South media magnate Ramoji Rao dies at 87

Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, the head of the Telugu news and entertainment network ETV and founder of Ramoji Film City, died on June 8 due to age-related ailments.

According to ETV Telangana, one of the Ramoji Group channels, Rao was undergoing treatment for the past few days in Hyderabad.

The 87-year-old was a Padma Vibhushan awardee, who is widely recognized for being the founder of the Ramoji Group, which owns the renowned production facility Ramoji Film City in Telangana’s capital city. 

Rao is survived by his wife Rama Devi and son Ch Kiran, who is heading the Eenadu group of publications and ETV channels. In 2012, his younger son died of leukemia.

Born on November 16, 1936, Rao launched Eenadu, a leading Telugu language daily newspaper in 1974. He has also produced 50 films and telefilms as a producer.

Many leaders have expressed condolences on his death, including PM-designate Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 

“My heartfelt condolences on the passing of Padma Vibhushan, Shri Ramoji Rao Garu, a pioneering figure in the Indian media industry. His contributions to journalism, cinema, and entertainment have left a lasting impact and transformed the media landscape,” said Rahul Gandhi.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also paid tribute to him, saying “Rao added credibility to Telugu journalism and to the Telugu industrial sector."