a rags to riches story

Babu Rao gives back to society

When asked how much does he spend for all the services, Babu Rao becomes very hesitant about it. “Manava Seva Ne Madava Seva (service to man is service to God)”, says Rao adding, since it’s a service to God I do not calculate how much I spend for it

Sudheer Goutham

Adversity brings out the best in people and who knows it better than Babu Rao, owner of Niloufer Café at Red Hills in Lakdi-Ka-Pul. Today he may be a successful businessman but the trials and tribulations in life have made him a better human being.
The turning point in his life came when he was just a 16-year-old boy studying in class 10th. Native of Laggam village in Adilabad district and hailing from a poor family, Rao used to study in the government school of Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Though the education was free, the students still needed to buy their own books.

“I went to my father to ask money for purchasing books. But he did not have money with him. The next day he somehow arranged Rs 100 and sent me back to the hostel. Later, I came to know that my father had sold the holy cow of our house for Rs 120. The cow was very dear to my whole family. Despite that my father sold it away for my studies,” recalled the 69-year-old Babu Rao, with deep grief.

Rao was infuriated with his father for selling the cow and left for Hyderabad. That incident made him realise how poverty pushes people to give away something so dear to them, like the holy cow, only to fulfill their basic needs. Clueless about what to do next Rao, reached the city of pearls, determined to be triumphant.

This crucial experience changed him into an ambitious but charitable person. He owns the café where he once started working as a cleaner 40 years ago. Out of his earnings, he provides free food (three times) to over 350-400 people (including patients and attendants) in the government MNJ cancer hospital situated close to his hotel.

Niloufer Café is very famous for its special Irani Chai and bakery items in the city. The hotel which once used to sell around 400 cups of tea, after Babu Rao took over it, reached a stage of selling at least 20,000 cups of tea a day. And the Osmania biscuit sold in the hotel is favorite of many. The specialty of the hotel is at any given times one can get freshly prepared biscuits that are made less than an hour before.

Rao has attained expertise in the preparation of the above said hotel items that the new comers in the field of Irani café’s ( dominant by businessmen from Muslim community) come by to seek suggestions in the business. As for his welfare services, Rao donates groceries and food materials to the patients and their attendants at the cancer hospital who come for radio and chemo therapy. Also, he had arranged cooking facility by providing gas and stoves so that the attendants can prepare food.

When asked how much does he spend for all the services, Babu Rao becomes very hesitant about it. “Manava Seva Ne Madava Seva (service to man is service to God)”, says Rao adding, since it’s a service to God I do not calculate how much I spend for it. However, on a rough idea he spends around Rs.75,000 every month. Rao believes that the reason for his business to prosper is his services to poor.

“If anyone wants to come forward and offer food donations at cancer hospital can do so. To contributing for one time breakfast (including idli or Upma), they can give Rs. 3,200-4,000 for 400 and 500 members respectively. Not just this, he also helps family members of cancer patients who die while undergoing treatment. Most of the patients to MN J Cancer hospital come from the villages across the state. But, many cannot even afford to take body of patients back to their native place.

Babu Rao arranges transport facility in such case. For this particular service, he constructed a Hanuman temple near the hospital and the donations in the temple is contributed for this service.