Sharath Choudary is the Managing Partner of Katalyst Consulting and is based in Hyderabad, India. Katalyst Consulting is involved in conceiving and executing comprehensive turnaround and operational excellence strategies for non-technology businesses.
Sharath has a Master of Management Studies Degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, where he was the batch topper and is an alumnus of the prestigious Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. He was a Presidents Scout, an NCC cadet and an Interactor in his student days.
He nearly 40 years of experience across businesses such as appliances, textiles, building materials, services, infrastructure, and energy both as a corporate manager, entrepreneur social entrepreneur and advisor. Starting as a Management Trainee with the Shriram Group, Sharath at 26, rose to be one of its youngest Chief Executives responsible for its Units in Calcutta. He was last Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of East India Petroleum Private Limited.
When he was 40, Sharath took a break from industry and business and spent two years of his life doing not for profit work in rural areas. He founded GramIT, the world’s first commercially viable and scalable rural BPO. This initiative has been written about in the international Press including The Forbes Magazine, Asahi Shimbun and Business week. The initiative was listed as one of ten best uses of technology in 2005 by Business Today. GramIT won the Best CSR award from NASSCOM. GramIT was cited four times by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in his Presidential addresses as a model to be followed for Rural transformation including one to the London School of Economics and one to the Asian Development Bank.
The Youth4Jobs Foundation which Sharath seed funded and mentored in its early years in the 2006is now one of India’s largest organizations training handicapped youth to be able to take on vocations.
Sharath was born into a Rotary family, was an Interactor and joined the Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan in 1993. He served his Club as President in the year 1997-98, when he was 33, and led his club to be one of the first 100% Paul Harris Fellow Clubs in the world. He was adjudged best President and his Club the best Club in the District that year. He served Rotary in many capacities and is elected to serve as District Governor of the RI District 3150 in the Rotary Year 24-25. He has received the Rotary Foundation District Service Award twice, and the Four Avenues of Service award twice. He and his wife Sahiti are Paul Hariss Fellows, Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society of Rotary Foundation.
Sharath is also a Freemason and has served as the Deputy Regional Grand Master of Southern India. He holds the rank of Past Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India.
Sharath is married to Sahiti an interior designer by training and a home maker by choice. Their son Partha has a BS in Engineering from Purdue University, and is currently pursuing his Masters at the Stanford University. Their cocker spaniel Messi completes their family.
Sharath is a self-confessed foodie and is a trained bartender. He thinks he can still play cricket, football, squash, and badminton like he used to. He loves to golf and do theater when he has the time.