An angel believer of startups: Meet IAS officer Ratna Prabha

Since start-ups are on a booming high these days, every state government is pushing for better arrangements to facilitate more and more businesses. And we all know that Bengaluru is the hub where start-ups are being churned out in probably every nook and cranny. Keeping that in focus, Karnataka government is now encouraging other cities also to come up with small scale businesses. For this the state government has come up with an initiative, in keeping with the Prime Minister’s Startup India, it is called Invest India.

The woman who is trail blazing this initiative and formulating policies in order to fund more start-ups is the IAS officer from Bengaluru, Ratna Prabha. Let’s know more about her through these quick facts:

• Currently, the Additional Chief Secretary (Commerce and Industries) to the Govt. of Karnataka, she is an Indian Administrative Services officer of 1981 batch. It was only in 1996-97 when she joined the industrial sector. She has worked with utmost dedication, which is proved through the growth of Karnataka in the IT and manufacturing industries.

• She is the third woman to become a Chief Secretary after Theresa Bhattacharya in 2000 and Malathi Das in 2006. Before this she was based at Andhra Pradesh as the principal secretary of Information Technology and Communications Department.

IAS Officer Ratna Prabha

• She was also the Regional Officer in the Central Board of Film Certification during her time in Andhra Pradesh and with her hard work she helped the Telugu film industry to shift from Chennai to Hyderabad. Not just that, she also managed to compel 450 movies to get censor board approval, when no movie was ready for it.

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• As a development commissioner for the Vizag Export Processing Zone from 1995-2004. She managed to increase exports from 50,000 to 350 crores exports. She is also responsible for creating thousands of jobs for people in rural areas and creating an industrial cluster.

• Ratna Prabha is also seriously active in speaking for women’s issues and rights. She is also working as a Mission Director of National Mission for Empowerment of Women under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. As a Programme Officer for an initiative called PRADHAN, she helped women form Self Help Groups through Horticulture at Nalgonda in 1995.

IAS Officer Ratna Prabha: An Angel Believer

• More in the women’s department, she has helped Devadasis get irrigated lands for rehabilitation during her tenure in Karnataka.

• She has been the first female IAS  officer in places like Raichur and Bidar. And her contribution to both the places was honoured by the NLM. She implemented the pioneer project of Development of Women and Child in Rural Area successfully in Chikmaglur, Karnataka as Project Director.

Phew! There is more to this dynamic lady, but I will leave you wanting for more achievements by Ratna, who is at it again with her Invest India program.

Picture Credit- Pinterest