At a time when Indian industrialists are finding it difficult to acquire land without running into trouble with farmers, greens and politicians, among others, the world’s largest landbank holder, by his own admission, is SRK: Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi.
The 43-year-old, known to his classmates at the Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Mysore as “Creema” (because of his love for cream biscuits), now owns 3,000 square kilometres of land in Ethiopia. And at 550 million roses per year, he may now be the world’s largest grower of cut roses.
How big is 3,000 sq km? Eight times the size of Bombay: 740,000 acres.
Creema‘s company, Karuturi Global, is listed by the United Nations conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) as one of the 25 top transnational agri-business corporations. After cut roses, his company has branched into sugarcane, coffee, maize, palm, and other staples, and is all set to enter Uganda and Congo.
According to Forbes, Karuturi Global’s revenue has soared from $1.2 million for the year ended March 2004 to $100 million for fiscal 2008. Profits have jumped from $160,000 to $25.4 million over the same period.
Creema‘s amazing story adorns the launch edition of The Times of India‘s Crest edition in Bombay and Delhi today. Asha Rai reports that Creema was thrown out of six schools before he landed up in at the Ramakrishna Vidyashala, and Creema pays rich tributes to Swami Sureshananda (and his parents) for not giving up on him.
Ramakrishna moved his wife Anita and their three daughters to Addis Ababa six months ago. Not an “outgoing kind of person”, Creema is quoted as saying he’s always home by 7 pm to spend time with his three girls aged 14, 12 and 3. He used to enjoy walking around his farms with his wife Anitha but now has to drive “as they are too big to walk.”
Photograph: courtesy Karuturi Global
Also read: Once upon a time in Ramakrishna Vidyashala
Anil Kumble at the Ramakrishna Vidyashala
Tags: Anil Kumble, Churumuri, Forbes, Karuturi Global, Ramakrishna Karuturi, Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi, Sans Serif, SRK, Swami Sureshananda, The Crest Edition, The Times of India, UNCTAD
26 September 2009 at 8:01 pm
Wow!
26 September 2009 at 8:20 pm
The profits are great, but the real story may be in Mr. Karuturi’s providing sustainable employment to thousands of Ethiopian families. His productive farms help reduce strife and crime and hunger, and lend meaning to the lives of those who may have fallen on lean times.
Mr. Karuturi’s company also runs annadana programs, gives away blankets, collaborates in municipal programs, and otherwise engages positively in the local community, in both Ethiopia and in Kenya. He reminds me of old Tata Steel — “he also grows roses.”
As the gentle Dada Vaswani observed in a beautiful talk in Atlanta in 2007, few people had noticed Bill Gates until Mr. Gates began to give away his wealth through a slew of philanthropic activities. It seems that Mr. Karuturi, similarly, is making waves less for his own profit than for the positive social change he is catalyzing.
And for that reason, Mr. Karuturi has done proud to his alma mater and to Swami Vivekananda’s legacy. “You are an inspiration, sir.”
26 September 2009 at 10:20 pm
This is some news and someone whose childhood town was Mysore I am impressed.
But some questions:
Karuturi grows flowers, obviously for export Europe, and mainly I suppose to The Netherlands which is the biggest market for flowers.
Africa cannot feed itself today because the west persuaded and even constrained Africans grow non-food crops such as coffee and cocoa for the west’s consumption. This we know today as agriculture imperialism: not naked oppression but insidious exploitation. The result is that the one-time mankind’s bread basket is today beggared into a net importer of food.
The daily average kilocalories consumed by an Ethiopian is around 1,800 kcal, compared to the global average of 2,800. Just to place it in perspective, the sub-Saharan figure is about 2,200 kcal. Forty-seven percent of Ethiopian children are underweight, against the world average of 27%. Even the Sub-Saharan Africa has only 30% underweight children.
What is deal between Karuturi and the Ethiopian government which has given him three quarters of a million acres, I don’t know. But given the rampant corruption in African regimes, it cannot have been a clean deal.
I would have been thrilled if Karuturi instead had invested in growing corn, cassava, beans and other food crops because this is what Ethiopia needs urgently, desperately and critically. After all, while Ethiopia imports 5% of its food (extremely worrisome), worse, three fourths of that export is food aid (completely unsustainable). Karuturi would have been remembered by the Ethiopian families as a a modern-day Norman Borlaug.
But growing flowers when 47% children are underweight? And we flaunt these stories as achievements of fellow Indians, with orgasmic delight? When does the pornographic voyeurism of Indian media for the so-called Indian achievements stop, and start questioning how this wealth is attained, by means fair or questionable? I would have been proud of “Creema” if he had taken the cream and given at least some bread to the Ethiopians.
