For Gopalakrishnan Venkataraman, his work is his passion. Newly appointed as regional director, East Asia, of Indiatourism, he could hardly be a happier man. He believes in his product. It excites him. India, he says, is a journey of mind and soul, of the five senses, of self-discovery and self-fulfillment. It is a world within one country. He sees it as a personal mission to give wide visibility to the Indian identity.
Born in Tamil Nadu in India's deep south, Venkataraman grew up in Bangalore, capital of Karnataka. In his boyhood he was less concerned with Bangalore's tourist attractions than he was with the Indian Air Force. Awareness of the magnetism of gardens and palaces and magnificent domed buildings came later. At school and college, as well as studying he drilled in the national cadet corps. Scholarship assumed greater importance when he went to the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
He might have been a doctor. From Delhi he went to Pondicherry, where he was a fellow in the Institute of Medical Research. He saw a more appropriate career for himself in radio journalism. In 1972 he became a news editor for All India Radio. One step led very naturally to the next. He served as publicity officer for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He celebrated becoming 40 years of age in 1988 by being appointed campaign officer for the directorate of advertising and visual publicity. Three years later he was directing policy and planning for the Ministry of Tourism.