HeikeC58098401 at 21:17, 10 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian mountaineer (1974–2015)}}
{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=January 2026}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mastan Babu Malli
| image = Malli Mastan Babu.jpg
| image_size = 250x350px
| birth_date = September 3rd, 1974
| birth_place = Gandhi Janasangam, Nellore, [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| death_date = 24 March 2015 (aged 41)
| death_place = [[Nevado Tres Cruces]], [[Andes]]
| education = [[B.Tech]], [[M.Tech]], [[PGDM]]
| alma_mater = {{ubl|[[National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur|NIT Jamshedpur]]| [[IIT Kharagpur]]|[[IIM Calcutta]]}}
| occupation = [[Mountaineer]]
| website = [http://www.1stindian7summits.com 1stindian7summits.com]
| caption = Malli Mastan Babu
}}

'''Mastan Babu Malli''' (3 September 1974 – 24 March 2015) was an Indian mountaineer. In 2006, he broke the previous record by climbing the [[Seven Summits]] in 172 days,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=Gripped |date=2015-04-08 |title=Malli Mastan Babu Found Dead in South America |url=https://gripped.com/profiles/malli-mastan-babu-found-dead-in-south-america/ |access-date=2026-01-23 |website=Gripped Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> starting on January 19th, 2006 and finishing on July 10th, 2006.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2015-04-09 |title=Malli Mastan Babu, Who Scaled the World’s Tallest Mountains, Dies at 40 (Published 2015) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/sports/malli-mastan-babu-who-scaled-the-worlds-tallest-mountains-dies-at-40.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203050944/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/sports/malli-mastan-babu-who-scaled-the-worlds-tallest-mountains-dies-at-40.html |archive-date=2024-12-03 |access-date=2026-01-23 |language=en}}</ref> This accomplishment also made him the first South Asian to climb all seven summits, and the first Indian to climb [[Vinson Massif]], and the [[Puncak Jaya]], (also known as the Carstensz Pyramid). Malli died on March 24th, 2015 in the Andes mountains while on an expedition to summit [[Nevado Tres Cruces|Tres Cruces Sur]].<ref name=":1" />

==Early life and education==
Malli was born on 3 September 1974 in Gandhi Jana Sangam village, Sangam Mandal, [[Nellore]] district, [[Andhra Pradesh]], to Malli Mastanayya and Subbamma. He was the youngest of five children. He was among the first in his family to receive formal education.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://getahead.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/jun/08/slide-show-1-from-iit-iim-to-the-worlds-tallest-peaks.htm|title=The Indian on top of the world|date=9 June 2009|work=Rediff}}</ref>

He studied at [[Sainik School, Korukonda]] from 1985 to 1992. After completing his [[Bachelor of Engineering|B.E.]] in [[Electrical engineering|Electrical Engineering]] at the [[National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur]] in 1996, Malli went on to earn an [[Master of Engineering|M.Tech.]] in electronics from [[Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur]] in 1998.<ref name=":2" /> After a three-year stint as a software engineer with [[Mahindra Satyam|Satyam Computers]], Malli was selected for the two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program at [[Indian Institute of Management Calcutta]], from which he graduated in 2004.<ref name=":2" /><ref>https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mastan-babu-malli/9/652/637 Retrieved from ‘Malli’s LinkedIn profile.{{primary source inline|date=October 2025}}</ref>

He was reportedly inspired to take up mountaineering by his school's statue of Lt. M. Uday Bhaskar Rao, a former student who lost his life during the Indian Army's Everest expedition of 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061010/asp/calcutta/story_6850853.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406014213/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061010/asp/calcutta/story_6850853.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2015|title=The Telegraph - Calcutta : Metro|work=telegraphindia.com}}</ref> At [[IIM Calcutta]], Malli received the Dr. B. C. Roy Award for his contributions to campus life.