Unfortunately, for the whores who comprise the Indian media, all that matters is money and wealth. They drool unabashedly over Ambani’s gift of a plane to his wife, his building a super mansion is news, an obscenely expensive wedding in the Mittal family, an ageing liquor baron playboy buying an F1 team, as India rising and shining. If they could only look into the depths of the despairing eyes of the relatives of farmers who have committed suicide because their self-esteem was more important to them than being humiliated by a heartless bank officer!
But, the Indian media is not very questioning, because the media corps in India is semiliterate or even barely neo-literate. That is why they are after “scoops” that basically comprise government policy decisions passed on to them by friendly officers a day or two in advance of the scheduled announcement, in return for suppressing stories that may embarrass the government. This is the sum and substance of “breaking news”, which most of the times is no less embarrassing as someone breaking wind at a party.
Coming back to “Creema”. So we have to be proud this agriculture contractor? Perhaps, we have to be, given that we have so little to be proud of.
27 September 2009 at 5:56 pm
Sunaad!G8 to learn that strides(miles..) made by Creema.However,I thought your write up was too short.Would luv to have more from your racy pen!
28 September 2009 at 11:57 am
@Truth Matters
I totally agree with you on the irresponsible role the media plays. I also agree with the points you have brought forward regarding the imbalance between the needs and what’s actually there. However, from the business point of view needs cannot be fulfilled at the cost of money. Because how much ever we hate it, money is what keeps the world chugging forward. I would be very glad if this smart business man could return a small percentage of his profit to the poor in Ethiopia/India.
29 September 2009 at 6:32 am
Truth Matters,
So what silver bullet do you prescribe for exploitation which does not break any laws? It is the way of the world, and what is hard-wired into our genes – if you dont compete (and yes exploit your competition!) someone else will overtake you. There is no utopia.
And what you allege of Creema can be said of most people who have accomplished anything – look closely and it will be by climbing on the shoulders of others.
Africa is exploited, its food system was disrupted by outsiders etc. etc. – all fine. Thing is – if what Creema has done was legal, including his deal with the Ethiopian government and the way he treats his employees – what is the problem? Would Creema’s absence have fed the malnourished?
But… another good writeup – your rants about the media are illuminating.
Unrelated trivia: Cassava and corn are both new world crops not native to Africa. Both were likely introduced there by Europeans.
29 September 2009 at 12:34 pm
Aloknath and Anonymous G,
Good points guys. AG, critiquing anything is not invalid in the absence of an solution offered offhand. Constant and critical rethinking, reviewing and reasoning the way we view things, things we have accepted without questioning is the beginning to forging a silver bullet. Critical reasoning is the key. Making a business-driven, subjective media as our reference points is extremely dangerous. Media is owned by business. Suppose it was owned by Dawood Ibrahim or Chhota Rajan, would we not question its motives?
We assume wealth indicates progress and development. In that case, we should worship the Bellary Reddys. Generating wealth coupled with a more equitable distribution through taxes, greater oversight on business practices and sound regulation, and of course corporate social respnsibility is essential for sound, solid and lasting economic growth. Otherwise, we will keep seeing recurring economic crises, the biggest of which has just hit the world square in the nuts leaving it reeling and squealing.
Recently, two of the world’s most respected economists, Nobel laureates, no less, Joseph Stiglitz and our own Amartya Sen came out with a milestone report that criticised GDP as a “poor measure of development”. The western media, suffering from the guilt of overplaying wealth accumulation as a measure of development, is talking about this report. So too is American media, to a lesser extent.
But, did you read in the Indian media about this report that seeks to overturn about conventional economics? I did not. Is there a debate on this? The anchors and correspondents are programming and writing about the internecine conflict between the pilots and management 24/7 with the intensity of embedded war correspondents. How is that relevant to 99% of Indians?
I have no axe to grind about Karuturi, heck, I don’t even know about him. Having grown up in Mandi Mohalla in Mysore, I would say, “Yay! You go, Karuturi!” But I would also want to know about what Karuturi is doing in Ethiopia. We all know what Indians did in Southern and eastern Africa in the colonial days which has made us a despised race in that continent. In South Africa, blacks will trust a white man, rather than an Indian. So is the case in Kenya and Uganda. Only Bollywood movies have countered the contempt and hatred for the exploitative Indian traders and businessmen. In Nigeria and Francophone West Africa , it is Hindi movies that still burnish India’s image.
My post was cautionary, not carping. Altruism combined with enlightened self interest would help India’s interests in Africa, not focusing on just making money or exploiting Africa’s natural resources. If Creema is doing that, I would say, good for him and good for India. Because what businessmen like Karuturi in Africa will enhance or besmirch India’s reputation, and in long run Indian interests in that continent where we are competing with China for influence.
