[2][3] Pallam Raju was born at CBM-Christian Medical Centre, Pithapuram, East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India.

His grandfather, Late Mallipudi Pallam Raju was a freedom fighter and his father Shri M. S. Sanjeevi Rao was a Union Minister in the Government of India (1982–1984).

He then worked as a research associate at the Federal Group Incorporated, a management consulting firm at South Natick, USA from 1986–87.

Over the years, he has held several important positions in the state and national units of the Congress and been on boards of successful Public Limited Companies.

He has held important positions in the state and national units of the Congress and was on the boards of successful Public Limited Companies.

In May 2008, he headed the delegation from the ministry and addressed the important Shangri La Dialogue (Annual Conference of Defense Ministers from the world) in Singapore.

Some of the important milestones during his tenure include the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), which was set up to provide higher education to deserving students.

In November 2005, he was the leader of the MP delegation to Tokyo, Japan which was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF).

In November 2005, he was a member of the delegation to Beijing, China for the Conference on Globalization which was jointly organised by the Konrad Adeneur Foundation (KAF) of Germany and the Institute of Peace Studies, India.

Raju elected from Kakinada in the Seemandhra region, has strongly opposed the division of Andhra Pradesh and had been critical of the way the government was going about the issue.

Raju said the Cabinet had taken the decision to bifurcate the state in great haste without understanding the concerns of the region and considering the sentiments of the people.

Raju has stood by his decision not to quit and is quoted to have said that though tendering one's resignation is considered a popular move with the election round the corner.

Pallam Raju is married to Mamatha Mallipudi and has a daughter Vahini Raje and a son named Jatin Sanjeevi Rao.