A leading printer and founder-chairman of Pragathi Offset, Paruchuri Hanumantha Rao, breathed his last on Monday. He was 89 years. Born in the year 1925, Hanumantha Rao completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and joined the Telugu daily ‘Visalandhra’ as a journalist in 1962.
Later, he joined Sarathi Cine Studios as a manager and also did small roles in movies, including some in which the legendary NTR acted as the lead star.
He later set up a small printing press with one treadle and three workers, of which two are still associated with the press after almost five decades.
Hanumantha Rao’s first big order was the printing of the Voters’ List in 1973.
Then he bought his first offset press, a second-hand single colour OM-4 Russian offset, a move that marked the beginning of his ascent in the printing industry here. Currently, Pragathi Offset is being run by his son, Paruchuri Narendra.
AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu condoled the death.
