SOUTHBOROUGH, MA—Boston entrepreneur Subu Kota, founder and CEO of the Boston Group USA, on Saturday announced to donate $1 million to the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled to support cricket for the blind worldwide.
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The surprise announcement about the generous donation to the Samarthanam Trust came during a celebration of Mr. Kota’s 50th anniversary of his arrival to the United States.
“I have not told this to my wife and the Samarthanam Trust. I am going to give $1 million to Samarthanam Trust,” said Mr. Kota as hundreds of guests, friends and family gathered at his home cheered.
A group 12 children from India-based Samarthanam Trust are currently touring the United Stated and presented a few dance and music items during the celebration of 50 anniversary of Mr. Kota and his wife Vicky. Mr. Kota has been a supporter of the Samarthanam Trust for several years.
Ever since the first ever World Cup Cricket for the Blind was held in Bangalore in 2012, Cricket for the Blind has been gaining momentum in India and worldwide and is now spreading its wings to the United States. The team behind Cricket for the Blind movement is the Samarthanam Trust.
The mission of Samarthanam is to empower visually impaired, disabled and underprivileged people through developmental initiatives focusing on educational, social, economic, cultural and technological aspects. Samarthanam envisions to touch at least 100,000 lives by 2020, providing comprehensive solutions to the disabled and underserved communities.
The trust was founded by Kivadasannavar, who lost his vision due to Typhoid when he was 6 months old. But he proved to be a visionary and established Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled along with his schoolmate and good friend S. P Nagesh.
Kivadasannavar wanted to ensure all possible support to persons with disabilities by providing education and sports facilities on par with their non-disabled peers. He wanted to see persons with disabilities become tax payers and not dole recipients. Thus began the journey of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
Ever since its establishment, Samarthanam Trust has been providing education, livelihood facilities, infrastructure, technology and a plethora of other need based support to disabled and underprivileged. He wants to ensure that sufficient opportunities reach each and every person both in academics and sports.
Mr. Kota is a serial entrepreneur with more than 40 years of business wisdom with broad experience ranging from Information Technology Consulting, e-Learning Services and Pharmaceuticals Research and Manufacturing. He has been involved in start-ups in various sectors. Mr. Kota is charter membership of TiE, Boston and served as an adviser to the dean of Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University.
