Bashyam Ramakrishna Recalls Journey From Teacher to Rajya Sabha Candidate
Prominent educationist and founder of the Bashyam Group of Educational Institutions, Bashyam Ramakrishna, is set to make his political debut after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) nominated him as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha.
Responding to the nomination, Bashyam Ramakrishna expressed gratitude to TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the party’s National Working President Nara Lokesh for reposing faith in him and extending what he described as a rare opportunity. In a statement, he said the trust and respect shown towards him had also increased his sense of responsibility.
Reflecting on his journey, Bashyam Ramakrishna said he was born into a modest farming family and was able to pursue higher education because of the sacrifices and support of his mother. He stated that he began his professional career as a mathematics teacher in a private school before establishing the Bashyam Educational Institutions in 1993. What started as a small initiative dedicated to quality education and discipline has since evolved into a large educational network that serves lakhs of students across three states, he said.
Speaking about his entry into public life, Bashyam Ramakrishna said he had admired former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao since childhood and regarded him as a symbol of Telugu self-respect. He further stated that N. Chandrababu Naidu had recognized his contributions to the education sector and had encouraged him on multiple occasions—in 2014, 2019 and 2024—to participate in public service. Bashyam Ramakrishna said he remained ready to serve under the guidance of the party leadership.
He also pledged to work through the Rajya Sabha for the development of Andhra Pradesh, the advancement of education, the empowerment of youth and the welfare of society. Bashyam Ramakrishna said he would remain indebted to the people, his family members, colleagues and the Telugu Desam Party for their support throughout his journey. He added that he would dedicate his full efforts to living up to the confidence placed in him by the party leadership.
Born in Enikapadu village of Palnadu district, Bashyam Ramakrishna has built a distinguished reputation in both education and philanthropy. He currently serves as Chairman of the Bashyam Group of Educational Institutions, which operates across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
According to the statement, the institution currently runs 163 branches and caters to approximately 160,000 students. Bashyam Ramakrishna has received several recognitions for his contributions to education, including a Guinness World Record, the Andhra Pradesh State Best School Award, and the TV5 Leadership Award.
In addition to his educational initiatives, Bashyam Ramakrishna established a charitable trust in 2009 in memory of his mother, Bashyam Peramma, through which various social welfare programmes are undertaken. The trust conducts free medical camps and blood donation drives annually and has made several contributions to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Annadanam programme. These include a donation of ₹1 crore in 2017 and a commitment of ₹1.32 crore for the 2025–26 financial year.
Bashyam Ramakrishna has also contributed to disaster relief efforts on several occasions. According to the statement, he donated ₹5.25 crore towards flood relief in the Telugu states in 2024, more than ₹2 crore for the Kerala floods in 2018, ₹1 crore for Hudhud cyclone relief and ₹1 crore for flood relief in Kurnool. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he contributed ₹50 lakh to the relief funds of the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu states.
The statement further said that Bashyam Ramakrishna supports meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds through scholarships worth more than ₹2 crore every year.