The Young Entrepreneur Awardee, Mr.Koti Reddy with his basic qualification of 10th standard in a government school has made a history by making a tremendous leap from his simple rural domain to the magnificent tech-domain of Microsoft.


“Degree alone is not enough to achieve success in life”, proved byMr. Koti Reddy, a man born and studied in a small village in Andhra Pradesh. Degree is just a way to get a job, but it can’t give guarantee to achieve success in one’s life. He entered the c-language world, with the 1000 rupees given to him by his father as a Pongal gift. He was beaten by his father for this. He went through several hardships in his life. He was caught in the clutches of poverty and has suffered the pain of hunger many a times in his life, has toiled in the fields shedding sweat and strain. He had worked for a meagre income of 700 rupees per month, doing  a data entry job, in a rented building. He then became the proprietor of the computer institute  where he learnt to teach computer. After that he moved to Hyderabad, where he learnt to make and sell computers. Through his hardwork and dedication, he found a place in the Microsoft company, located close to his residence. He was not deterred there, but kept on moving ahead exploring new trails towards success and hurling high out his victorious banner. With his strenuous and untiring work in the industry, he became a great work man. Thus he earned his place and a name of success in that field. Today, through his multifarious enterprises , he makes a mass of money, but not yet stopped his dreaming and striving of extending  his territories. He further flourishes with innovative explorations, beneficial not only for hundreds or thousands or lakhs but for crores of people, with his unique ideals and impeccable actions. In the midst of many challenges and competitions, he has attained his current stature and has become an inspiration to many as an icon of  confidence, grit and courage.




The hardships he has undergone have chiselled him into an honourable personification of victory, whose sprout shot out from a village, Janarthanpuram. This village was the birth place of Sri.Saripalli Koti Reddy. His father was a farming labour and his mother a homemaker. Later his mother also started working in the fields to meet with the needs of the  family, though his father owned about 20 acres land and also they worked in their field. Koti Reddy was the third child with two elder sisters living with his family in a simple thatch- roofed house.They lived in this one roomed house, his parents, grandparents, two elder sisters and Koti Reddy. There was only afirewood stove at the backyard of their house. During rains, they had to prepare food inside the house. There was no electricity, so Reddy had to do his homework and learn under the street light.


Even from his childhood he had a great interest to read and write. He studied in a government school. He was very active and always was first in his class. His mother always said that her son would become a great person one day. His mother’s words had an impact on him and made him to study well and become an inspiration to others.




He has a great passion to read books. Not only his school books, but also books out of his syllabus attracted him. The books from the government library in the village were not able to fulfil his yearge of reading and so his interest for booksmade him to go 7 kilometre away from his village and read the books from the treasury office library. He peddled to go this 7 Kilometre. In his young age, he began to read lot of books. He finished the biography of many great people in his high school itself. In his childhood, he was inspired by the life of two great personalities, the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh PrakashmBanduku and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates. Even during several hardships, he continued to fight against them bravely. In due course of time, the PrakashmBandulu, became the first lawyer of the state and again he took part in freedom struggle and became the first chief minister of the free state. When Bandulu died, he had only two pairs of dresses and scandles. The simplicity, ideal and bravity of Banduluinspired the mind of Redi deeply.Bill Gates, even after being droped out from his college, he became a rich person by Microsoft, which inspired Redi in his childhood itself. The success and popularity of Microsoft, Bill Gates inspired Redi to be an ideal person.




It is interesting to know that Redi had a great desire to read the literature books.His favourite books were Chandramama and ballmithra. He gave importance to the famous writers in telugu, Gurujadaabavrov and challam. Challam was a literature, who wrote many stories and novels on the basis of humanity. Even though he was a man, he supported woman’s articles like Kalji. His works are for elderly people, that is, the relationship between men and women on various social and emotional basis. Many people who read his books are youngresters. Many women too read his books in secrete. But, Koti Redi, began to read and understand Challam’s book even in his high school studies.




One day the librarian saw that Koti Redi was reading the novels of chaallam. He was extremily surprised. He wondered to see a 13 or 14 year old school boy was reading the novals of challam.He advised him that those novals are for elders and not for students. But, Koti was determined to read all the novals of challam. 


