Shri Dr. CA A. Raghavendra Rao established the A. Shama Rao Foundation to achieve his stated aim of transforming society through quality education which will be in harmony with the social, economic and ecological environment. This firm belief was the driving force which created the Srinivas Group of Colleges under the umbrella of A. Shama Rao Foundation. Shri. CA A. Raghavendra Rao has a unique and focused approach towards life. He dons different hats in his service to the cause of ‘Nation Building”. He is successful Chartered Accountant with offices in Seven cities across India, he is a hotelier par excellence who has created one of the first and finest 3 –Star hotel with a vegetarian restaurant as its hallmark. His most notable contribution has been in moulding the careers of thousands of students through a chain of colleges imparting professional education in such varied fields as Engineering, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Hotel Management, Business Management, Computer application, Nursing and Pharmacy. His dedication and excellence in his field makes him a completely reliable person and hence he has set an example to his clients, staff, students and admirers.

EARLY LIFE

Shri Dr. CA A. Raghavendra Rao was born in Benagal, Pejamangore Village, Udupi on 16th October 1937 to Late Shri. A. Shama Rao, (Retd. Headmaster, BEM Higher Secondary P.U College, Car Street, Mangalore) and Smt. A. Indiramma. He completed his elementary education in SVS Elementary School, Innanje and then joined the SVH High School. He completed his intermediate examinations as well as graduation in Commerce at the M.G.M. College in Udupi and came to Mangalore to pursue his higher education in Chartered Accountancy. In the year 1965, he set up his independent practice as a Chartered Accountant at Felix Pai Bazar, Mangalore.

CAREER

Having started his practice with a single staff in his office, today there are 75 employees working under the CA firm M/s Raghavendra Rao Chartered Accountants, Mangalore and has offices at seven cities spread across the country. Today he is universally acknowledged as one of the senior most professionals amongst the fraternity of Chartered Accountants. In 1979, he contested for the South India Regional Council (S.I.R.C) of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Chennai and won the election. During his four-year tenure, he served as the Chairman of the India regional Chartered Accountant Students Association at Chennai and also as Secretary of S.I.R.C for some time. During this time, he was the taxation committee Chairman of the S.I.R.C and conducted regional taxation seminars at Mangalore. Not one to rest on his laurels, his innate talent as an entrepreneur saw him enter the hospitality industry with “Hotel Srinivas” in 1980. The Hotel has the unique distinction of being one of the first hotels to be classified as a 3-Star hotel despite the fact that it had a multi-cuisine vegetarian restaurant while the trend internationally was to attach a Non-Vegetarian restaurant to any star category hotel.

In the year 1988, he set up the “A. Shama Rao Foundation” a trust dedicated to advancement of his belief that “Education is the prime driver in transforming Society”. He found strong support for his vision from the then Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, Prof. Shafiullah under whose able guidance and encouragement Shri Dr. CA A. Raghavendra Rao set up the first professional degree college under the aegis of A. Shama Rao Foundation, Mangalore. The college named “Srinivas Institute of Hotel Management” offered a 3-year Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management. From modest beginnings, the college as well as the foundation has grown many times over. Today the sixteen colleges of the foundation offer more than 78 programmes in various fields of study.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION:

• Articleship of Chartered Accountancy course under Late Sri A. Umanath Rao, C.A., Mangalore.
• Member of Institute of C.A of India in 1965 (A.C.A.) & Fellow of ICAI in 1970 (F.C.A.)

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Setup independent practice as Chartered Accountant at Felix Pai Bazar, Mangalore in March 1965.
• Senior Partner of M/s. A. Raghavendra Rao, Chartered Accountants, Mangalore and having Branches in 7 other cities in India.
• Senior Partner of M/s. A. Raghavendra Rao, Chartered Accountants, Mangalore and having Branches in 7 other cities in India.
• Member of the Southern Indian Regional Council of Chartered Accountants of India, Madras for the period Of 1979-83.
• Chairman of the SIRC C A Students Association, Madras in 1980-81.
• Secretary of SIRC, Madras in 1982-83.
• Leading consultant & Auditor for Finance, Trading Commercial & Industrial concerns.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION:

• CA A. Raghavendra Rao has helped quite a lot in enhancing the life of many students. His belief that nobody should be denied an opportunity to learn has seen many so called below average students evolve in to world class professionals in their chosen field. But for his vision, many of them would have withered away into life of oblivion. He also believes that success comes to those who are disciplined in life and focused on their goals. His institutions have always laid great stress on disciplined life both inside and outside the campus.
• He launched a special insurance scheme in association with National Insurance Company, named “Srinivas Arogya Card”. This scheme makes it easy for poor and downtrodden to have access to modern medical care at “Srinivas Hospital” without any cost to the families living below poverty line. The scheme is supported by the Karnataka government and it has thousands of members.
• The A. Shama Rao Foundation every year honours notable contributions in the following fields:
• A Shama Rao Memorial Outstanding Teacher Award from 2009 is conferred on a teacher from undivided Dakshina Kannada district who has rendered outstanding service in promoting and popularizing education in high schools or at pre-university college level.
• A Shama Rao Foundation award for outstanding contribution to the development of Dakshina Kannada district from 2010 this award is conferred on a person who has rendered yeoman service in the development of the undivided Dakshina Kannada district.
• A Shama Rao Foundation award for outstanding social worker of Dakshina Kannada district from 2010 this award is conferred on a person who has helped to uplift the life of the citizens either through social work or as a public servant in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:

