Karnataka First

Pothole Reporter uses AI to detect potholes, map their locations, identify the responsible civic body and contractor, and send complaints to municipal authorities.

Over the last several months, utility and pipeline excavation by BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) across Bengaluru has left roads in shambles. Vehicles parked on broken footpaths, uneven road tops, and a dozen potholes on every street have been the by-product of this ‘utility’ project that seems unending.

Like most of us, 33-year-old Gaurav Sen has had his share of driving on pothole-ridden roads, and on one such ride, the software engineer decided to do something about it. The founder of AIEngg, an upskilling platform for software engineers, Gaurav put his expertise in system design and AI to use and created an app. Aptly named Pothole Reporter, it is aimed at automatically detecting potholes a vehicle drives over. The Android beta version launched on Google Play’s testing track on September 21 with about 200 testers, and is now available to the public.

Unlike most platforms that simply detect an issue, Pothole Reporter ensures the complaint reaches the authorities | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Explaining its workings, Gaurav says the app photographs the road, either one photo at a time or continuously in ‘Drive’ mode. Unlike most platforms that simply detect an issue, Pothole Reporter ensures the complaint reaches the authorities.

“A vision model checks each frame for potholes. The app then maps the location to the responsible municipal body and matches the pothole against publicly available road contracts to identify a likely contractor,” he says, adding, “While building the complaint flow, I thought finding the tender number would be helpful to the commissioner. It took two more days to dig up data on tenders through publicly accessible records.” 

Gaurav built the app in a day using OpenAI’s Codex for coding and OpenAI vision models for pothole detection. “The basics worked in an hour and a complete model was created in about six hours. The code was published on GitHub on August 18, and it has been updated over 200 times since,” he says, adding, “I then used open-source pothole datasets to evaluate the effectiveness of the app. It is designed to detect potholes with high confidence scores only. So some potholes may be missed, but the chance of a pothole report being false is low.”

Gaurav adds that an in-house detection model is in progress to reduce running costs, and since these AI tools handle the technical heavy lifting, anyone can build a similar app without prior coding experience.

Elaborating further, Gaurav says that the app forwards the complaint details, including location, an image of the pothole, its dimensions, and the relevant tender number, to the concerned municipal commissioner via email.

“The relevant authority is expected to pick up on this and resolves the complaint. This is the biggest blocker right now,” he shares. Since August, the app has recorded 100 complaints that have been shared with the commissioners of the South, North and Central city corporations.

“The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) asked for a demo, and we met on August 24. On September 9, I took part in the Greater Bengaluru Authority citizen consultation on Sahaaya 3.0, the civic grievance portal, and requested Application Programming Interface (API) access to Sahaaya,” explains Gaurav, whose recommendations include a pothole detection app that pushes complaints to Sahaaya through an API. “Currently there is no API so the app can only draft an email. Direct integration with Sahaaya is the next step.”

The app photographs the road, either one photo at a time or continuously in ‘Drive’ mode | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In July this year, a similar AI-powered app, NammaKasa, was created by Jyothish VM to help citizens report garbage blackspots in their localities. Now, Gaurav is looking at joining hands with Jyothish to merge the two platforms.

“Potholes and garbage are both civic complaints. They need the same things: a photo, a location, the right authority, and a record of whether it was fixed. We have discussed combining the two into a single record and observability platform for civic complaints, so citizens and officials can see every complaint on one map and track its status,” he shares, explaining that roping in representatives from other States is also on the cards.

“So far, I have received requests from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar to use the app in their respective States. Pothole Reporter now works across India, however, its integration with State systems would make a real-world impact.”

In the coming years, Gaurav is hopeful that such initiatives take off across India. “Government buses and garbage trucks already drive every road in the city every day. Instead of waiting for citizens to complain, complaints should flow directly into government grievance systems, and every repair should be linked back to the contract that paid for the road.”  

Pothole Reporter is now available on Google Play

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

A new keyboard that allows users to type directly in the Tulu script has been launched for Android smartphones, marking another significant step toward bringing the coastal Karnataka language into the digital space.

