A true soldier, a visionary, a great leader and a staunch Gandhian, Colonel (Retd) Narne Ranga Rao was born in the well-known family of Narnes of Andhra Pradesh in 1943. His grandfather was honoured with the title of ‘Rao Bahadur’ and his father served in the Indian Army during World War II. In due course of time, he completed his graduation in engineering and joined the Indian Army in 1964 in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He had his firsthand war experience in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He had 23 years of rich and varied experience, before his premature retirement in 1987 from the Indian Army. A thorough professional he was recommended for the ‘Vir Chakra’ award for his exemplary service during the 1971 war. Having witnessed the selfless devotion to duty and the sacrifice of his fellow servicemen, he resolved to do everything possible towards their rehabilitation and welfare.
It was this resolve, which later prompted him to float ‘The Gunrock Enclave Co-operative Housing Society in 1977 while he was posted at MCEME Secunderabad, to provide house plots to defence personnel. The news of the success of the venture travelled fast in the defence circles and colleagues soon requested him to take up the work of providing house plots to more defence personnel who required it. Finally bowing to their request Col. Narne took premature retirement from the Army, to devote himself fully to the welfare of defence personnel by providing them housing plots in the best of locations at the most affordable prices. Thus began the illustrious saga of the Narne Group and its visionary leadership.