PV Ramprasad Reddy, Who Started As Clerk, Now Owns Rs 57,000 Crore Aurobindo Pharma

India boasts of many entrepreneurs who started their ventures with fewer resources. They struggled against many odds before their ventures became highly successful. One of them is Penaka Venkata Ramprasad Reddy, co-founder of Hyderabad-based Aurobindo Pharma. Ramprasad Reddy used to work as a clerk in one of the pharmaceutical companies. Currently, according to a DNA report, Aurobindo Pharma’s net worth is Rs 57,000 crore. This space articulates his journey from a clerk to the co-founder of Aurobindo Pharma.

Ramprasad Reddy pursued his graduation and post-graduation in Economics from Shri Venkateshwara University (Uttar Pradesh). After finishing his studies, Ramprasad Reddy worked in various companies for a brief period of time. He then started to pursue a career in chemicals-related business. Ramprasad Reddy, along with his business partner K Nityananda Reddy, started Aurobindo Pharma in Puducherry in 1986. Ramprasad Reddy selected Nityananda because he was well-versed in the intricacies of this sector.

Ramprasad Reddy also reportedly benefitted immensely due to his brief work experience with the late Dr K Anji Reddy, who was the founder of Dr Reddy’s Labs. Dr K Anji Reddy also had a vast knowledge of synthesising drugs with easier and cost-effective techniques. This helped Ramprasad get a basic understanding of the pharma sector. Ramprasad also had a brilliant sense of business from his early working days. All these factors led to his rise in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ramprasad Reddy took a giant leap when he made Aurobindo Pharma public in 1995. This happened within just 9 years of Aurobindo Pharma’s launch. The company going public typically refers to when a company undertakes its initial public offering. It can also do so by selling shares of stock to the public, usually to raise additional capital. Aurobindo Pharma soon became one of the leading companies in generic drug manufacturing. This company initially didn’t focus on the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient. Today, Aurobindo Pharma is one of the top companies when it comes to making cardiovascular, gastroenterological, anti-diabetic, and antiretroviral medicines. It earns about three-quarters of its revenue from trade in Europe and the United States of America.