Koti Redi had a great desire in reading religious and cultural books from his childhood. He said, I never saw my grandmother work in the house. I remembered that she was reading only slogans and meditating Geethaupatheshi. Because of advices of Geetha book, he began to read the Geethaupathesh right from his childhood. As he was too young to understand the entire meaning and basics of the book, not only this, BagavathGeetha give solutions to problems of life. He considered this book as a Guru in his life.


Even in his childhood, he learnt the basic rules for the art of winning in the industries. Some incidence were like this, by which, he had many benefits which was enough for his industrial developments.


Once in his school days, his uncle showed him some packet greeting cards. He liked those cards and took them to school with him. Same time, one of his school mate had another greeting card and showed him. Koti showed his greeting card to him, that boy liked his card and asked its price. Koti lied to the boy. He said the cost of the card was 25pisay were the actual cost of the greeting card is 10pisay. His friend bought the cards for 25paisay. He made his first earning and profit in business at that stage of life. He started a greeting cards sales business in school. School students liked the colour full greeting cards and felt they were entirely new to them. Many students became crazy to buy these greeting cards. The students did not know from where these cards come and its original price. Redi started to think about the usage of these cards. Now, Redi began to buy these cards and sell the cards to the students with a double profit from it actual cost. Since the students were so crazy for the cards, within 15 to 20 min, all the cards that Koti bought will be sold out. Koti was so happy with his business and its profits. But this happiness didn’t last long. One day a girl came to know the actual cost of the card and then she complied it to the Headmaster. Master Pataiya liked Koti Redi very much, but when he came to know Koti doing such a business in school and making money, he became so angry with him. Master used some bitter words to scold him and also beat him.


He said that at that time I learnt a new lesson in business. We should not do business for small benefits and also do business that brings shame to us. Before master beat me, I lived like a king. Many teachers liked me and I was first in my class. I had great respect, but after this incident I felt so shame for it. I felt so sorry for my action.




By performing excellently in his 10 exam, hewon back all the hearts of his teachers. In his taluk level, he came first. The most interesting thing happened at that time was, Koti got distinction in his level even when the overall pass percentage at that level was very low. He bought fame to his school by ranking first in this taluk level and also gave lot of joy to his family.


Koti Reddy had to face many troubles in his childhood. He suffered in the hands of poverty. Once it happened that he had to sleep without food. His family depend on the field for food. Even though the harvest was good, the profit was low. Since the yield was less, the earning was also less. Once the loss was so heavy, his father became a debtor. The debt became a burden to the family.


Due to continuous rain, the Krishna river was flooded. The flood crossed the banks and entered into the fields. By the heavy rain, the water flooded Koti fathers field and there was 8 to 10 feet height of water stagnated in the field. So, all the crops were spoiled and got a debt of 2 lakhs which is a huge amount at that time. Redi’sfathers health was so affected because of the heavy debt and worries. His hand and legs were paralised. He felt that there were more fluid in his body.  His heath condition became so poor that he was not able to walk. He felt that soon he will die. One day, Koti Redi was called by his father and his father gave him a list of people to whom he has to pay debt. By seeing his helpless condition, all family members were worried. The family relayed on him.


Koti took his father to many places for treatment. Many doctors adviced his father but he did not listern to them. In the meantime, Reddy came to know the famous doctor of the dristrict, Dr.Senivasa Reddy. He took his father to this doctor’s house for treatment. Seeing the condition of his father, the doctor said, nothing to worry. Doctor told to his family that his father has thyroid disease. He could be cured by medicines. The doctor sent back Koti’s father with a prescription of medicine. The medicines cured his father and he was all right again.


Koti Reddy says, “My father was very brave. His methods were always beneficial. He was not affected much by the loss due to flood but he was affected by such kind of disease. I had lesson, in the treatment for his disease. Above all, what is the real problem is, we try to find solution without understanding the problem. Before finding solution to a problem, it is necessary to understand the problem. If we would have not understood the reason of our fathers ill heath, we would have not been able to treat it. As we took him to a right doctor, we came to know what is the problem and so we got early solution to that problem.




He proved it that whatever he learnt in his childhood helped him to travel faster in the path of progress. He experienced many kinds of difficulties even in his childhood. Even today he could remember when he was beaten by a snake while he was guarding his field.