Named ‘Kural Tulu Touch’, the keyboard was developed by software developers Harshith Devadiga and Chaithra Poojary. It was officially launched during the Tulunada Janapada Sambhrama organised by the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy in Bengaluru recently.

The keyboard is currently available to Android users via the ‘Baravu Saravu’ app. Once enabled through the “New Keyboard” option, users can type in the Tulu script across various applications, including WhatsApp, switch between Tulu and other keyboards, and even convert their typed text into shareable stickers for digital chats.

Bringing Tulu script to everyday communication

Designed with a familiar mobile keyboard layout, Kural Tulu Touch simplifies typing in the Tulu script. It supports Tulu letters, numbers, gunithakshara, and votthakshara, allowing users to accurately form words and combinations required by the script.

According to the developers, the goal was to make the Tulu script practical for everyday digital conversations rather than confining it strictly to educational or archival purposes. The team completed the keyboard’s development in about two weeks, utilizing Flutter for the application and Firebase for the backend.

The project is an extension of a Tulu learning application the team built approximately three years ago. Harshith Devadiga noted that one of the main technical challenges was accurately mapping the Tulu font to the keyboard layout, which is crucial for users to correctly identify and type characters on a small screen.

Sharath Kodavoor, a founding member of Jai Tulunad, stated that the initiative aims to bring the CIIL-approved Tulu script into the digital realm, emphasizing that correct character mapping is essential to prevent user confusion.

A comprehensive learning platform

Beyond the keyboard, the Baravu Saravu app serves as a comprehensive learning resource. It features a Tulu dictionary, basic sentences, audio-based learning materials, and heritage photographs to provide cultural context. Users can also suggest new words for the dictionary, which are reviewed before being added.

Banashri Avinash, who contributed Tulu-script learning content and videos to the app, highlighted that the platform offers practical tools for those interested in learning and practising the traditional script.

Building on Unicode recognition

The launch of the keyboard capitalizes on the recent inclusion of the Tulu-Tigalari script in the Unicode Standard. In 2024, the Unicode Consortium added 80 Tulu characters in Unicode 16, establishing the technical foundation needed for digital platforms to support the script and for developers to build fonts and keyboards.

This technological advancement—achieved through years of dedication by Tulu scholars and organisations like the Tulu Academy—allows young people, who primarily communicate via smartphones, to use their traditional script instead of relying on Kannada, English, or Latin transliteration.

While the Kural Tulu Touch keyboard is currently exclusive to Android platforms, the developers plan to release an iOS version in the future to cater to Apple device users.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The four golds mark an improvement from the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, where sportspersons from the State helped India secure three gold medals.

The four golds mark an improvement from the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, where sportspersons from the State helped India secure three gold medals.

The four golds mark an improvement from the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, where sportspersons from the State helped India secure three gold medals.

Karnataka’s gold medallists this time were Pranavi Urs in women’s individual golf, M.R. Poovamma in the women’s 4x400m relay, H.S. Mohith in men’s hockey and Shreyanka Patil in women’s cricket.

Poovamma and Pranavi also won silver medals as part of India’s 4x400m mixed relay and women’s golf teams, respectively. Golfer Aditi Ashok, who had finished runner-up in the individual event in Hangzhou, joined Pranavi on the podium in the team competition.

Another silver medal came through shooter Tilottama Sen in the women’s 50m rifle three positions event. In 2022, athletes from Karnataka had contributed four silver medals to India’s tally, one more than in 2026.

However, compared to the absence of bronze medals from Karnataka in Hangzhou, the State produced two bronze medallists in Aichi-Nagoya — Ayush Shetty in men’s team badminton and S.S. Sneha in the women’s 4x100m mixed relay.

Overall, with an increase in the number of gold and bronze medals, and only a marginal decline in silver medals, sportspersons from Karnataka improved on their performance from the previous Asian Games.

Meanwhile, the State government is planning to fete the Asian Games medalists later this week. Sources close to the Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that the medal winners are likely to be invited by the Chief Minister and fete them on behalf of the State government.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Pranavi also secures silver in women’s team event

Nagoya (Japan): 

Mysuru’s Pranavi Urs made India proud by winning a historic gold in the women’s individual golf event at the ongoing Asian Games-2026 at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan this morning.

