Letter to Sangeetha Reddy CEO of Apollo Hospital

When You Say Amul, You Must Say “Palu” Kurien.
“Palu” in Malayalam means milk. And that’s what Mr.Verghese Kurien – lovingly called “Palu Kurien” by many – stood for. He was not just the Father of the White Revolution, but a visionary much like your own father, Dr. Prathap Reddy.
Dr. Kurien believed in people. More importantly, he believed in the power of bringing people together. A cooperative movement born in a small town in Gujarat — not even his native land — driven by women. Yes, it was women who stood at the heart of the Amul story. A quiet revolution in women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment, much before it became a buzzword.
Like you rightly said in a recent post, the brand-building was iconic. But it wasn’t just the product or even the vision. It was trust. The ad gurus brought the charm, but the soul was in the simplicity, the inclusiveness.
Look around — certain brands became household nouns. Dalda (for vanaspati), Maggi (for noodles), Xerox (for photocopy). And Amul, for milk. Not a brand — a movement.
Just like Apollo.
Dr. Prathap Reddy came from Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), studied in Madras Medical College, and built his dream in Madras (now Chennai). He didn't just build a hospital — he built an institution, a legacy, a life force for the healthcare sector in India.
He didn’t do it alone. He nurtured it with his family and his people — his team, his visionaries. And along the way, he created thousands of jobs and gave rise to a whole new industry for countless others to grow.
Now, you may wonder — who am I?
Well, I am nobody important. Just someone who wrote to your elder sister, Ms. Preetha Reddy, yesterday.
But what is important is Apollo — and the path it has created for so many of us to walk on and build our lives.
And for that, I am thankful.