Mogul sending thousands to school for free with no strings attached

INDIA: A simple request from a young girl is how it all began.

“Appa, my parents got me out of school because we are poor, but I want to study.” This request changed everything.

More than just wages, Appa opted to give his mill workers a future. He established a full-sized education structure right inside his mill. Four-hour classes after an eight-hour shift, classrooms with teachers and a principal, plus a yoga course, all fully subsidised by him with no strings attached.

What did Appa’s initiative lead to? Almost 25,000 women earned their 10th, 12th, UG, and PG degrees. Many of them are now nurses, teachers, and police officers. The initiative also produced 20 gold medallists from Tamil Nadu Open University this year alone.

Appa—that’s what his workers call him, but his real name is KP Ramaswamy, owner of KPR Mills in Coimbatore, Southern India.

KP Ramasamy came from an agricultural family before he ventured to become a power loom cloth manufacturer in 1971.

Busy transforming lives

While corporate bosses are busy thinking about retaining employees, cutting costs, and ensuring their financial goals are achieved, KPR is busy transforming lives. He turns his mill workers into full academic graduates, making education their pathway to a viable future.

He never worries if those he has helped earn an education would leave his mill. He doesn’t worry about having permanent mill workers, and this is what he believes: “I don’t want to keep them in the mill and waste their potential. They are here because of poverty, not by choice. My job is to give them a future, not a cage.”

So, after he has educated them, they leave, build careers, and move on with their lives. However, those who have left will send more girls from their villages to the mill; thus, the cycle continues.

Not just about corporate social responsibility

What Appa/KPR has done is not just the usual “giving back to society” philosophy; he is genuinely developing individuals and changing their lives for the better.

At a recent assembly where 350 women received their degrees, KP Ramaswamy made a rare appeal to the audience: “If you or your friends can hire them, it will give other girls the hope to study further.”

He is literally asking for jobs for his workers.

KPR’s story is not just about making a “good face” for KPR Mills. This is a lesson about authentic leadership, business integrity, and nation-building.

What they say about Appa

Facebook users agree in praising this man from India. One said that his wonderful acts of kindness and selfless initiative must be replicated by others all over the world. Another one said he hopes other business establishments will do the same thing, especially those business owners in poor countries. A third commenter noted that Appa is an exceptional human being and a priceless gift to society.