In a rare honour for a media personality, the Andhra Pradesh government has announced that a road in the capital city of Amaravathi and a proposed film city project in the port city of Visakhapatnam will be named after media baron Cherukuri Ramoji Rao who passed away recently.
Ramoji Rao, a pioneer in Telugu journalism, was known for his discipline, high moral values and keen business acumen. His life journey—from a humble middle-class family in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh to becoming one of the leading media icons in the country—was as much a celebration of entrepreneurial skills and passion for innovation as it was of moral uprightness in an era where the credibility of the media saw a steady decline.
Founder of India's largest movie production facility, Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad and chairman of the Eenadu Group of publications and news channels, Ramoji Rao (87) passed away in the early hours of June 8 at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad.
He was born into an agricultural family on November 16, 1936, in a small village called Pedaparupudi in Krishna district.
He went on to become a powerful and influential media entrepreneur in the history of Telugu states. He owned the largest Telugu daily in both Telangana and Andhra, Eenadu. In addition, he ran a bouquet of entertainment and news channels under the ETV brand.
The NDA government honoured him with India's second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, in 2016.
Speaking at a memorial service organised by the state government in Vijayawada on Thursday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that Amaravathi will have a knowledge Centre named after the media baron.
Paying rich tributes to Ramoji Rao, the Chief Minister said the media baron had run the daily newspaper with moral values and never compromised even when he was subjected to harassment. He demanded that Ramoji Rao, who was a role model and an inspiration to Telugus across the world, be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Naidu, along with his wife, Bhuvaneswari, attended the programme. Soon after arriving at the venue, the Chief Minister visited the photo exhibition and later and later paid floral tributes to the photo of Ramoji Rao on the dias. Recalling the services of the late Ramoji Rao to various sections of society in the state, Naidu said,
"Ramoji was an example of how a person born into a middle-class family can reach the greatest heights," Naidu said.
Recalling the services of Ramoji Rao in various sectors, the Chief Minister said that it was Ramoji Raop who suggested the name of Amaravathi for the capital city of the state.
"This is the reason why I have decided to establish a Ramoji Knowledge Centre (Vignana Kendram) in Amaravathi," Naidu announced.
The family members of Ramoji Rao donated Rs 10 crore for building Amaravathi and handed over the cheque to the Chief Minister. Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, Tollywood's ace director, SS Rajamouli, and Oscar-winning music director, MM Keeravani, also participated in the memorial meeting.
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