Page 43 - EDII Report 135

PG Corner

PG Alumnus Crafting his Success Story...

Mr. Rajasekhara Raju Podili
Head CSR BMM Steel and Sr. Manager JSW Foundation (PGDMN, 2007-2008)

Rajasekhara Raju Podili hails from a modest rural
background in Andhra Pradesh, yet he never let his
circumstances come in the way of his dreams. Growing
up in a humble farming family, he witnessed the
struggles of rural communities—especially erratic
monsoons, water shortage and other critical
challenges faced by farmers. These early experiences
instilled in him empathy and determination to work for
sustainable water management and community
development for meaningful change.

Rajasekhara completed his B.Sc., M.A in Social work from Acharya Nagarjuna
University in Guntur and then joined EDII’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management of
NGOs for concretising his skills and knowledge base in the domain. Through the
course, he gained deeper insights into crucial aspects of project management,
leadership, financial planning and social innovation. Armed with these insights,
Rajasekhara started working in the water and rural development sector, where he
recognized the vast untapped potential in community-driven water conservation
initiatives. He realized that even small watershed interventions could create huge,
sustainable impact if implemented scientifically.

Over the past 17 years, Rajasekhara has founded and led several impactful projects
under NABARD-funded watershed programmes, benefiting over 2,00,000 families
across multiple states. He has implemented 105 watershed projects, constructed 200
check dams and developed 550 farm ponds. In recognition of his remarkable work,
Rajasekhara has received 23 prestigious national and international awards.

Rajasekhara envisions empowering rural youth
by integrating water conservation with
livelihood promotion. He plans to train young
people in rural areas to adopt sustainable
agricultural practices, establish micro-
enterprises and become local leaders in water
and natural resource management.

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