Hyderabad:A leading industrialist and former member of the board of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Suraj Prasad Agarwal passed away recently.
A former President of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) during 2008-09, his businesses were diversified from realty to commodities, with the noted White House complex in Begumpet, being one of his ventures.
Over the last half a century, Mr Suraj Prasad, served on the boards of several trade bodies, was a promoter Director of the Agrasen Bank, and associated with a number of professional, educational, religious, cultural and service organisations.
Some of them being the Chairman of Quli Qutub Shah ITI for Girls, Santoshnagar, and Vice President of Agarwal Siksha Samithi offering from primary to post graduate education through 11 Institutions. He was also part of national trade delegations to many countries and international Fairs.
A graduate of the Badruka College, Osmania University, Suraj Prasad Agarwal was the Managing Director of Praneta Housing, Managing Partner of Annapurna Builders & Landmark Builders, which promoted commercial, independent and residential complexes. He was also MD of Darshit Agrotech Ltd. (Ginning factory, Oil mill, refinery, warehousing etc.) at Adilabad.
Mr Suraj Prasad served as a member on the Managing Committee of the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bengaluru and also the Mysore Chamber of Commerce, Mysore. He was the Vice President of Karnataka Khandsari Sugar Manufactures Association, Benguluru. He is a member of the Hyderabad Management Association too.
Worst situation, harrowing experience
Mr Suraj Prasad, who turned 75 on June 22, had a harrowing week, before breathing his last on July 1, due to acute respiratory problems. With a sudden spike in cases of COVID-19, getting beds in hospitals had become a big challenge.
The businessman, who was diagnosed with pneumonia, had to virtually move all big contacts to just manage a room in one of the corporate hospitals after lot of effort, when he required an ICU. Finally, as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to an ICU, with great difficulty. But it proved too little too late, his industry friends said.
Disturbed over the extreme difficulties Suraj Prasad, one of the most influential businessman in the country, faced in getting space in so-called Five Star Hospitals, his friends said that the coronavirus situation in the Telangana has alarmingly worsened. “With government hospitals over burdened and corporate hospitals saying there are no beds government has to intervene without any further delay. The Intensive Care Units in these big hospitals have a waiting list. Imagine a situation when a patient has to wait for a place in ICU,” they asked.