Shri.K.V.Ramani popularly known as "KVR" amongst his close circles is a successful entrepreneur, mentor and more than that a staunch sai devotee and a great philanthropist par excellence. He is a household name amongst Shirdi Sai Baba Temples and Sai Devotees all over the world for his philanthropic nature.

Shri.K.V.Ramani hails from Chennai and is a software expert and a successful industrialist. But he prefers to describe himself as a Sai devotee.

Shri.K.V.Ramani was born and brought up in Chennai. His father Late Shri.Krishnamurthy Iyer was a renowned lawyer. He studied in P.S.High School and Vivekananda College, Madras University. He was a resident of Mylapore in Chennai and thus was drawn to Sai Baba Temple, Shri Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal Shiiva Temple, Ganesha and Anjaneya Swami Temples at Mylapore. His family deity being Lord Venkateshwara and Padmavathi he also frequently visits Tirupati.

Shri.K.V.Ramani graduated in Physics from University of Madras. He has attended several postgraduate programs in the areas of Software engineering, Communications technology and general management.

Shri.Ramani is principled, energetic, passionate and exemplifies the force that builds great technology companies.

Tall, bespectacled and exuding an aura of strength and geniality, Ramani stands head-and-shoulders above the crowd. An instinctive sense of humor and the ability to remember names and faces wins him the admiration of many a young heart.

A 'communicator' in every sense of the word, Ramani keeps his audience spellbound with the words he weaves-- an art which many an academic or politician would envy.

Soaking in the quiet of Nature -- long walks with family, a relaxed drive away from the madding crowd, classical music. are some of the ways with which he takes a break from the everyday routine.

Family ties mean a lot to Ramani. Being a part of a large family has reinforced his belief in forging ties that last long. This philosophy he also extends to his organization. His late mother, and wife Lakshmi have played and continue to play an inspiring, supportive and encouraging role in all his activities and achievements. Lakshmi and Ramani have a daughter - Sai Janani.

Personally he does not like any publicity, is pleasant to interact with and charitable in disposition.

Even though he used to visit Mylapore Sai Temple he did not worship Sai seriously. But the turning point in Shri.K.V.Ramani's life came in the year 1977. A relative of was seriously ill and was bedridden for nearly a week. The best doctors were consulted and all possible treatments were given but to no avail. Doctors finally gave up all hopes. The relative had to saved somehow from the jaws of death. But the family did not know what to do. It was at that time a lightning thought occured in the mind of Shri.Ramani to pray and seek refuge in Sai Baba. He immediately prayed to Sai Baba from the bottom of the heart and begged HIM to to cure his ailing relative. He also took a vow to Sai Baba that if the relative is cured he would visit a Sai Baba temple every thursday and offer his prayers. And lo! His prayer to Sai yielded result instantly and his relative got completely cured. Still more astonishing fact is that Shri.Ramani prayed to SAI at about 6 p.m. and within 2 hours at about 8 p.m. the relative was completely cured and was discharged from the hospital that day itself.

From that day onwards his devotion towards SAI increased manifold. Since that day, Shri.K.V.Ramani is visiting a Sai Baba Temple on every Thursday wihout fail and offering his prayers. When he is on travelling especially abroad and when he is not able to visit Sai Baba Temple on Thursdays due to unavoidable circumstances he will offer his prayers to SAI from whereever he is present. Shri Ramani says that before he was devoted to Sai Baba he was a very different person. But once SAI entered his life and he started worshipping SAI, he has become a distinctly different person altogether!

Shri.K.V.Ramani's father's younger brother Sri.Ramamurthy who stays at Secunderabad is an ardent sai devotee and performs Sai Pooja and Aartis on every Thursday at his residence.

Shri.K.V.Ramani started his career in software in the year 1970 with a training from IBM in Software and Systems Analysis and Design. From 1971 to 1985 he worked and built a career in software field, rising from Programmer to Manager level in private sector.

Later, Shri.K.V.Ramani floated his own company by the name Future Software (FutureSoft) in the year 1985 that specialized in telecommunication and networking software products and solutions. Later in the year 1990, his company partnered with minority interest with Hughes Sofware of USA and started "Hughes Software Systems" in telecommunications software in Delhi.

