Tag: Records of Karnataka

KARNATAKA: ELECTRIC SCOOTERS: Bengaluru-based EV start-up, River, raises $40 Million in oversubscribed Series B round

The deal was led by Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Existing investors Al Futtaim Group, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Maniv Mobility also participated in the round.

River, a Bengaluru-based start-up building multi-utility electric scooters, has announced a $40 million (335 INR Crores) Series B led by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. The round also saw participation from existing investors Al-Futtaim Automotive, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Maniv Mobility.

This round takes the cumulative fund raised by the company to $68 Million (565 INR Crores) since its inception in March 2021. With this funding, the company plans to scale the distribution and service network across the country and invest further in R&D for future lineup of products.

“We are impressed by the progress that River has achieved in such a short span of time, especially with the strong focus on design and technology. We are excited about the conviction that Aravind and Vipin have for River and how Yamaha can support the company to achieve this”,said Hajime “Jim” Aota, Chief General Manager of New Business Development Centre, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

River started selling its first product Indie, the SUV of scooters in October 2023. Indie was fully designed and developed at the River R&D facility in Bengaluru and manufactured in the River Factory at Hoskote in the outskirts of Bengaluru. The first River store opened in Bangalore in January 2024.

“It’s been a pleasure to watch River grow since our first investment in 2023. Indie made a strong debut in the Indian market and stands out from anything that is out there. We also see strong potential for Indie in many international markets. We are excited about the next phase of growth for River both inside and outside India”, said Paul Willis, CEO of Al-Futtaim Automotive.

River is the first Indian investment of all its investors – Tel Aviv based Maniv Mobility, San Francisco based Trucks VC, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Dubai based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Automotive.

“The investment is a significant boost for our plan to build a Billion-dollar global utility-lifestyle brand by 2030. We have built a great base in R&D and manufacturing over the last two years and now, it’s time to grow,” said Aravind Mani, Co-founder and CEO of River.

“The collaboration with Yamaha will help us leverage the design and technology capability that we have built at River,”said Vipin George, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at River. “I learned to ride on a Yamaha motorcycle and have been amazed by the highest levels of performance that they stand for. And now, Yamaha investing in River is quite a surreal feeling. I’m excited about what the partnership can achieve,” he added.

River started selling its units in October 2023 and close to 200 vehicles have been sold till January 2024. The company which plans to expand its presence to 10 cities including in the next six months and 100 cities in the next two years, has seen a valuation increase of 15-20x in the last 2.5 years.

According to a release from the company the start-up plans to launch one more product by 2026.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS SUCCESS: AGRICULTURE to RESTAURANTS: From Software Coding to Culinary Success: The success story of Mallikarjun Hatti, an Engineer’s Farm-to-Plate idea in a hotel the ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’, Vijayapura

We have come across many instances of highly-paid engineers leaving their jobs in foreign countries and coming back to India to start their own businesses. While not many succeed in their endeavour, some like Mallikarjun Hatti from Vijayapura in Karnataka do.

Mallikarjun used to work as a software engineer in the United States and used to earn Rs 3.5 lakh per month. His yearly income was nearly half a crore Rupees! Yet he chose to return to his motherland to start something of his own. When he came back to India, his neighbours and friends laughed at him and his ideas.

Mallikarjun’s family was also tense because a sudden change in the domain could cause a lack of funds. He joined the US-based software company in 2008 and returned to India in 2013 after resigning from the company. In 2018, he started farming. He grew cereals and millet on his farmland. Later, he decided to start his own business by selling millet and cereals. 

Startup based on a Farm-to-Plate theme

Mallikarjun had many ideas regarding his startup. He selected the Farm-to-Plate theme, in which he decided to sell cereals as food to the people. Initially, people did not give heed to his ideas and startup. After a few days, he initiated another idea to start a hotel based on the millet he grew and serve only cereal and millet-based food items.

The hotel surged in business during the Covid pandemic. The season that impacted many people, turned out to be good fortune for Mallikarjun. He provided the best quality food items, which people appreciated. The health benefits of the millet are many. During the pandemic, there was an urge among people to eat healthy food. 

His hotel, ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ became very famous in the locality. His efforts finally started to pay out during the pandemic, as the people who did not pay any heed to him initially, started to turn towards a healthy lifestyle when the pandemic hit them hard.

He started the hotel ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ at Golagumbaz Road in Vijayapura. He prepares the food with the 9 variants of millets he grows on his own farmland. Government officials, travellers and other customers are regular to the hotel. Everyone wants a healthy alternative to the foods they consume every day. 