The 23-year-old golfer, overcoming a brief loss of the lead, reclaimed outright control with a crucial birdie on the 13th hole to emerge victorious with a score of 15-under par.

Pranavi, who had carried a three-shot advantage into the final round, was pushed hard as the title race tightened. But having surrendered the lead, she responded at crucial moment, producing the birdie on the 13th hole to reclaim the lead and then held on through the closing holes.

Pranavi is the daughter of Sharath Chandra Raj Urs and Kaivalya Urs, who are residing at Lakshmipuram in Mysuru.

The gold marks a landmark moment for Indian women’s golf, surpassing Aditi Ashok’s silver medal at the previous Asian Games. It also completes a striking turnaround for Pranavi Urs, who had finished fourth with the Indian women’s team and 13th individually at Hangzhou, China, three years ago.

Since then, Pranavi has established herself on the Ladies European Tour (LET), gaining experience against stronger international fields and returning to the Asian Games as a more seasoned professional.

Her charge towards the title had begun well before the final round. Pranavi shot 66, 63 and 66 over the first three rounds to reach 15-under 195 and establish a three-shot lead.

The Mysuru golfer had also spoken before the Games about treating the competition like any other tournament and focusing on her own game rather than allowing the pressure of the team objective to weigh on her.

That approach proved valuable on a final day when the cushion disappeared and the gold medal race became a test of composure as much as golf.

Pranavi’s individual gold also came alongside a silver for India’s women’s team, with Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar finishing behind China in the team competition.

For Indian golf, however, the headline belonged to Pranavi ­- a Games debutant who returned from the disappointment of Hangzhou to deliver the country’s first Asian Games women’s individual golf title.

Silver in women’s team event

The gold marks a landmark moment for Indian women’s golf, surpassing Aditi Ashok’s silver medal at the previous Asian Games. It also completes a striking turnaround for Pranavi Urs, who had finished fourth with the Indian women’s team and 13th individually at Hangzhou, China, three years ago.

Since then, Pranavi has established herself on the Ladies European Tour (LET), gaining experience against stronger international fields and returning to the Asian Games as a more seasoned professional.

Her charge towards the title had begun well before the final round. Pranavi shot 66, 63 and 66 over the first three rounds to reach 15-under 195 and establish a three-shot lead.

The Mysuru golfer had also spoken before the Games about treating the competition like any other tournament and focusing on her own game rather than allowing the pressure of the team objective to weigh on her.

That approach proved valuable on a final day when the cushion disappeared and the gold medal race became a test of composure as much as golf.

Pranavi’s individual gold also came alongside a silver for India’s women’s team, with Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar finishing behind China in the team competition.

For Indian golf, however, the headline belonged to Pranavi ­- a Games debutant who returned from the disappointment of Hangzhou to deliver the country’s first Asian Games women’s individual golf title.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

Adverse Drug Reaction (AMC) Monitoring Centre, Department of Pharmacology, Father Muller Medical College (FMMC), Mangaluru; Under Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, National Co-ordination Centre – Pharmacovigilance Programme of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, secured the 2nd best-performing ADR monitoring centre in India among 1000-plus centres under AMC with the Pharmacovigilance associate category for the year 2025-2026. This achievement was based on the number of adverse drug reactions reported and community sensitisation on adverse drug reaction reporting done during the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week from September 17 to 23.

Awareness and sensitisation of adverse drug reactions and their reporting was done to the patients and to the community at Primary Health Centres and community health centres at Namma Clinic, Malavoor; Urban Primary Health Centres, Jeppu; Father Muller Urban Health Training Centre, Jyothinagar; Father Muller Salvadore Monteiro Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) in Bajpe and Health subcentres at Ammunje and Ammemar, Thumbay; Karambar school, Malavoor. This sensitization was done with the help of pamphlets and banners by Dr Chandralekha N, Prof & head, AMC coordinator, department of pharmacology, Dr Keerthana Melanta, Jr pharmacovigilance associate, post graduates- Dr Sharmi, Dr Amith, Dr Laalithya, Dr Sidharth, Dr Ashok, Dr Annie, Dr Shreya of pharmacology, doctors, interns posted at these centres from September 17 to 23.