Malli's efforts to improve the fitness levels of his fellow students and to institutionalize adventure activities led to the founding of IIM-C's Adventure Club in 2003. The club continues to organize numerous events both on and off campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iimcal.ac.in/index.php?q=about/campus-life/adventure-club|title=Adventure Club|work=iimcal.ac.in}}</ref>

==Initiatives, achievements, and awards==
Malli was awarded the annual Distinguished Alumnus Award, presented by the [[Indian Institute of Management Calcutta]] in November 2011<ref name="iimcal.ac.in">{{cite web|url=https://alumnilive.iimcal.ac.in/about/golden-jubilee/events/2011-awardees-iim-calcutta|title=2011 Awardees, Distinguished Alumnus Award - IIM Calcutta ALUMNI|work=iimcal.ac.in|access-date=5 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418090402/https://alumnilive.iimcal.ac.in/about/golden-jubilee/events/2011-awardees-iim-calcutta|archive-date=18 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Distinguished Alumnus award 2011 |url=https://alumnilive.iimcal.ac.in/about/golden-jubilee/events/2011-awardees-iim-calcutta |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418090402/https://alumnilive.iimcal.ac.in/about/golden-jubilee/events/2011-awardees-iim-calcutta |archive-date=18 April 2015 |accessdate=5 April 2015 |publisher=IIM Calcutta}}</ref>, the Army Commander's Commendation in 2007 and the 2006 Conjee Rustumjee Cohoujee Bey Award given by the Friends of South Asian American Communities in California (FOSACC) for youth contribution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nriinternet.com/Associations/USA/A_Z/F/FOSAAC/2008_Sep06/index.htm|title=FOSAAC celebrates 61st Independence Day|work=nriinternet.com}}</ref><ref name="saibabaschool.com">{{cite web|url=http://newsevents.saibabaschool.com/category/categories/page/4/|title=Categories - News and Events - Page 4|work=News and Events}}</ref>

After climbing [[Mount Everest]], he moved towards [[Mount Kailash]], but he did not ascend it due to its religious significance. Malli paid tribute to Lt. Uday Bhaskar Rao,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-04-09 |title=Malli Mastan Babu, Who Scaled the World's Tallest Mountains, Dies at 40 (Published 2015) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/sports/malli-mastan-babu-who-scaled-the-worlds-tallest-mountains-dies-at-40.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203050944/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/sports/malli-mastan-babu-who-scaled-the-worlds-tallest-mountains-dies-at-40.html |archive-date=2024-12-03 |access-date=2025-10-01 |language=en}}</ref> and planted his school flag during his Everest trips. Many of his expeditions were planned but unguided.<ref name="iimcal.ac.in"/><ref name="yahoo.com">{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ssk85to92/conversations/messages/1944|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150406081524/https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ssk85to92/conversations/messages/1944|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2015|title=Yahoo! Groups|work=yahoo.com}}</ref>

In June and July 2007, he made a high-altitude trek through the [[Char Dham|four major Hindu Dhams]] of [[Uttarakhand]]. In the same year, between 21 October and 3 November, he planned to run 14 half marathons, in 14 days, across 14 different Indian states, in the given time, he ran 8 full marathons and 3 half marathons in 13 days, across 10 states.<ref name="yahoo.com" />

In 2008, he completed a 75-day high-altitude trek from the Mount Everest region to [[Kangchenjunga|Kanchenjunga]], climbing all the high passes between them, covering a total of approximately 1,100km of the Himalayan terrain.<ref name="saibabaschool.com" /> With his 2,000km, 132-day trans-Himalayan expedition from Mount Everest to Mount Kailash, Malli wanted to raise awareness about glaciers in the [[Himalayas]] melting due to [[climate change]].<ref name="indianexpress.com">{{cite web |date=2 September 2009 |title=IIM-C alumnus, a master of high peaks, set for 2,000-km grand Himalayan voyage |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/iimc-alumnus-a-master-of-high-peaks-set-for-2-000km-grand-himalayan-voyage/ |work=The Indian Express}}</ref>

