BY PRAKASH M SWAMY
B Ramakrishnan founded BRK SOFT (School of Financial
Techniques) ™ (www.brk-soft.com) in Nandanam, Chennai in
partnership with National Skill Development Council (NSDC)
Government of India has launched job-oriented skill
development programs for freshers – final year undergraduate
students such as B Com and BBA and first and second year post
graduate students like M Com and MBA, working professionals
and technocrats.
The 20-hour, one-month course will help the participants in
getting placements in Banks, Non-Banking Finance Companies
(NBFCs), Private Equity, Venture Capital and Mutual Fund
companies, corporate finance, consulting and equity research
Assignments
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
Government of India has approved the program under non-
funded partnership scheme. The certificates will be jointly
issued with NSDC.
After completing the program, the trained freshers are
expected to possess good analytical skills and will be able to
identify the fundamental financial strength and weakness of
the organization and also raise suitable financial products at
optimum costs.
Ramakrishnan started BRK Academy in Chennai to impart
financial skill-based training programs in 2013. He had started
this as the first Financial Lab™ in the world. B. Ramakrishnan,
well known in the financial circles as BRK, holds a Post
Graduate Diploma in Management with specialization In
Finance.
After his studies he joined H C Kothari Group of companies in
1989 as an Executive and went on to head the finance function
of the company in 1996-97. He was part of the team that
floated the first private sector Mutual fund in India.
He is also a trained CFO from Indian Institute of Management,
Calcutta. After almost a decade with H C Kothari group, BRK
started his own consulting firm and floated Corporate Clinic™
(www.corporateclinic.com) during 2003 in Chennai that
specializes in raising various kinds of financial products.
BRK is a devout Hindu and practices Sanatana Dharma (way of
human life) in his day-to-day activities like five hour pooja every
morning, renovation of temples and donations besides helping
the poor and the needy.
His family is closely associated with the Sri Matam, the
headquarters of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in Kanchipuram
headed by His Holiness Shankaracharya for generations. BRK,
from his birth itself, had some special blessings of
Mahaperiyava
BRK’s vidyabhyasam was performed by Brahma Sri Musiri
Ananthanarayana Wajpayee. Sri Wajpayee had the credential
of performing most number of Wajpayee Yagam during recent
times and was also acclaimed as a real Brahmin in the words of
Maha Periyava.
Maha Periyava used to clarify his thoughts with Wajpayee on
Dharma and Sastra. Maha Periyava blessed BRK with a rare
rudraksha beed mala which he preserves like his eye lids and
wears during the daily pooja. His Upanayanam was performed
with some special instructions from Maha Periyava
BRK’s great grandfather Brahmasri Kashi Vaidhyanatha
Ganapadigal was an authority on Sanskrit and had some
eminent disciple like Dr K M Munshi and Dr Madan Mohan
Malaviya who initiated Benares Hindu University in Varanasi.
When Maha Periyava visited Varanasi for the first time as a
young sanyasin after coming to the throne, the learned Sanskrit
scholars of Varanasi had underestimated the knowledge of
Maha Periyava and that had hurt Vaidhyanatha Ganapadigal.
He immediately arranged for a sadas where His Holiness Maha
Periyava exhibited his rare acumen on divinity. His speech was
considered a masterpiece and silenced the non-believers. They
fell at the feet of Maha Periyava and considered him as an
avatar of Lord Dakshinamurthy.
Maha Periyava blessed Vaidhyanatha Ganapadigal and thus the
ties between BRK family and the Math began. When Dewan
Bahadur Sir C P Ramaswami Aiyar of Travancore Devasthanam
approached Maha Periyava for a learned Vedic Pandit in
Mylapore Mahaperiyava advised BRK’s grandfather the late
Koothur Brahmasri Ramanadha Sastrigal to settle down in
Mylapore and help Brahmins in conducting Vedic rituals
After settling down in Mylapore, Brahmasri Ramanadha
Sastrigal constructed a house in Venkatesa Agraharam with
statue of Adhi Sankaracharya consecrated at a small shed
within the premises
Once when Maha Periyava visited the house he called Sastrigal
and asked him to construct a Sankara Math in Mylapore. Upon
His instructions, Brahmasri Sastrigal founded Kanchi Sankara
Math in Mylapore at Chitra Kulam and became its founder
secretary. The Adhi Sankara statue was moved from his house
to the Math.
BRK’s father, Late Shri Balachandran Ganapadigal had served as
an officer in State Bank of India and retired from service. He
was also a learned person in Sanskrit and adhered to dharmic
philosophies. He and his wife Srimathi Alamelu brought up their
Children in the most spiritual way imbibing devotion and bakthi
in their blood
BRK also learned Vedas from his father. Ramakrishnan performs
Rudra Ekadasi and Sahasra Gayathri (1008 times) every day as
per the instructions of Maha Periyava. He had donated golden
crown and golden oddiyanam to Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram
and also performed ten million vilva archana (kodi archana),
laksha Rudra Parayanam and yagams and also honored all the
Podu Diskshithars who offer worship daily to Lord Nataraja
He also performed ten-day Dasa Maha Vidya in 2014 at Kanchi
Kamakshi Amman temple praying that Narendra Modi should
become the Prime Minister and when his dream was full filled,
he was permitted to present the first bouquet to the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi who admired BRK
The Kanchi Sankaracharya His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri
Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal had appointed him
to the advisory committee of Sri Kamakshi Amman temple.
BRK also had a credential of the late Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa admiring his contributions to Global Investors Meet
held during Sept 2015 by featuring him in the headlines of the
party Daily Dr Namadhu MGR and taking his advice on
attracting investments.
BRK is presently the Director of COMESA region as endorsed by
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. BRK is also
senior vice chairman of Divyang Cricket Control Board of India
BRK has been recently appointed as Attaché for St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
BRK proudly says that he owes his growth to his parents,
siblings, the late Bhadrashyam. H. Kothari (Son-in- law of the
late Dirubhai Ambani)
BRK’s wife Gayathri and his adopted daughter Shruthi and
above all Maha Periyava of Kanchi’s divine blessings is always
required for success in everybody’s life, he says.
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