• 27.12.1995– ‘Shree Krishnanugraha award’ from Paryaya, Shri Sheeroor mutt, Udupi
• 18.01.1998 – ‘Shree Krishnanugraha award’ from Paryaya, Shri Kaniyoor Mutt, Udupi
• 20.12.1999- ‘Loka Shastra Seva Praveena’ award from Paryaya Shri Kaniyoor Mutt, Udupi
• 01.11.2004 – District Level Rajyotsava Award of Govt. of Karnataka.
• 28.05.2006 – ‘VIPRA JANA’ Award from D.K. Dravid Brahmins Association, Mangalore.
• 26.08.2006 – ‘Chitrabharathi’ Award for the contribution in the field of education from Chitrabharathi Tulu Chitraranga.
• 23.12.2008 –’Outstanding Manager Award 2008′ by Mangalore Management Association
• 01.01.2009 – Distinguished Achiever’s New Year Award 2009, for distinguished service to the Society in the field of Education, Commerce & Industry by Academy of General Education, Manipal, along with Rotary Club of Udupi – Manipal and Syndicate Bank, Manipal.
• 03.01.2009 – “SIRC Diamond Jubilee Award” for senior Chartered Accountants.

POSITIONS HELD:

• Articleship of Chartered Accountancy course under Late Sr. A Umanath Rao, C.A. Mangalore.
• Member of Institute of C.A of India in 1965 (A.C.A.)
• Started independent practice as Chartered Accountant from February, 1965
• Fellow of ICAI in 1970 (F.C.A)
• 1979 to 1983- Member of the Southern Indian Regional Council of Chartered Accountants of India, Madras.
• 1980 t0 1981- Chairman of the SIRC C A Students Association, Madras
• 1982 to 83 – Secretary of SIRC, Madras
• Leading consultant & Auditor for Finance, Trading Commercial & Industrial Concerns.
• 1983 to 1984 – Secretary of Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• 1984to 1985 – Vice-president of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
• 1985 to 1987 – President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Chairman of Advisory Committee to Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry for several years.
• 1985 to 1987- Member of the Karnataka Telephone Advisory Committee
• 1987 – Member of the Customs Grievance Committee for the Karnataka Customs Collectorate.
• 1987 to 1988 Working President of Besant Women’s National Education Society.
• President of Kala Sangha a cultural body
• Chancellor of Srinivas University since 2013

SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES

• Chaired many Taxation and Accounting Seminars held at Madras, Belgaum and Mangalore.
• Attended a number of All India Conferences conducted by ICAI and Hotel & Tourism Convention Organized by FHRAI, New Delhi.

MEMBERSHIP

• Member & Founder President of Kala Sangama, a Cultural body
• Life Member of Mangalore Productivity Council and Mangalore Management Association.
• Past member of Rotary Club of Mangalore
• Past member of the Senate of Mangalore University – 1985- 88 and 1995 – 199

DIRECTOR:

• Hotel Srinivas – 3 Star Hotel in Mangalore
• Udupi Srikrishna Bhavan, Mangalore.
• Srinivas Estates Pvt. Ltd.,

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT: A. Shama Rao Foundation.

• Srinivas Hospital (a 350 bedded multispecialty hospital) • Srinivas Institute of Medical Science & Research Centre (MBBS progra
mme)
• Srinivas Institute of Dental Sciences (BDS)
• Srinivas Institute of Hotel Management (BHM)
• Srinivas Institute of Physiotherapy (BPT/MPT).
• Srinivas Institute of P.G. Management Studies (BCA/BBM/MSW)
• Srinivas Institute of Management Studies (MBA/MCA)
• Srinivas Institute of Pharmacy (B.Pharm/M.Pharm/ Ph.D)
• Srinivas Institute of Nursing Sciences (B.Sc.N/PC B.Sc.N/M.Sc.N)
• A Shama Rao Nursing School(GNM)
• Srinivas Institute of Education (B.Ed.)
• Srinivas Institute of Technology (BE/MBA/MCA/Ph.D.)
• Vijayalakshmi Institute of Hospitality Sciences (B.Sc. (HS)
• Srinivas School of Engineering (Integrated Campus at Mukka) (B.E)
• Srinivas School of Management ( -do – MBA)
• Srinivas School of Business ( -do – PGDBM)

OTHER TRUSTS:

• Raghavendra Rao Charitable Trust
• Adka Shama Rao & A. Indiramma Charitable Trust
• Vijayalakshmi Education Trust
• Srinivas Management Academy for Research & Training Trust (SMART Trust)
• Srinivas Institute of Rural Reconstruction Agency(SIRRA)

IN CONCLUSION

• Work hard and build up a constructive thinking for future generations. People should be good to one another. We have to keep everyone happy, and there should be no room for jealousy among our brethren. We have to try to lift up someone and not to pull them down. We have to think of others prosperity and not disparity