If Creema can do small things, such as instituting scholarships to send Ethiopian boys and girls to Indian agricultural universities so that they can return home and reinvigorate Ethiopian agriculture, manage and strengthen its food security; teach Ethiopian farmers agrotechniques to enhance production, soil and water management, drought proofing and such other sustainable agriculture methods, it would be wonderful.
Hope he is doing that, and not what the farmers from Andhra Pradesh do in Raichur, where they lease lands, do grotesque fly-by-night intensive farming making super profits while turning the land into unproductive ground zero.
29 September 2009 at 4:56 pm
huh who is lamenting?
people over profit? no way, isnt it?
29 September 2009 at 10:05 pm
Clash,
“People over profit?” No way? there must be a way! How easily the GenX despairs! How easily it tries to reject its responsibility of fighting for equity! India was exploited by the East Indian Company and that was first reason for us to fight the biggest imperialist power in the world. How fortunate are we that our ancestors were not pussies like we are! It is another matter that they must be squirming in their hallowed graves.
I am only worried about the gushing nature of the report about Karuturi Global. What is Ethiopia getting in return, that is the question. We do not want another United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) which through its exploitation of fruit farmers in the southern American hemiscphere has made the U.S. so hated in that region.
Just to place in perspective the possibilities and dangers of corporate farming in Africa, let me draw your attention to the coffee situation in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian farmer gets 24 cents a pound for the world famous Sidamo and Harrar coffee beans that he grows, while these strains sell for close to $30 in U.S. market. What justifies that markup? How would on earth can anybody explain that to the farmer in the highlands of Ethiopia?
So it brings us to our Shining India story again. What is the farmer who is growing the flowers in Creema’s lands getting in return? What does Creema get? What is the differential? If the differential is quite low, I say give a cigar to the man.
1 October 2009 at 9:12 am
Truth Matters.
You need not look to Africa to see who is spoiling your Mohalla’s name. My namesake from another part of Mysore has reduced India’s image worldwide already. Other day I heard that Infy was bidding for lawn mowing in Karturi’s company!!!
4 October 2009 at 4:10 pm
Dear Truth Matters,
I am impressed with your passion and knowledge of Ethiopia. Karuturi is growing food on 7,65,000 acres of land to reduce Africa’s dependence on imports. Africa imports 10 million tonnes of rice every year, I am in Ethiopia to reduce that importation of food. The Norman Borlaug institute at Texas A and M University visits us periodically to advise and assist. We are a certified fair trade company. If you visit our website http://www.karuturi.com you will see, we run the best hospital and school in our district. I recently received an award from Corporate Council on Africa, the award for the best Agri Business in Africa from Hillary Clinton. That was after giving a lecture at Columbia University. Assuming something fishy in every deal is the result of a sick mind. Charity begins at home: I have donated Rs. 10 lakhs to my alma mater SRKVS to fund the scholarships for poor students. Recently we built a Rs 60 lakh old peoples home and spent Rs. 20 lakhs to upgrade the school my father went to to a high school. Every year we donate 3% of our income to worthy charitable causes. When was the last time you did something good? You are so full of venom my friend that you refuse to see good in humanity.
I take particular offence to your rather disparaging remark about Andhra farmers in Raichur. I am part of that generation of Andhras who migrated to Karnataka 43 years ago to live in thatched huts and build the rice bowl of Karnataka. The Sona Masuri rice we relish, comes from these farmers. We are as much Kannadiga as anybody living in Karnataka is. How narrow minded and sectarian can you get. You talk of Africa and want to divide your own state and country!! Fly by night ag operations! We own the land we till. My own family tills over 1000 acres and quite a few family members are buried in Raichur Dist. To me Sindhanoor is home. Did you know that AP government part-funded the Thunga Bhadra Dam. Even after 10 years when no development took place the then CM of Karnataka invited enterprising farmers from AP to come to Karnataka. Like now we go all round the world wooing investors to come to India. Visit Sindhanoor, Siruguppa and Gangavathi to see the prosperity unleashed by these enterprising Andhras on the local eco system and do not forget they are Indians and not Andhras as you like to call them. The largest John Deere dealership in the world, the largest number of rice mills in the world, in Sindhanoor and Siruguppa respectively.
May I know apart from spewing venom what have you done to deserve your place in society?
