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Dr. Prathaap Bhimasena Rao · Ph.D.
Live. Love. Learn. Leave Legacy.
Former Indian Air Force fighter pilot and global VP, now a social entrepreneur. I founded PotHoleRaja® and GridMats®: 40,000+ potholes fixed so far, and patented roads built from recycled plastic. Outside work I ride solo into the Himalaya, trek, shoot pistol and sketch.
- Fighter pilot
- Social entrepreneur
- Advisor & independent director
- TEDx speaker
- Author
- Sketch artist
- Adventurer
40,000+potholes fixedPotHoleRaja, across 30+ cities
25,000+volunteerscitizens and corporate teams on the road
US$4M+raised for road safetywith corporates, governments and institutions
30+countriesof work and travel, on six continents
100+media featureswith zero advertising spend
26+yearsfrom the cockpit to the boardroom
Many lives, one thread
Pilot. Builder. Advisor. Adventurer. Artist.
Every chapter has come back to one question: how do you leave things better than you found them?
01
The Aviator
All India Air Force Best Cadet, a youth ambassador to the UK, then an Indian Air Force fighter pilot. The cockpit taught me discipline and composure.
Read more02
The Road Builder
PotHoleRaja® and GridMats®: citizen power, CSR partners and patented recycled-plastic roads. Over 40,000 potholes fixed so far.
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03
The Advisor
From VP at HP to consulting in 30+ countries: transformation, people analytics and governance. Today I lead GroundReality.
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04
The Adventurer
A solo ride to Umling La at 19,024 ft, Everest's Three Passes, triathlons, marathons and pistol-shooting medals.
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05
The Artist
Pencil sketches, zentangles and aero models. Drawing is how I switch off.
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From the TEDx stage to Shark Tank India
Talks, TV features and a decade of roads, most of them fixed by citizens.
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What I'm building
Ventures that fix real problems on the ground
Since 2016
PotHoleRaja®
To make our world pothole free
Explore Since 2021GridMats®
Patented roads from recycled plastic
Explore Relaunched 2026GroundReality
From strategy to working systems
Explore Since 2013Arpitha Associates
Creating a culture of excellence
Explore opptimise.comOpptimise
Behaviour intelligence
ExploreBeyond work
The mountains, the range and the sketchbook
I learned composure at 30,000 feet. I keep it by testing my limits.
As featured by
- TEDx
- Shark Tank India
- YourStory
- India Today
- WION
- Mirror Now
- CNBC Awaaz
- DD News
- The Better India
- The Logical Indian
- The News Minute
- Autocar India
- Red FM
- Mirchi
“To make our world pothole free — and leave it better than we found it.”
Let's build something that lasts
Speaking invitations, board and advisory roles, collaborations, or just a good conversation.