In the meanwhile in 1989, seven of the software industry person including Shri.K.V.Ramani felt the need for an organization to assist and work for the growth of software industry. Thus, he along with 6 others established NASSCOM which has today contributed to the emergence and growth of a technololgy industry from India. Thus, Shri.K.V.Ramani is one of the founder members of NASSCOM (India's National Association of Software and Service Companies) and he was the Chairman of NASSCOM during 1997-98. It was during his tenure as Chairman of NASSCOM that NASSCOM unveiled its new growth strategy to be fuelled by a product focus among software companies. At that time, his reputation, status and growth of his companies were all on the ascendancy. He sincerely believes that it was only because of Shirdi Sai Baba's Grace and Blessings that he was able to accomplish what all he has achieved during that period. He humbly says "As a Sadguru, Sai Baba first develops and makes a person ready for the next step and then takes him to the next higher step, and ensures your success!".

Shri.K.V.Ramani was the Charter president of the TiE (The indUS Entrepreneurs) - Chennai Chapter from January 2001 to March 2003. He has contributed significantly to promoting TiE's mission of encouraging and fostering entrepreneurship, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu. He is also actively involved with several charitable causes and welfare programs in the state.

Shri.K.V.Ramani has founded two trusts in Chennai namely: Shri Sai Trust and Shirdi Sai Trust which are charitable institutions to propogate the life and teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba. Shri Sai Trust was started in the year 1993 and Shirdi Sai Trust was started in the year 1996. He started these two trusts as Sai Baba has ordered him to help many people and fulfil his Karma and Dharma to the extent possible. Accordingly Shri.K.V.Ramani is uitilizing a specific portion of what Baga has given him as income, every month and is executing HIS orders through the Trusts. Earlier he used to operate the trust activities from his house itself on Saturdays and Sundays. But as the trust activites grew bigger it was not possible to operate from his residence and hence he shifted the Trust activities to Krishnankarnai with necessary staff to support him in executing spiritual activities. A big meditation hall was constructed and inaugurated in Krishnankarnai, Chennai on 3rd April 2003.

Since the inception of the Trust, he was contributing part of his monthly income to the Trusts. Since Sai has ordered him, he is not taking any donations from any other trusts to run these two trusts. In the year 2004, he sold his holdings in both the software companies for a good value. Since by the grace of Sai he had enough wealth to take care for the next three generations, he gave 80% of the profts that he got from his share of the companies to the Trust and kept only 20% to his family. Because of this huge influx of money to both the trusts, the trusts grew financially stronger.

Shirdi Sai Trust evaluates and assist public charitable trusts and societies who are constructing Sai temples in India. So far, the trust have made partial donations to about 450 Sai Baba Temples. For many Sai Baba Temples the trust have provided Sai Idols. The trust is also utilizing these Sai Baba Temples as the vehicle for extending service activities like Annadan, education and medical assistance for deserving people. At present, free lunch and dinner is being provided for about 10,000 people daily. The trust is providing educational and medical assistance to the people below poverty line. The trust is extending all these assistance through Sai Baba Temples, selected hospitals, selected educational institutions, old age homes and orphanages. Assistance of any kind is not given directly to any individuals. Instead assistance is provided only after the requests are properly evaluated and reviewed by the respective Sai Baba Temples, Educational and Medical Institutions and by Shirdi Sai Trust, Chennai. The assistance is provided based on merit and real need only.

He has magnanimously donated Rs.112 crores for the construction of "Sai Ashram" phase I and Phase II projects through Shirdi Sai Trust, Chennai. Shri Sai Baba Sansthan made availalbe the land required for the construction and also spent Rs.50 crores as its contribution for the external infrastructure and development works. Shri.K.V.Ramani personally supervised the construction project from day one till the completion of both the projects and handed them over to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) on the auspicious day of Vijayadashmi on 24th October 2012. The more astonishing fact is that, Shri.K.V.Ramani has not reserved any rooms for his trust and has completely handed over the administration, management, allotment of all the rooms, maintaenance etc to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) without setting any precondition!.

Sai Ashram-I has 1536 rooms of which 384 rooms are Air Conditioned and 1152 rooms are non Air Conditioned rooms. Around 9000 pilgrims can easily stay in Sai Ahsram-I. Sai Ashram-II has 192 Dormitory Halls and about 5000 pilgrims can stay in these dormitories.

That is how Sai Baba pulled this sparrow called Shri.K.V.Ramani and has taken complete care of him. HE has procted him, made him progress materially and spiritually for the last more than 36 years!

(Source: Shri Sai Leela Magazine November-December 2013 issue and http://kvramani.com/index.php)