https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The IAS Hand in First South Indian’s Everest Summit

Retired IAS officer BP Acharya assisted Shekhar Babu in realizing his lifelong dream of climbing Mt. Everest. He helped him financially and supported him mentally, for his journey. His noble deed not only helped the mountaineer but also accelerated his corporation’s promotion and raised its revenue by 77 fold.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Isn’t life all about helping others progress and achieve their dreams? Well, for retired IAS officer BP Acharya, it surely is. As Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) from 2005-2009, the humble and kind officer went out of his way to help a young mountaineer fulfil his dream of climbing Mount Everest.

His noble deed not only helped mountaineer Bachinepally Shekhar Babu reach the summit of the world, but it also accelerated APIIC’s promotion and raised their revenue 77-fold!

Indian Masterminds spoke exclusively with former IAS officer BP Acharya and mountaineer Bachinepally Shekhar Babu, to know more about the Everest adventure. 

A HELPING HAND

Shekhar, a former tourism department employee at AP, had always wanted to climb Mount Everest. Climbing the mountain, however, was not as challenging as raising the necessary finances. Shekhar, who came from a low-income family, lacked the necessary resources. 

“One of my co-workers told me about Mr. Acharya’s helpful character and asked me to discuss my problem with him. I told him everything. He asked how much money I would need and promised to assist me as much as he could with funds from his own department,” Shekhar shared.

Now retired from IAS, Mr. Acharya told Indian Masterminds: “One thing that struck me was that he was the first South Indian to scale Everest. I watched his passion and helplessness and resolved to support him to my full capacity.”

Retired IAS officer BP Acharya and Shekhar Babu (extreme left in blue shirt)

PROMOTING APIIC 29,000 FT. ABOVE THE GROUND

Mr. Acharya had an idea while brainstorming methods to assist Shekhar. He requested Shekhar to take APIIC’s new logo to the summit and take a photo with it high in the clouds. This was one of the pivotal moments in APIIC’s five-year success.

He gave Shekhar the requested sum of Rs. 3 lakhs, which was sufficient for him to realise his goal. Shekhar kept updating the officer on his progress as he climbed towards the summit. Finally, on June 5, 2007, Shekhar reached the peak and shared a priceless photograph of himself with the APIIC emblem, on the top of the world! 

“We utilised the photo extensively in our APIIC advertising campaigns, which greatly aided us. With the joint efforts of my team, our organisation improved substantially, and we were overjoyed to see our turnover expand from 65 crores to 5000 crores in just five years!” Mr. Acharya said.

The officer with a trainee of Mr. Shekhar

MANY DREAMS CAME TRUE AT ONCE

Shekhar, the son of a lorry driver, became the first person from the South to conquer Everest, thanks to the former IAS officer who helped him. After achieving his dream, he realised that he should help other dreamers like himself achieve their goals. Thus, he established his own rock-climbing school in Bhuvanagiri, Telangana. 

“I was in tears the first time I reached the peak, in 2007. After years of labour, I was overjoyed to have reached the top. I am grateful for Acharya sir’s assistance. So many dreams would have died if he hadn’t done what he did, including my own,” Shekhar told Indian Masterminds.

Since its inception, his school has trained over 7,000 people in rock climbing. He trained 52 people to summit Mt. Everest, over 100 to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, and over 200 people to summit various mountains in India and around the world.

He even coached Poorna Malavath, the world’s youngest mountaineer, who was just 13 years old when she reached the summit of Mount Everest!


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
_BPCL_IandC_team_
BPCL Launches ‘Suraksha Bandhan’ Safety Initiative, Reaching Over 12,000 People Across India
Bank of Baroda
Financial Results: Bank of Baroda Board to Approve Q2 and Half-Year Unaudited Financial Results on October 31, 2025
Sandeep Lathar
Political Pressure Behind ASI’s Suicide? Wife Accuses IPS Officer’s Family, MLAs in FIR, Seeks CBI Inquiry
Special Campaign 5.0
Swachhata Takes Centre Stage: Government Launches ‘Special Campaign 5.0’ across Key Ministries to Clear Backlogs & Boost Office Hygiene
Railtel
Results: RailTel to Announce Q2 Financial Results on October 29, Proposes Interim Dividend with November 4 Record Date
GRSE Garden Reach
Results: GRSE to Review Q2 Results on November 4, Eyes Interim Dividend with Record Date on November 11
South Eastern Coalfields Limited SECL
SECL’s 12 Coal Mining Projects Delay Due to Green Clearances and Land Issues Amid Rising Demand
DPIIT Primus Partners MoU startup ecosystem
From Idea to Impact: DPIIT’s New Initiative Fuels Startup Growth in India
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
_BPCL_IandC_team_
BPCL Launches ‘Suraksha Bandhan’ Safety Initiative, Reaching Over 12,000 People Across India
Bank of Baroda
Financial Results: Bank of Baroda Board to Approve Q2 and Half-Year Unaudited Financial Results on October 31, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT