Atlanta, GA, May 29, 2024: Atlanta-based engineer and philanthropist, Bala Reddy Indurti, has been awarded the prestigious Sankara Ratna Award for 2023. The award was presented at a ceremony held at Sankara Nethralaya’s main hospital in Chennai on May 25th, 2024. The event was graced by Chief Guest Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, and Guest of Honor, former Indian cricketer Mr. Ambati Rayudu.
Sankara Nethralaya, founded in 1978 by Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. S.S. Badrinath, has been dedicated to providing world-class eye care, particularly to the underprivileged, for the past 46 years. To support this mission, Sankara Nethralaya USA (SN USA) was established in 1988 by Mr. S.V. Acharya to raise funds from Non-Resident Indians in the USA.
Indurti, known for his active involvement in the Telugu community in the USA, joined SN USA as a Trustee in 2017. Leveraging his extensive experience with various organizations like TAMA (Telugu Association of Metro Atlanta) and NATA (North America Telugu Association), he significantly contributed to SN USA’s initiatives. In 2019, he became President of SN USA, under whose leadership the organization expanded from seven to 21 chapters across the USA.
Indurti played a crucial role in increasing the number of Mobile Eye Surgical Units (MESUs) from two to three, with the new unit based in Hyderabad. These units provide essential eye care services within a 500-kilometer radius. Plans are underway to add two more MESUs, each requiring substantial funding for both capital and operational expenses.
In his acceptance speech, Indurti highlighted the growth and respect SN USA has garnered under his leadership. “In the last six years after I became president, we changed the bylaws and took our footprint of Sankara Nethralaya in the U.S. from seven chapters to 21. There is great respect for Sankara Nethralaya in the U.S. because of Dr. Badrinath’s vision,” he said.
Prominent past recipients of the Sankara Ratna Award include Sri Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons, and Dr. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO.
Originally from Dindi Chintapally village in Nagar Kurnool District, Indurti is currently in India overseeing a 10-day MESU eye camp in his native village, which runs from May 20th to 29th, 2024. His family, including his brother Mr. Indurti Ganapathi Reddy, an R&B Engineer in Chief, and Mr. Narayana Reddy Indurthi, a Trustee from Houston, TX, are actively involved in these initiatives.
Sankara Nethralaya USA has received a top 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for its transparency and effective use of funds. For more information and to donate, please visit Sankara Nethralaya USA.
