The Man Who Saw Tomorrow: The Untold Story Of N.J. Yasaswy,
The Founder Of ICFAI
by Pattabhi Ram and Sudhakar Rao
In 1985, when India was still a sleeping giant, one man dared to dream of building a world-
class educational institution. ‘Impossible’, people said. Turning that attitude around took genius, persistence and the uncommon gift of persuasion.
class educational institution. ‘Impossible’, people said. Turning that attitude around took genius, persistence and the uncommon gift of persuasion.
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow: The Untold Story of N.J. Yasaswy, the Founder of ICFAI chronicles the life and times of one of India’s boldest minds in higher education.
Long before private universities became commonplace, Yasaswy imagined a network of world-class institutions that would help shape India’s future.
Out of that vision grew the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), stretching from Tripura to Dehradun, and from Sikkim to Hyderabad. Today, it is a family of 11 universities, 9 B-schools, 7 tech schools, 9 law schools, and 3 pharma schools—all within four decades of learning.
But Yasaswy was more than a dreamer. He was an institution builder, a leader who inspired fierce loyalty and a risk-taker who was never scared to miss a step or two on the road to scale. He led his army of followers on a path where no road existed.
Drawing on the voices of admirers, colleagues, critics, family and friends, V. Pattabhi Ram and Sudhakar Rao tell the story of how Yasaswy built institutions brick by brick and how he inspired ordinary people to achieve extraordinary goals.
Written with conviction and narrative detail, this inspiring story is a case study of grassroots change, and of a visionary leader who revolutionized Indian higher education.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
V. Pattabhi Ram wears multiple hats: CA, storyteller, teacher. He has taught over 76,000 CA students, spoken internationally, and his writings span non-fiction and biographies. Noted works include Tech Phoenix: Satyam’s 100-Day Turnaround and India in 2047: The Amazing Story of a Modern Nation. This biography, his sixth, continues his journey of chronicling leaders. In 2024, Rotary International bestowed on him the Lifetime of Professional Excellence Award. Away from work, he plays squash and pickleball.
Sudhakar Rao, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and MIT Sloan, brings 25+ years of leadership as an award-winning Brand Strategist. As Director of Branding at ICFAI, he leads strategy for 11 universities, 9 business schools, and multiple tech and law schools, while mentoring startups and speaking globally on innovation. He has been recognized as CK Prahalad Chair Awardee for Marketing 2024, Dun & Bradstreet Marketing Maverick 2024 and Brand Strategist of the Year 2025 by Fluxx Awards, Hong Kong. Author of WiseViews: Lessons from the Game Changers and DiviSeema Business Fables, he also chairs FICCI’s Education Committee. An adventurer, he trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2023, to Machu Picchu in 2025 and has cycled over 12,706 km.
Sudhakar Rao, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and MIT Sloan, brings 25+ years of leadership as an award-winning Brand Strategist. As Director of Branding at ICFAI, he leads strategy for 11 universities, 9 business schools, and multiple tech and law schools, while mentoring startups and speaking globally on innovation. He has been recognized as CK Prahalad Chair Awardee for Marketing 2024, Dun & Bradstreet Marketing Maverick 2024 and Brand Strategist of the Year 2025 by Fluxx Awards, Hong Kong. Author of WiseViews: Lessons from the Game Changers and DiviSeema Business Fables, he also chairs FICCI’s Education Committee. An adventurer, he trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2023, to Machu Picchu in 2025 and has cycled over 12,706 km.
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