At that time, the field was ready for harvest. Only the harvesting process was left to be done. While the nearby fields had done that too. Koti Reddy and his father guard the fields. One night, his father gave the responsibility to look after the field to Koti and went to home. Koti’s father was so tired that he wanted to take rest in the house. After his father left to home, he all alone took care of the field. He was moving here and there in the field. From somewhere, the noise of flood water rushing was heard. By this noise, he realised that soon their field is under the danger of flooding. He heard the noise of rushing water. His doubt was right. There was a crack in the nearby pond. Its water was rushing very fastly. He realised that if he go to call his father, in the meantime, their field will be get flooded and the harvest will get spoiled. He succeeded in this idea. Now, the water channel did not come to their field. After that too, he was waiting there with a thought that the water might change its channel towards their field. He was standing there for a while. At that time, he heard a noise near his feet. He felt something was approaching him from his feet. Suddenly he shucks his legs and all of a sudden, a snake bit him on his feet.


He was shocked to see the snake bite. He was afraid that he might die because of the snake poison. He looked around to seek help. No one was around, only empty fields were seen. Now, it was close that he will not survive. At that time, he remembered a lesson that he learnt in his 8th standard. The lesson is how to do first aid for snake bite. As per the lesson, he took a towel from his pant and tied around the place of snake bite tightly. Then he started to move from that place. He analysed that it will take an hour to reach home and in the meantime, the poison will take his life. For this reason, he thought to treat him in a good place in a short reach. The chance to get treatment is possible only if we reach in time. He saw a neem tree on the way. He took some neem leaves and started to chew. He had heard that after snake bite, if we eat the leaves of neem, the intensity of snake poison will be reduced. While he was chewing the neem leaves, he felt that the poison of the snake will not affect him. Now, he started to walk faster and then, saw some people from village. He narrated everything to them. The villagers took him to the nearby hospital and he was treated. After two hours of treatment, the doctors came to a conclusion, the snake that bite Koti is not a poisonous snake and so there was no poison in his body. On hearing this, Koti felt alive. The villagers took him to his house and informed his father about what happened to him. His father realised that it was not a good action to leave his son alone. That became a threat to his life.


After remembering this incident, he told, I became very excited and had lost all my hope, I realised that I will not survive, but I survived. This incident thought me many lessons. Then I realised, every man is travelling with his death date in his hands. Life is the journey between birth and death. Everyone should live their life to the fullest.My opinion for life in its fullest is trying continuously to achieve ones dreams. Where trials stop, there death come. When the snake bit me, I was afraid that I may die, but the eager to live made me move in a right path. I did not accept my defeat and sit in the fields, instead my desire to live a good life made me fight and work to achieve the success of my dreams.



While he was learning the computer, certain incidents and many accidents gave him lessons which brought tremendous changes in his life. When computer was introduced to him, he felt very amazed and excited. The month of January is an important month to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh. When the farmers bring the harvest to home, they celebrate Pongal festival with lot of joy. In that month of January, his father had a good yield and profit from the field. His father was so excited and happy with the profit. So, his father gave Koti.Rs.1000 as a gift and told him to buy new dresses for the Pongal festival. This was the first time for him to receive money from his father to buy dresses. Before that, his parents buy him dress materials. He went to the nearby town with the money in his hands to buy dresses. So far, he bought dress materials only, now he had a dream to buy a readymade dress. For the first time, he was going for shopping on his own. His heart was filled with joy. He went to that town with his close friend. But he did not buy new dresses for the festival in that town, Gudivada. He saw a computer institute in that town. The institute had made an offer for new students in connection to the festival. The offer was that the fee for the course of 45 days has been reduced to Rs.1000. When he noticed this offer board, he decided to learn and understand the computer technology. During those days, there were demand for people who have the computer knowledge. After that he set Bill Gates as his role model and decided to achieve his dreams through computer. Instead of buying new dresses for the festival, he registered himself in the institute with that money. He returned to his village with the recite in hand. His parents were shocked to see him coming back with empty hands. His parents enquired that why he did not buy any new dresses for him. Koti’s father became angry on hearing that he spent all the money on a computer institute. Before Koti finishes his explanation, his father started to beat him with a broom stick. Koti’s mother rescued him but his father was still angry with him. His angry father left home for a while. When he returned he said that he gathered information about the computer from the educated people of that place. He said that the computer is for rich people and people from the poor background cannot learn or make use of it.