==Seven Summits==
In 2006, he accomplished the [[Seven Summits]], the highest peak in each of the seven continents, in a span of 172 days. At the time, this was also a world record.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Continent !! Mountain !! Elevation (m) !! Summit date !! Day
|-
| Antarctica || [[Vinson Massif]] || 4897 || 19 January 2006 || Thursday
|-
| South America || [[Aconcagua]] || 6962 || 17 February 2006 || Friday
|-
| Africa || [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] || 5895 || 15 March 2006 || Wednesday
|-
| Asia || [[Mount Everest]] || 8848 || 21 May 2006 || Sunday
|-
| Europe || [[Mount Elbrus]] || 5642 || 13 June 2006 || Tuesday
|-
| North America || [[Mount McKinley]] (Denali) || 6194 || 10 July 2006 || Monday
|-
| Australia || [[Puncak Jaya]] (Carstensz Pyramid) || 4884 || 28 October 2006 || Saturday
|}

==Death==
[[File:Mastan babu -funneral.JPG|thumb|Mastan Babu's funeral at Janasangam, India]]
Malli went missing on 24 March 2015 and died outside his pitched tent on the slopes of Cerro [[Nevado Tres Cruces|Tres Cruces Sur]] in the Andes.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-Indian-mountaineer-Malli-Mastan-Babu-who-went-missing-on-Mar-24-found-dead/articleshow/46802432.cms. Top-Indian-mountaineer-Malli-Mastan-Babu-who-went-missing-on-Mar-24-found-dead] ''The Times of India'', Retrieved 4 April 2015.</ref> Malli, who was climbing solo, was caught in extreme weather during the [[2015 Northern Chile floods and mudflow]] in the [[Andes]] which cut all the access routes to mountain. It took the rescue teams 10 days to reach his location. His body was found on April 3, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vohra |first1=Supriya |url=http://www.outdoorjournal.in/news-2/malli-mastan-babu-found-dead-in-the-andes/|title=Malli Mastan Babu found dead in the Andes |work=The Outdoor Journal|date=4 April 2015 }}</ref> He planned to return to India by the end of the month after climbing the last of the ten highest peaks in the Andes.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/04/04/malli-mastan-babu_n_7002806.html|title=Malli Mastan Babu, India's Ace Mountaineer, Found Dead|work=The Huffington Post |date=4 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-Indian-mountaineer-Malli-Mastan-Babu-who-had-gone-missing-on-March-24-found-dead/articleshow/46802432.cms|title=Top Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu, who had gone missing on March 24, found dead|work=The Times of India |date=4 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/mountaineer-malli-mastan-found-dead-in-argentina/|title=Mountaineer Malli Mastan found dead in Argentina|date=5 April 2015|work=The Indian Express}}</ref>

Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] paid homage to Malli.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=117961 | title=PM pays homage to Mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu | date=5 April 2015 | agency=Prime Minister's Office | accessdate=5 April 2015 | author=AK | location=New Delhi}}</ref> The Chief Minister of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]], also condoled his death.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/ap-cm-condoles-death-of-mountaineer-malli-mastan-babu/article7068345.ece | title=AP CM condoles death of mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu | date=4 April 2015 | agency=The Hindu Businessline | accessdate=5 April 2015 | author=V, Rishi Kumar | location=Hyderabad}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Indian summiters of Mount Everest]]
*[[List of Mount Everest summiters by frequency]]
*[[List of Mount Everest records of India]]
*[[List of Mount Everest records]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Malli Mastan Babu}}
{{Indian mountaineers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babu, Malli Mastan}}
[[Category:Indian Institute of Management Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:IIT Kharagpur alumni]]
[[Category:People from Nellore]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian summiteers of Mount Everest]]
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Summiteers of the Seven Summits]]

Malli Mastan Babu - Revision history

HeikeC58098401 at 21:17, 10 April 2026