The drug allergy card was released by Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo, director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions, on September 30th. This initiative of the Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Monitoring Centre, department of pharmacology, was introduced to mark the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week, observed from September 17 to 23. This drug allergy card will help in preventing inadvertent re-exposure to the offending or related drugs and prevent adverse drug reactions and will promote both medication and patient safety.

The drug allergy card release ceremony and prize distribution were graced by Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo, director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions; chief guest – Dr Rajendra Holla, professor, Department of Pharmacology, K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangaluru; Dr Padmaja Udaykumar, professor and medication safety officer, Department of Pharmacology; Dr Chandralekha N, professor and head and ADR Monitoring Centre coordinator, Department of Pharmacology and Dr Scandashree S, associate professor, Department of Pharmacology, Dr Keerthana Melanta, junior pharmacovigilance associate.

Dr Padmaja Udaykumar, professor & medication safety officer, Department of Pharmacology was the organising chairperson, Dr Chandralekha N, professor and head, AMC co-ordinator, Dept of pharmacology was the organising secretary, Dr Keerthana Melanta is the junior pharmacovigilance associate was the joint organising secretary for the activities of the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week from September 17 to 23. Dr Akshatha Rao Aroor, professor, Department of Medicine is the deputy coordinator of the AMC.

Other activities conducted as a part of National Pharmacovigilance Week 2026,

1. Digital poser competition – under 2 categories were conducted

a) Topic: Pharmacovigilance of drugs affecting the liver and kidney: What, how and where to report

English posters: Winner – Yashitha M P – PharmD intern, Karavali College of Pharmacy, Mangalore

Kannada posters: Winner- Lona Rheshal Gama- PharmD intern, Karavali College of Pharmacy, Mangalore

b) Open category for faculty and students of medical, allied, physiotherapy, nursing, pharmacy, teaching and non-teaching staff of the hospital

1st prize – Dr Jenita Veigas (physician assistant, department of general medicine, FMHT)

2nd prize – Dr Shiji P J (professor, department of community nursing, FMCON)

2. Proactive Pharmacovigilance award for reporting highest number of Adverse Drug Reactions

Winner – Sana Roshan, PharmD intern, Karavali College of Pharmacy, Mangalore

Runner – Vailentina P Gonsalves, pharm D intern

The release of drug allergy card and prize distribution for all the winners were done on September, 30 at the inaugural of the CME- Beyond scales and sugars: Advances in metabolic pharmacotherapy.

The AMC coordinator thanked PharmD interns, doctors and nurses of the hospital, pharmacovigilance committee members for their support in reporting adverse drug reactions and also thanked Dr Padmaja Udaykumar, professor, medication safety officer, for being the driving force behind this achievement.

The event was attended by members of the faculty, postgraduates of Department of Pharmacology, pharmacovigilance committee, heads of departments, faculty members, postgraduate students and delegates from the institution and neighbouring medical colleges.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

In his book, ‘The Sabre Slayers: The Air Battles of the 1965 War with Pakistan’, co-authored with writer Kunal Verma, Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (Retd) says the Sabre posed a major danger to Indian pilots at the time, having earned its reputation against Soviet jets during the Korean War.

The Indian Air Force has a long, storied history dating back to World War 2. But some of its finest moments came in 1965, when its pilots faced Pakistan’s cutting-edge American jet, the feared F-86 Sabre. This war in the sky is the subject of Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (Retd)’s latest book, The Sabre Slayers: The Air Battles of the 1965 War with Pakistan, co-authored with writer Kunal Verma. An air combat veteran and test pilot with a career going back to 1962, Air Marshal Rajkumar’s various writings include The Tejas Story: The Light-Combat Aircraft Project, to name but one.

Being a city full of writers and readers, it is perhaps appropriate that the Air Marshal hails from Bengaluru . He said, “I am a born-and-bred Bangalorean. When I was six months old. my parents shifted to Bengaluru (from Davangere), and I pretty much spent most of my life in the city.  Of my 40 years in the Indian Air Force, 20 were spent in Bengaluru because I was a test pilot and I was working with the Air Force test center and then the Tejas program….You could say that Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan culture had instilled in me a fondness for English literature.”