But Koti convinced his father by telling that the future is in the hands of computer and so he wanted to learn it in the 45 days course, because he had paid for it. His father realised that his son won’t listern to him. He will do his course.


Reddy started going to the institute. While he started to go to the institution, he felt that his life started to proceed in the path of progress. His was so anxious to learn computer, which is seen that he will go to the institute before it opens and he will wait at its door steps. Each day he peddled to go to the institute. Many times he will reach so early before they start.He said that going early give me chance to spend more time with the computer. The students will be given only one or two hours in the computer lab.


Koti Reddy understood that only the computer can lift him to a high position. For this reason, he sit in front of the computer whenever he gets time. The interesting thing is that he learnt the language of computer within very short span of time. He begin to help the people in the institution shortly, after he joined the institution. His computer knowledge and skills developed him and made him stronger. Within a short time, he mastered the C- language.


During this time, he got a data entry job in a departmental store. The reason he got the job is he know the computer and he was also in need of money. Koti accepted the job without any delay. This was the first job to him. His first salary is Rs.700 per month and he felt so happy. But his heart wandered around the computer. He used to go to the institute before going to his data entry job daily. After the data entry job over, he continued to go to the institute. Koti Reddy focused completely on the institute and this was noticed by the owner of the institute. The owner, Mr.SuriyaPrakesh recommended to Mr.Annil, the institute teacher to give job to Koti as a faculty in the institute. Koti Reddy soon became a professor in the institute and started to teach for new students. Then he got a pay of Rs.1150 per month after he became the professor.




As a computer professor, he became famous in that place. There was a good reason behind his fame. It is that he thought the computer technology to the young students from the villages in their native Telugu language. Since, they were thought in their native mother language, the students begin to learn, understand and use the computer very shortly. Those days, a famous computer institute named RECASAS Computer Institute offered Koti Reddy a new job with a better pay. He accepted the offer because he got a pay of Rs.7000 per month. His family were not able to believe that he was getting such a pay. His father can make only Rs.2000 to 3000 by working day and night in the field, but he was making a very high amount of money in a month. 


Mr. Koti Reddy’s mother told that he will become a great person in future. His mother’s words came true. He got the opportunity to teach the students in famous institutes NIIT. In the meantime, he came to know that the institute where he studied computer was about to close. That institute was run by two ladies, Rajitha and Sukasini. When he got the news, he went to the institute to know the reason to close the institute from the ladies. Rajitha, while explaining the reason behind, she started to cry. Reddy on seeing this, his heart melted. The reason is, as many institute were started nearby, the students strength gradually reduced and so the income for the institute also reduced. Koti on hearing this, came up with a new idea in his mind. He asked her to give the institute to him. He believed in his ability and intelligence and so he thought, he can lift the institute from in this fall. Rajitha accepted to sell the institute to Koti Reddy. But Reddy had to pay for the institute which was a challenge to him. He contacted his two close friends for help. One among the two friends, Mr. Muni Babu, came forward to help. Koti Reddy and Muni Babu made an agreement to buy the institute. As per the agreement, Muni Babu gave an amount of Rs.25,000 to buy the institute and Koti Reddy had to work in the institute to develop it. After few days of the agreement, the institute became a belonging of Koti Reddy and Muni Babu. This was an very important incident in his life, that, now he was an owner of the institute where once he was a student. As soon as, he became the proparator of the institute, he posted an advertisement overnight, that the institution fees had been reduced. On seeing the advertisement posters, many students joined the institute. The institute started to run well again and so, both made a good profit every month from the institute. On seeing the popularity of his institute, he started to dream to go to Hyderabad and do more achievements in the field of computer technology. He realised that, staying in this village, will not help him to achieve his dreams.


When he told that he wanted to go to Hyderabad, his parents did not accept it. But they had to let him go because he was so strong in his decision. He rested all the responsibility to his friend and partner Muni Raju and left to Hyderabad. He doesn’t have much knowledge about Hyderabad. He believed that Hyderabad is a city for innovative technologies. He felt that it is the right place to achieve his dreams. In Hyderabad, Koti’s elder sister was living with her husband and also his uncle was working in a metal fabrication company. Reddy stayed in his sister’s house.