RamaKrishna Karuturi (Creema)
7 October 2009 at 7:04 am
Mr. Karuturi,
If you get some time and have the inclination, you should write some articles for churumuri, based on your views and personal experiences (India, US, Ethiopia etc.). It would be interesting to hear from someone who is from India and has done well aboard in the field of agriculture (as opposed to trade/industry).
(I am assuming from the nature of the previous post that it was the real person and not a PR write-up).
26 October 2009 at 12:00 am
Dear Ram Karuturi,
Thank you for responding on this thread. Thank you even more for appreciating my concern for Ethiopia.
No offence meant. I am impressed that you grow food, not just flowers. You also have started a school and done many other good things. Now, that is impressive indeed. I am sure you are one of those enlightened corporate barons who try to give more than than you they get from any society, even societies where they have ventured into.
But listening to BBC three days ago, I was shocked by Mike Wooldridge reporting on the impending agricultural crisis. He said a famine is facing Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government asking food aid for 6.2 million people. UNFP says $285 milion will be needed to just feed the hungry population.
Now, you did not mention a famine in Ethiopia, or did you? With you around, why is the Ethiopian Government asking for food aid? I am just a bit perplexed. Kindly explain, if you have the time. From what I understand, the Ethiopians, unless the world helps them, will be pushing daisies, rather than growing roses for you.
Now coming to the bit about Raichur. When did you visit Raichur last? Have you travelled from Raichur to Sindhanur by road or by helicopter? Did you see on either side the vast patches of white sstuff on the black soil? You know what that is, Ram? That is alkaline deposits that rise from the bowels of the earth, when farmers without conscience rape mother earth to produce three and even four crops a year, by using chemical fertilisers and toxic pesticides. Did you see even a single tree, Ram? I bet you did not, because you cannot. There is nary a tree there, because farmers hate trees taking the space for crops, shading that little patch where some more rice could be grown. All these farmers I refer to could be the homegrown, Kannadiga farmer! To use your immortal words ‘- “prosperity unleashed by these enterprising Andhras on the local eco system…”
You are a bit confused here, aren’t you? On the one hand, you express your pride of being a kannadiga – “We are as much Kannadiga as anybody living in Karnataka is.” But what is that bit about the Andhra farmers being superior to Karnataka farmers? You imply that the Kannadiga farmer is not a bit as enterprising as his Andhra counterpart, and that Andhra farmers including your family came to Raichur like knights in shining armour to save Karnataka. Perhaps you are right. Now I am confused. If this is the case, why is that then Agriculture Minister H K Patil banned Andhra farmers from buying land in Raichur?
You quote factoids that sound awesome, but to me mean nothing. Your family owns 1000 acres in Sindhanur. The world’s largest dealership of John Deere is in Sindhanur and Siruguppa has the largest number of rice mills in the world. Whew! Who knew!
But let me give you some figures too. Raichur is just above Bidar in terms of poverty in Karnataka. Not my figures. Go look into the Karnataka Human Development Report 2005. Raichur has the highest poor population in Karnataka at 12.6 percent, pipping Kolar which come second at 11.9 percent. Not my figures. EPW’s.
How come your home taluk of Sindhanur so populated by AP farmers has lower literacy rates than even Lingsugur (if your literacy rates are lower than Lingsugur, you are in Sub-Saharan Zone, you know that?), to wit, Sindhanur 72.8 for men and 51.5 for women while Lingsugur has 77.0 for men and 53.7 for women (Again not my figures, the Karnataka Government’s! Go figure!)
Seasonal migration is 30%, up to 70% in case of a bad monsoon (figures by Samooha, an NGO which has worked in Raichur for 25 years).
Raichur and Koppal (now a separate district) together challenge some of the worst sub-Saharan African States in terms of human indicators.
All this, I suppose, despite the Andhra Pradesh farmers ( like your family) to civilise, improve the standard of life in Raichur? Say that loud, Ram Karuturi. If you say that loud enough for someone like Vatal Nagaraj or Narayana Gowda of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike to hear, it will cost you much grief if not dinero, my friend. You can’t no one warned you!
Why am I so angry with someone like you who does not deserve my attention, leave alone my anger?
Because in your rather rambling respone, you posed two questions, situating them at various points. One, “When was the last time you did something good?” Second, “May I know apart from spewing venom what have you done to deserve your place in society?”
Normally, I do not give this much of time to anybody, regardless of who it is. My time is precious to me. But your schoolboyish, “My daddy is stronger than yours” type of cheap challenge provoked me into writing this.
I am indeed nobody. I have not leased 750,000 acres of land, nor my family, or all my friends put together own 1,000 acres. So you are much superior than me, since you own so much of land.
Happy?
What I have done in my life to deserve my “place in society” you do not deserve to know. Unlike you, and like many others I not advertise what I do. You need to advertise, perhaps because of overweening pride, guilty pride, or God know what!