Air Marshal Rajkumar himself was first commissioned in 1962, starting his training at the then Air Force Flying College at Jodhpur on the HAL HT-2. He was selected for the fighter stream of pilots – with the first operational jet he flew being the ‘Toofani’ – the Indian name of the French fighter-bomber, ‘Dassault Ouragan’. He was then posted to the airbase in Adampur, and remained there up to the outbreak of the war against Pakistan in 1965. At the time, he was flying the Mystere, a French jet that the IAF used mainly for attacks against ground targets.

Air Marshal Rajkumar recalled, “The Mysteres were all ground attack aircraft. During the 65 war, our main job was to support the army…. most of our work was in the Lahore sector. War broke out on the 1st of September when Pakistan attacked in the Chamb sector in Jammu. And the Indian Air Force was pressed into action because we were very hard-pressed at that time. For six days, the action was limited to the Air Force units in Pathankot. And then, when the pressure became intolerable, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri ordered the Indian Army to attack across the international border on the 6th of September.”

After several bases, including the one at Adampur, were raided by the Pakistan Air Force, a retaliatory attack was launched by the IAF against the airfields in Sargodha. This would be Rajkumar’s first combat operation.

Recalling the day, he said, “As Field Marshal Manekshaw so famously said, ‘If a man says he is not afraid to die, he is either a liar or a Gurkha. So, since I am neither a liar nor a Gurkha, I was scared. Of course, there is a lot of tension when you are going into operation. But the funny thing is, once you get into the cockpit. you get too involved in doing the mission, flying the aircraft, and so on – you put your fear away and concentrate on the mission.”

The Sabre posed a major danger to Indian pilots at the time, having earned its reputation against Soviet jets during the Korean War, with a good turning rate and six machine guns. To make matters worse, around 20 of the approximately 100 Pakistani Sabres were armed with the newly invented Sidewinder guided missiles. A few Pakistani Starfighter jets also had these missiles. Explaining how this complicated the war, the Marshal said, “We had just received a small number of MiG-21s, which was about six or eight aircraft, and those were equipped with the first-generation K-13 Russian missile, which was actually a Russian copy of the Sidewinder. It was a very small number….the problem is when you encounter a Sabre in the sky you don’t know whether it is carrying a missile or not….So you have to assume that every Sabre you see has the missile and therefore you have to plan your tactics accordingly.”

An unlikely protagonist emerged against the Sabre from the Indian side – the locally licence-made Folland Gnat, which became nicknamed the ‘Sabre Slayer’. According to the Air Marshal, the small, maneuverable jet had a high thrust-to-weight ratio, very good turning performance, and a very high rate of climb, making it a match for the Sabre in dogfights. Ironically, Air Marshal Rajkumar never got to fly the Gnat during the 1965 war, but only in later years as a test pilot. By this time, he had already gotten to fly the Mig 21 (at that time one of the top jets in the world) and thus was not as impressed as his colleagues who got to fly the Gnat in the pre-MiG years.

Going forward, Air Marshal Rajkumar is contemplating writing a book on how Bengaluru, often thought of as a sleepy “pensioner’s paradise”, became India’s aerospace capital.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

The Manipal Startup Expo-2026, organised by the MAHE-Karnataka Government Bio-Incubator (MGOKB) and Manipal Universal Technology Business Incubator (MUTBI) to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, was held at Dr TMA Pai Hall, KMC, Manipal, on Tuesday.

Inaugurating the expo, MAHE vice-chancellor Dr Sharath K Rao said innovative ideas that offer faster, easier, cost-effective and high-quality services in various sectors have the potential to evolve into advanced research and successful ventures.

“MAHE has a strong ecosystem that supports the growth and development of startups. Technology is advancing rapidly, and startups are growing alongside these developments,” he said.

Dr Sharath K Rao also launched products developed by various startups at the expo and extended his best wishes to the participating entrepreneurs.

He said students today possess considerable talent and that their innovative ideas need to be encouraged and supported. Such ideas, he added, could eventually develop into successful startups.

“During the first year, 64 startups participated in the Manipal Startup Expo. This year, the number has increased to 98, and in the coming years, we expect participation to cross 150 startups,” he said.

