In our journey we visited many faces with our poultry industry legends, and one among them is Sri. C. JAGAPATI RAO – Chairman, Srinivasa Farms
1. Please tell us something about your family background, your upbringing, and academic qualifications.
I am from an agricultural family hailing from a small village called Kulla, situated on the banks of river Godavari in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
I did my elementary schooling in my own village and my higher secondary schooling in Pamarru village, nearby (6th, 7th, and 8th class). I moved to Rajahmundry for studying 9th, 10th, and 11th class. I did my Intermediate in Biological Sciences in Kakinada and Graduation in Economics in Rajahmundry.
Further, I completed my Post-Graduation from Jadavpur University, Calcutta in International Relations (1958–60). Along with post-graduation, I also pursued a Law course.
I had applied for a Master’s Degree at Glasgow University, England and got admission, but I did not move to England. I joined a Ph.D. program in Delhi and studied for one year. I got married in 1961 and later discontinued my Ph.D. After that, I stayed back in my village, looking after agricultural operations.
2. When and where did you start your career? How and when did you enter into the poultry industry?
I came to know that the poultry business was growing in India in a big way. Keeping this in mind, I moved to Hyderabad in 1965. I took an existing poultry farm on lease to start with and, after some time, bought land in Uppal village to start my own poultry farms for selling commercial eggs.
With 10,000 Hy-Line birds, I continued to run the business till 1971.
3. How was your experience with Late Dr. B.V. Rao and your role and contribution to VHPL?
By 1971, I had developed a friendly relationship with Late Dr. B.V. Rao, who was then working with Arbor Acres. I used to meet him whenever he came to Hyderabad to sell chicks for his company. We discussed the poultry business in India frequently.
Meanwhile, he moved to Hyderabad and started an egg farm, Venkateshwara Poultry Farm, in Emzal Village near Hyderabad. After developing a good relationship, we started a business called Egg Bank, selling eggs and sending truckloads to Mumbai.
Whenever we met, we discussed starting a hatchery business. In 1971, Mr. William R. Todd, Mr. B.V. Rao’s ex-boss at Arbor Acres International, joined Bobcock, USA as Vice President. He wrote to Mr. B.V. Rao offering a Bobcock grandparent franchise for India, which we immediately accepted.
Initially, we planned to promote the company between the two of us, but later Mr. B.V. Rao decided to include two others: Mr. R.K. Soni and Mr. S.B. Thorat (an architect from Pune). Thus, a four-member group was formed – Mr. B.V. Rao, myself, Mr. Soni, and Mr. Thorat.
We went to Mumbai to meet the Chairman of Union Bank of India and requested financing. He agreed to our proposal to start hatcheries at Hyderabad and Pune.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rao’s poultry business was converted into a private limited company, named Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt. Ltd. (VHPL), with:
- Mr. R.K. Soni as Chairman,
- Mr. B.V. Rao as Managing Director,
- Myself as Whole-Time Director, and
- Mr. S.B. Thorat as Director.
We obtained an import license from the Government of India to import Bobcock grandparents. In January 1972, we imported 1,000 grandparents, 6,000 parents (to be housed in Pune), and 3,000 parents (to be housed in Hyderabad).
Mr. Rao moved back to Pune to oversee operations, while I managed Andhra Pradesh as Whole-Time Director. We started producing commercial chicks by the end of 1972. From then onwards, there was no looking back — our company’s success story began.
Later, Venkateshwara Hatcheries also imported Cobb-Vantress grandparents from the USA. In 1978, Mr. B.V. Rao offered me a sub-franchise of VHPL for eight coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh for Bobcock layers and Cobb broilers.
4. Were you confident of success with your initial investment in poultry farming/business?
Yes, I was very confident of succeeding in the poultry business when I initially took it up.
5. What are the milestones in your life/business?
A major milestone was going to Calcutta to pursue my Post-Graduation in International Relations at Jadavpur University. I initially planned to go abroad for an MBA but decided to stay back to help my family (1960–1965) and manage agricultural operations.
I was deeply interested in the economics of poultry farming and preferred it as a profession. This decision led me to Hyderabad in 1965, where I started commercial poultry farming and breeding — a turning point in my life.
6. Are you satisfied with your achievements? What are your activities now?
I am extremely satisfied with what I have achieved in the poultry business, which has brought me to this stage in life. Though I am not actively involved in business now, I continue to guide and encourage people to put in their best efforts for the company’s and the industry’s success.
7. Tell us a few sweet memories from your life and business.
As a student, I have many fond memories. Some of my college friends are still in touch. I was enthusiastic about discussing national affairs and often helped classmates who couldn’t pay their fees, which gave me great happiness.
I felt immense joy when my first daughter was born in 1965 and again when I started my own commercial poultry farm.
I have many fond memories with Late Dr. B.V. Rao. We traveled and met frequently, discussing poultry affairs in India. Many major company decisions were taken informally — over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I admired his boldness and his ability to connect with everyone.
I was delighted when Mr. Rao sent me to the USA for poultry technical training in 1974, making me the first person sent abroad for such training. Another proud moment was when he offered me a sub-franchise for 8 coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh in 1978.
I am very happy that my children and grandson have shown interest in poultry and are continuing the legacy.
8. Do you have any ambitions for your son and other children? Do you guide them in business?
I wish to see my son, grandson, and daughters excel in their businesses and become tremendously successful, contributing to the nation by providing affordable nutrition to the people of India.
9. What is your daily routine now, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Every day, I wake up between 4 and 5 AM, start my day by speaking to friends in the USA for an hour, read newspapers for a couple of hours, do exercises for fitness, and watch news on TV.
I also spend time talking to poultry unit heads, getting updates, and advising them when needed. Around 10 PM, I retire to bed.
This has been my routine before, during, and after COVID-19.
10. What is your advice to the present generation stakeholders in the poultry industry?
My advice to the younger generation in the poultry industry is to be sincere and diligent in their approach. Poultry requires a lot of nurturing, as it is a live-stock business. It demands relentless hard work, continuous technological upgradation, and dedication, which ultimately bring rich rewards.
11. You studied the Hy-Line layer breed and Hy-Line International before choosing it. Can you comment on this?
Hy-Line has more than 50% of the global egg-layer market and is known for low feed per egg, high livability, and excellent egg quality.
I felt it was time when these factors would become more important for our market — as consumers demand better-sized and higher-quality eggs, and farmers seek more efficient birds. Considering these, choosing Hy-Line was an obvious decision.
12. What are your priorities to establish and strengthen the Hy-Line layer W-80 in India?
The breed’s advantages — lowest feed per egg, best livability, long lay cycle, and easy handling — are clear. We are now matching Hy-Line with other breeds and are confident we will lead soon.
Most farmers in India still measure profitability by number of eggs per bird, rather than considering HHE (hen-housed eggs), cost of production, or egg quality.
At Srinivasa Farms, we aim to make farmers aware of how these factors affect profitability. As farmers start focusing on financial performance, Hy-Line W-80 will naturally become their preferred choice.