VIJAYAWADA: Returning back to roots for the betterment of the society, Raj Kumar Velagapudi, an NRI and an IT entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, has set up a state-of-the-art primary healthcare centre (PHC) with high-end medical equipment on a half-acre government provided land in his native, Yanamalakuduru of Krishna district.
Through his Velagapudi Trust and donors, Raj has partnered with the State government’s Ayushman Bharat initiative and invested Rs 4 crore to establish the PHC.
The modern healthcare facility was inaugurated by State Health Minister Y Satya Kumar in July 2024. Following the positive feedback from the locals and residents of surrounding villages, the IT entrepreneur has announced plans to expand the PHC with additional specialisations to better serve the community.
An alumnus of NSM School and Andhra Loyola College in Vijayawada, Raj Velagapudi founded Tao Digital Solutions Inc. and developed businesses in 16 countries after completing his engineering from Madras University. He automated the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange and at CBSI, he built a 3000-strong workforce in 8 months for Y2K and set up business centres in the Philippines and Japan, earning the IT Person of the Year Award in India in 1999.
Raj has been actively engaged in social work and community outreach in India and US for over two decades. In 2020, he founded the Velagapudi Trust, inspired by his parents, Uma Maheshwara Rao and Vijayalakshmi Velagapudi, which focuses on wellness, education, and elderly care.
Speaking to TNIE, Raj Velagapudi from the USA said, “Our vision is to uplift marginalised communities through comprehensive support in healthcare, education, and welfare. By mobilising resources and fostering development, we strive to create lasting positive impacts on society.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Velagapudi Trust set up a COVID Care Centre in Rekhapally village, East Godavari district, providing essential medical services and support to the community. He donated over Rs 25 lakhs, including his employee’s contribution of Rs 6.4 lakhs, to build a dormitory, kitchen, and dining area of 7500 sq ft on two floors to accommodate around 150 kids residing in ‘Needy Illiterate Children Education’ (NICE), Narasaraopet of Palnadu district.
In 2021, the trust established a 12-bed ICU with a Rs 25,00,000 at Nuzvid Area Hospital, Eluru district, equipped with advanced monitoring equipment. “We have treated and saved 4,060 patients in this ICU, and we are grateful for the Trust’s support,” said Dr Narendra Singh, superintendent of Area Hospital, Nuzvid.
Additionally, the trust addressed the high fluoride levels in drinking water in Malkapuram village in Nalgonda district of Telangana, by setting up a 500 LPH water treatment plant, benefiting 600 villagers since its inauguration on March 3, 2021.
Mallikarjuna Rao Chigurupati, Trustee of Velagapudi Trust, said the trust has contributed over 400,000$ in the past three years to healthcare and nutrition projects in the USA and India, including health checkups, blood donations, and food distribution. He commended the support of Raj’s wife, Dr Sailaja, and his children, Anish and Anmol, in his philanthropic work.