Speaking virtually, Chhaya Chavan, manager at BIRAC under the central government, said technology is developing rapidly and startups have significant opportunities to develop innovative products using modern systems and technologies and bring them to society.

She noted that India’s startup ecosystem is steadily becoming more robust, creating greater opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.

MUTBI CEO Dr Santhosh Rao, Innovation Centre AIO Dr Malue Peter and senior adviser Dr Lazar Math were present.

MGOKB CEO Dr Manish Thomas welcomed the gathering and delivered the introductory remarks. Saniya compered the programme.

The Manipal Startup Expo featured 98 stalls showcasing innovative products and initiatives from various sectors. The exhibition brought together startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), student innovators, investors, industry promoters and other stakeholders.

Products and innovations related to sectors including education, healthcare, drinking water and other emerging fields were among those displayed at the expo.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The Department of Tourism Studies of Karnatak Arts College, Karnatak University, Dharwad, has received the Karnataka Tourism Award-2026 in the category of ‘Best Educational Institution in Tourism’ in the State.

The Department of Tourism Studies of Karnatak Arts College, Karnatak University, Dharwad, has received the Karnataka Tourism Award-2026 in the category of ‘Best Educational Institution in Tourism’ in the State.

The award was presented at the World Tourism Day celebrations, held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on September 27.

In the presence of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Energy and Tourism Minister K.J. George presented the award to Head of the Department of Tourism Studies Jagadish Kivudanavar and principal of Karnatak Arts College I.C. Mulagund.

Established in 2007, the department has been contributing to the development of skilled human resources for the tourism and hospitality sectors through quality education and industry-oriented training.

The department provides students with practical exposure through industrial visits, internships, field studies, workshops, seminars and collaborations with industry partners.

Its academic and outreach activities encompass sustainable tourism, heritage conservation, digital tourism, religious tourism and innovation in tourism education, a release stated.

The award recognises the collective efforts of the department’s faculty, students, alumni, industry partners and the university administration, the department said.

Rani Ravishankar and Kedar Nath Angadi were among those present at the award ceremony.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Outlining his priorities, Mr. Kochikar said the strength Mangaluru’s port and maritime economy brings to the region is a natural advantage worth building on further.

Divakar Pai Kochikar, a third generation family entrepreneur and owner of a technology venture, was elected the President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday, September 28, in Mangaluru.

Ashwin Pai Maroor was elected the vice president, Abdul Rahman Musaba the Treasurer and Jeethan Allen Sequeira and Vincent Cutinha were elected the Secretaries of the Chamber at its 86th annual general meeting. Nissar Fakeer Mohammed, Amith Ramachandra Acharya, B.A. Nazeer, Aditya Padmanabha Pai, M. Athmika Amin, Nandagopal Shenoy, Sujir Prasad Nayak, Ajay Prabhu Karkala, Nitte Dasharath Shetty, Vincent Joseph Neeliyara, Balakrishna Janardhana Jeppu and Ranjal Rajnish Nayak were elected as the directors.

Mr. Kochikar, a graduate in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, began his career in banking software at Nucleus Software, Noida, and later worked with Infosys on Apple projects, before returning to Mangaluru to join his family business. He is the third-generation executive director of Swasti Cashew Industries Private Ltd., established in 1952. It is a company with a pioneering history in cashew processing and Cashew Nut Shell Liquid, which today operates warehousing facilities. He is also involved in rubber cultivation, arecanut and pepper farming.

Mr. Kochikar co-founded Kochikar Technologies LLP. He co-created MyPoojaBooking, a temple management platform used by lakhs of devotees for online sevas, donations and room bookings, including self-service kiosks. The firm also develops Sahay Mitra, a scholarship platform that has helped thousands of students access financial support from trusts across the country.

Outlining his priorities, Mr. Kochikar said the strength Mangaluru’s port and maritime economy brings to the region is a natural advantage worth building on further. He also highlighted considerable headroom for growth in finance, education, healthcare, IT and tourism, stressing that equipping the region’s youth with the right skills will be key to converting this potential into real opportunity. He added that KCCI’s trading community, its founding base, remains just as central to this vision.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)