Krishna Teja Mylavarapu’s journey as an IAS officer in Kerala reflects his dedication to public service and his innovative approach in solving challenges, especially in health, education, tourism, and agriculture. Readers who look for real-life examples of problem-solving governance, transparent leadership, and impactful administration can learn a lot from how he turned difficult situations like floods and a pandemic into opportunities to protect and empower people.
His story also matters now because his current posting on deputation to Andhra Pradesh shows how his Kerala experience is being used to support development and good governance in his home state.
Early life and entry into IAS
Coming from Andhra Pradesh and graduating in Computer Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, Krishna Teja built a strong technical foundation before entering public service. He worked in software companies and then cracked the civil services exam, choosing the IAS route to work directly with people’s real problems instead of just pursuing a corporate career.
As a 2015 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, he started his career in a coastal and flood-prone state where administration often demands quick, data-backed decisions. That background helped him develop a problem-solving mindset that combines field-level insights with analytical thinking.
Leadership in crises: health and disaster response
One of the defining chapters of his journey was his work during the devastating Kerala floods in the Kuttanad region, where he played a key role in what became known as “Operation Kuttanad.” He helped plan the opening of dam gates at the right time, coordinated evacuations, and led efforts that reportedly saved more than two lakh people and thousands of animals by moving them to safe relief camps.
His health-related work became even more visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he helped set up quarantine centers, expand healthcare capacity, and ensure timely delivery of food and medicines to vulnerable and tribal communities. He also led public awareness campaigns on hygiene, masks, and vaccination, which supported better community behavior during a very difficult time.
Impact on education, rural development, and agriculture
As District Collector and District Magistrate, Krishna Teja focused strongly on rural infrastructure and social development. He pushed health and education programmes that improved basic facilities in villages, and he gave attention to marginalized groups through targeted interventions.
His work in agriculture included promoting sustainable farming practices and bringing women into the mainstream through self-help groups (SHGs). These efforts supported better incomes for rural families and helped create local leadership among women, which is essential for long-term development.
For students and job aspirants, one key lesson from his work in agriculture and education is clear: small, consistent reforms in schools, health centers, and farming practices can compound into big gains for entire districts. To deepen your understanding, you can read reports from platforms like NITI Aayog’s development case studies or rural livelihoods missions for more examples of district-level innovation.
Tourism, innovation, and economic growth
Beyond core administration, Krishna Teja is widely known for his creative push in tourism, especially when he took roles such as Director of Kerala Tourism and Managing Director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). He led projects to renovate and reposition KTDC properties, upgrade hospitality standards, and market Kerala tourism more effectively to domestic and global visitors.
He played a major role in developing Caravan Tourism, a post-pandemic initiative that aimed to offer safe, flexible travel experiences while boosting local community income through responsible tourism. This idea looked at the success of houseboats in Kerala’s backwaters and tried to create a new growth engine for the tourism sector with caravans and local experiences.
Earlier, as Assistant Collector in Thrissur, he worked on pioneering tourism circuits, and later he led the “Mission Facelift” initiative to improve KTDC properties and guest experience. These projects show how an IAS officer can think beyond files and focus on innovation that supports jobs, small businesses, and brand-building for an entire state.
If your site covers travel or policy, you can link readers to your Kerala Tourism Development or Sustainable Travel Ideas category to connect his work with broader tourism trends.
Administrative reforms and technology-driven governance
Krishna Teja also worked at the national level, where he contributed to the SPARK Ranking System in the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, as an Assistant Secretary. This system aimed to create measurable performance benchmarks for urban bodies, encouraging better governance in cities.
In Kerala, he handled multiple roles including Executive Director at Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, CEO of Kerala Life Sciences Park, and CEO of Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited. These positions demanded a mix of policy understanding, infrastructure planning, investment promotion, and technology-driven project management.
Readers who are interested in how digital tools and data can transform governance can see his career as an example of how administrative roles are no longer limited to routine file work.
Awards, recognition, and public connect
Over the years, Krishna Teja has been recognized with two international and seven national awards for his public service contributions. These recognitions reflect his consistent performance in disaster response, tourism development, rural initiatives, and governance reforms.
Despite holding high-impact positions, he has maintained a strong public connect, especially in Kerala, where many people remember his role during the floods and COVID-19. Campaigns like “I Am For Alleppy” for flood rehabilitation became symbols of community-driven recovery and showed how an officer can mobilize public support for relief work.
If your audience cares about leadership and ethics, highlighting his recognition and public connect can motivate readers to combine competence with empathy in their own careers.
Current posting and work in Andhra Pradesh
Recently, the Government of India approved his inter-cadre deputation from Kerala to Andhra Pradesh for three years. He has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan, after a special request from the state leadership.
This move is notable because OSD roles to ministers are usually given to lower-rank officers, but in this case, a sitting District Collector of Thrissur with a strong track record was chosen. It shows the level of trust in his administrative ability and his reputation for handling complex portfolios like health, education, tourism, and agriculture.
In this OSD position, he is expected to contribute on issues such as rural development, medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and horticulture value chains, and panchayat-level governance. For people in Andhra Pradesh, his presence offers hope that proven models from Kerala—such as community-centered tourism, SHG-led development, and robust disaster planning—can be adapted locally.
Lessons from Krishna Teja Mylavarapu’s IAS journey
Krishna Teja Mylavarapu’s journey as an IAS officer in Kerala reflects his dedication to public service and his innovative approach in solving challenges in health, education, tourism, and agriculture. From saving lives during the Kuttanad floods and strengthening COVID-19 response to building Caravan Tourism and empowering SHGs, his work shows how committed administrators can leave a long-term positive impact on people’s lives.
For students, aspirants, and citizens, his story is a reminder that public service is still a powerful path to create change when combined with empathy, data-backed decisions, and the courage to try new ideas. If this profile inspired you, share it with others, invite your readers to comment with their thoughts, and guide them.
