This 72-year-old began journey with Rs 25k loan, built Rs 7,500 crore company, know his business

72-year-old A Prathap Reddy came from nearly nothing but was not afraid to take risks. The self-made businessman who started with just Rs 25,000 he loaned from a bank, is today one of the richest persons in Telangana.

The business tycoon helms the Rs 7,500 crore market cap chemical giant Balaji Amines. However, it took a lot of grit and determination for Reddy to become a successful industrialist.

Ande Prathap Reddy saw poverty in childhood which strengthened his resolve to overcome all odds and make a name for himself. Just to be able to get an education, Reddy had to walk 10 kilometres to school everyday.

This is a long way from when he walked into the world of business 40 years ago as a 25-year-old. Reddy started Balaji Amines in the late 1980s after spending years trying his hands with small businesses.

Reddy’s Balaji Amines, which today has 12 industrial units, disrupted the industry by using indigenous technology over foreign. This enabled him to bring down the pricing steeped. Today, Balaji Amines is India’s biggest methylamine maker with around 60 percent market share. Reddy’s company reported a revenue of Rs 2,300 crore in FY22.