I have something in abundance. It is called knowledge. And I am quite arrogant about it with people like you, although not with fellow possessors of knowledge. I am basically a peaceful person, but people showing off their wealth bring out the worst in me. When you address a man of knowledge, try and be more respectful. Remember, knowledge brings humility and money brings arrogance. You are still young. And who knows? You could become a man of knowledge. Happened to me!
P.S. By the way, I nearly forgot. Have a surprise for you! Like you, I spent my childhood in Mysore. Like you, I was born in Andhra Pradesh and settled in Karnataka (home town, Anantapur). I am immensely delighted that the similarity ends there!
13 November 2009 at 9:49 am
Interesting duet. Make Mysore a SELF GOVERNING city. Both of you have the capability. I am sure there are many people like you around.
DO IT ANYWAY
People are often unreasonable,
illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa
1910-1997
16 December 2009 at 10:19 pm
Dear all
great discussion. Sindhanoor is totally spoiled. Andhra farmers have raped the earth to the spill. Karturi is right in saying that they have prospered, not those Talukas, neither the people who are living since ages. Apart from largest number of rice mills, Sindhanoor is also known for having largest number of pesticide shops, medical shops, tractor dealers and what not, and there is a glut of filthy money everywhere. Development? Oh, don’t talk yaar. Visit Sindhanoor, Gangavati and other areas on these. Paddy fields smell foul with intensive usage of pesticides. The towns themselves are stinky with the smell of these killing venoms. Who spews venom?
I dont know what made Ethiopia to sell a piece of it, but I certainly know, that these Andhrites, after migrating from the saturated, raped paddy fields of Godavari, have ruined the landscape for ever.
17 December 2009 at 2:56 pm
View this link to know the truth
http://www.oromoindex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=88761
5 January 2010 at 1:33 am
Truth Really matters
Thanks for focusing attention on the poison that some farmers sowing north Karnataka’s lands with. After some time, they will leave. The poison in the soil will remain with us forever. They will go to Ethiopia and poison those pristine high lands, ruing them forever.
Kodandarama Raghukula,
Thanks for providing the link. So, now what do we have to proud about? That one of us has gone, leased the land of the poor of Ethiopia for four decades and destroying them forever? Churumuri had the gumption to gloat about this?
15 January 2010 at 4:49 pm
Keep going feed the world
15 January 2010 at 9:26 pm
TM and RK, I loved loved loved your discussion.
14 February 2011 at 5:20 am
just now i watched it tv in sweden. i am also telugu. when karuturi speaks telugu i was excited in the starting but in the end of documentary i felt little bit ashamed because in the documentary it is showing that karuturi leased a land 300 000 hectares of land for agriculture. as a kamma i know how much hard work we do in agriculture. a mechanical engineer myself i worked very hard in the fields. luckly i got admission to study engineering freely in the government college and i left for studies. still i love agricultrue like karuturi is doing. but there is a problem in doing so. lot of media show it as a new type of colonialism. as far as i know ethiopean are very nice people.after seeing documentary i pissed of myself.
i personally request karuturi to do agriculture more passionally than making more profit out of it and reduce extravagance infront of poor ethiopeans and try to help local people . i hope he will become the TATA of ethiopia by diversifying his business areas.
i am proud if you become like another ramoji rao.
help local people. i want to see a documentary that you changed many lifes of locals.
16 February 2011 at 10:22 pm
he is great person from india
24 February 2011 at 4:19 pm
Karuturi is an andhra guy and full of caste fanatic.People of karnataka are fooled by guys like these.The chirumuri likes him because he belongs to the feudalistic kamma caste of Andhra as does people who maintain chirumuri belong to.These kamma people are major land grabbers in and around the world .These kamma fanatics have all the media channels under their control to cover up their mis deeds,like etc ,tv9 kannada channels are their to promote kamma caste business in karnataka.Most dangerous “mafia” has hit karnataka and Andhra.Kannada people beware of it?
24 February 2012 at 5:21 am
Truth Matters: If it really matterrs to you, please come out of your face shield and be bold in writing in your name. Why do you care for Ethiopia. Is it because some one who is known to you has become bigger than you by his bold experiments. I think, you can do good for Ethiopia and Africa in general in your way, if you unmask yourself, become an MLA or MP by standing in the election. Please look at the brighter side. Your brother is achieving something and be proud of him and do something to create a better world for him by not throwing venom just because you could not achieve what he has even at your retirement age. For heaven sake, please do not shed crocodile tears for peope of ethiopia. You will not be elected even in Indian politics by this.