breweries — starting as many as 28 businesses.

He also co-founded Vysya Bank and eventually sold his stake for Rs 340 crore, channeling those funds into his upcoming infrastructure projects.

Transition to infra sector

Rao shifted to the infrastructure sector in 1994, driving his company to become a reputed global giant focused on airports, energy, highways, and urban infrastructure.

GMR today operates New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, and international airports such as Mactan Cebu (Philippines) and New Heraklion (Greece).

Besides, he owns a 50% stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals.

Net worth

As of early 2025, Rao has an estimated net worth of USD 3.57 billion or over Rs 30,500 crore, according to Forbes, ranking 66th among India’s wealthiest and 991st globally.

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