In the beginning, he didn’t had any clear idea of where to get job. His nephew on seeing his conditions, got him a computer repair job. After that, he saved money and started to make and sale computers. Very soon he realised that, this kind of investments won’t make huge profits. He understood that hardware alone won’t help, so he combined with software. His ability to work on both hardware and software helped him. He searched for a new job and got a part time job for teaching c-language in IMPACT Computers. In the meantime, he worked for some companies too. After that, he had a chance to work in JETIIT computers. Koti inspired the owner of the JETIIT computers company by his intelligence. Then, he worked for Singularity and Exocist. In all places, he imprinted himself with his computer knowledge and his excellences. He also worked for Infosys in Dotnet platform and served for CS software inter project too.



In the meantime, Koti Reddy became a young JCB of India in JAVA certified professionalist. In the age of 17 itself, Koti Reddy conquered the right path for his life. Koti Reddy says, “ In 1999, all were worried about Y2K. At that time, the people with excellence in c-language is less and also the demand for Java was more. I thought Java too.”


A turning point in his life came. He became the CTO of a multinational company and for that he made himself ready to go for the job. At that time, he had a call from the Microsoft Company. So, he refused the CTO post in the MNC and started to prepare for the interview in Microsoft Company. Koti Reddy says, “I consider Bill Gates as my God and Microsoft Company as my temple”. For this reason, he ignored jobs with very high pay and choose Microsoft Company.


Koti Reddy was called for the interview in Hyderabad Microsoft office at morning 9 am. Due to lot of excitement and restlessness, he went to the office at morning 7am itself. But he was not allowed to enter into the office till 9am. After the interview sections started only he entered into the office. When he came, the screening section was going on and the interview is packed with a set of 12 different rounds. The interview was going from morning till evening. In every round, he proved his excellence. The HR team decided to offer him the job, so they asked for the educational qualification certificates from him. As he had completed only 10 standard, he provided that alone. But the HR team asked for his degree certificates. Then Koti Reddy explained that he had only 10 Certificate and had not done any degree. On hearing this, the HR team was astonished, because Koti Reddy’s performance was so high and impressive compared to the candidates with B.Tech, M.Tech and other high degree. There is a rule in Microsoft company that candidates with degree only can get job but due to Koti Reddy’s excellence, the HR team felt that, he is so talented that he could not be ignored for not having a degree. By getting the advice from the leading executers of the Microsoft company, they decided not to lose him and treat him as a special case and gave job to him. By this, he made a new history that the only Indian who worked in Microsoft without a mere degree.



He earned a good reputation while he worked in Microsoft. He gave priorities to implement big-big plans of Microsoft. Even now, the mobile applications (app) designed by him are worth appreciation. When he achieved the dream of working in his dream company, Microsoft, he decided to go for his next dream. Koti Reddy says, “I want to become a man of works. Now I dream to create my own identity like Bill Gates, Tata and Steve Jobs. So, I leave the job in Microsoft in order to accomplish my next dream”. He had a good salary, fine job, a great fame, a luxurious life but he wanted to live on his foot as a big industrialist. For this reason, he returned to India.


When he returned to India, he established a company named “Bharat Innovation Lives”. This company is to satisfy various software and hardware needs of different companies all around the world. Then he started a social media named India Herald. Through his social service sector, he helps the people in need and the poor people. These group of sectors are called as “ Koti Group of Ventures”. After all this, he perceived B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree through distant education.
Koti Reddy, who is from a rural village in Andhra Pradesh and studied only till 10 standard in a government school proved that degree is not the only way to success. Degree is just a way to get a job but it will not give guarantee for success.




Koti Reddy is now a very successful young entrepreneur and through his industries, he makes lot of money, yet he has not stopped dreaming. Still he wanted to expand his territories. He wants to change the life of hundreds and thousands of people. He always wants to make new and innovative changes in society. He took the responsibility to take care of the students’ entire needs in the government school where he studied still now. And also in many forms, he isrendering his service to the society.

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