VISAKHAPATNAM: For Roshni Aparanji Korati, the new assignment carries a sense of homecoming. Taking charge as Deputy Chairperson of the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the port’s 92-year history, brings her back to the city where her journey first began. For Korati, the moment is also deeply personal.
Her father, K Subhakara Rao, served as the first teacher at the Port High School in Saligramapuram, while her mother, K Hema Latha, worked as a head nurse before retiring from service. Reflecting on her new role, she noted, “It is a proud moment for me to return to the port in this capacity, especially to a place where my father once worked as the first teacher at the Port School.” An alumna of Timpany School, Korati went on to pursue a B.Sc in Biotechnology from Dr LB College. While science formed the foundation of her undergraduate studies, she also nurtured a keen interest in media and communication. She later completed a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Andhra University between 2005 and 2007. Yet the aspiration to join the civil services had taken shape much earlier.
“From as early as Class 6, I remember wanting to become a collector. That thought stayed with me through school and college. I cleared the exam on my second attempt,” she shared. Korati belongs to the 2011 batch of the Assam cadre. Behind her professional journey stands a close support system. Her husband, Keerthi Kireeti Chebrolu, serves as a Deputy Commandant with the Central Industrial Security Force and is currently posted in Rajasthan. The couple have two sons studying in Classes 4 and 2. Balancing responsibilities at work and home, she acknowledges, requires constant adjustment. “Being a working woman is not easy. When you are at the office, a part of your mind is at home, and when you return home, work still stays with you,” she observed. She credits her mother and mother-in-law for ensuring that the household runs smoothly. “Their support gives me the peace of mind to focus on my work,” she added.
Her reflections also extend to the broader purpose of public service and personal success. “Whether it is money, knowledge or service, there is little meaning in having it if it cannot be useful to someone who needs it,” she reflected. Korati also emphasises the importance of financial independence, particularly for women. “Earning is important, but understanding how to invest and make your money work for you is equally essential,” she explained. Encouraging women to remain economically independent, she believes, must go beyond words. “Families should not only encourage women to work but also create an environment where they feel comfortable doing so,” she stressed. Despite demanding schedules, she consciously sets aside time for her children.
“For any child, parents should be the first people they turn to when something is troubling them,” she said, adding that the family tries to begin the day together, sometimes exercising, sometimes simply talking and making it a point to sit together for dinner and share their day. Frequent transfers, she noted, are part of life in the civil services. “Every three years, you move to a new place and begin again. Each posting enriches you with new experiences and helps you grow.”