Mallikarjun does not add any kind of chemical or tasty ingredients to his food and believes in serving the food naturally. Snacks and lunch are prepared in the hotel with arka, Udalu, Navane and other millets. People suffering from BP and diabetes come here and enjoy nutritious food.

Earning 7.5 lakh per month!

Mallikarjun used to earn Rs 3.5 lakh per month while he was in the US. His decision to leave the high-paying job was very challenging in the initial days. Due to his visionary startup ideas, the hotel ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ is today very popular. People from far and wide travel to Vijayapura to visit his hotel and enjoy the food. 

There are currently 20 workers at the hotel and Mallikarjun earns Rs 7.5 lakh per month, through the business. He has also started a food processing unit and wants to extend his hotel as a franchise to other cities as well.

source/content: newsable.asianetnews.com (headline edited) / Asianet Newsable

KARNATAKA: SPORTS / CRICKET: Bengaluru teen 19-yr-old Prakhar Chaturvedi smashes Record with 404* in Cooch Behar Trophy final

Having recently come to the fore, Prakhar Chaturvedi, the 19-yr-old B’luru cricketer who broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final, on the historic knock, and his next course of action.

 Earlier last month, the finale of the Cooch Behar Trophy saw Karnataka lift a historic maiden title after defeating Mumbai with a mammoth first-innings lead. And equally historic was the unbeaten innings by a teenager from Bengaluru – 404 runs off 638 balls – which not only helped Karnataka sail through to the title but also broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final.

“Honestly, it’s still sinking in! Throughout the innings, I was just trying to stay focused on each ball, build partnerships, and contribute to the team’s victory. During lunchtime when I was playing at 299, my friends told me that the old record was 358. So it was in the back of my mind after I crossed 300, but my main goal was to play my best and help us win,” says Prakhar Chaturvedi, who, a few years earlier, was not picked for the Karnataka U19 zonal tournament.

“I was determined to play for Karnataka, so the only way was to score as many runs as possible in the U19 league and zonal.

So, I worked hard for the next eight to nine months, and last year, I was the highest run scorer in the U19 league. When I got the opportunity to play zonal, I was the second highest run scorer of the tournament and it helped me in state selection,” adds the 19-year-old who is currently pursuing a degree in BA economics online, studying when his schedule permits.

Having started his cricketing journey at the age of 11, Chaturvedi grew up watching some of the biggest players of this generation, yet considers Sir Vivian Richards, the legendary West Indies cricketer, his role model. “I have been growing up watching Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. Though I have only watched them play on TV, I have picked up some of the tricks of the modern game from them.

However, I consider Sir Viv Richards to be my role model. I have learnt from him the pure joy of playing the game, the freedom to swing hard and trust your skills, and the feeling of owning the field like it is your backyard. Cricket, especially long innings, demands mental strength,” he adds.

Meanwhile, despite his historic knock, Chaturvedi remains grounded about his prospects. “I know this is the beginning and there is a long way to go. I have a lot to learn and improve, but it motivates me to work even harder and achieve even greater things in the future. The next five years are very crucial. I would say that the next two-three years are very crucial for my preparation.

I am yet to get exposed to the highest level of competitive cricket. So, my focus is to learn and adapt as quickly as possible and perform wherever I get the opportunity. I am currently representing Karnataka U23 at the CK Nayudu Trophy and I want to perform well in this tournament. I am a firm believer in process and taking one step at a time,” he says.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: KANNADA LANGUAGE: Study by Linguist Basavaraj Kodagunti maps Kannada beyond Karnataka borders

In all, 40 districts in the country have more than one lakh Kannada speakers; only 17 districts in Karnataka have more than 10 lakh Kannada speakers each.

Districts having more than 10,000 Kannada speakers. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A language should have at least 10,000 speakers to be listed in the census, with anything less getting clustered under the head of “Others”. Spread across south India, as many as 67 districts have Kannada listed as a category, which includes 30 districts in Karnataka, 16 in Tamil Nadu, nine in Maharashtra, five in Telangana, three in Andhra Pradesh, two each in Kerala and Goa, when the 2011 census is taken into account.

Basavaraj Kodagunti, linguist and researcher at the Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, has analysed the language-related data to shed light on the distribution of Kannada speakers on the south Indian landscape.

Only 17 districts in Karnataka have more than 10 lakh Kannada speakers each. Bidar, Yadgir, Gadag, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagalur, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Chickballapur, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, and Kolar districts have less than 10 lakh Kannada speakers.

Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu

If you consider the districts that have more than five lakh and less than 10 lakh Kannada speakers, all the districts in the State expect Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu fall in the category. If you take districts that have more than four lakh and less than five lakh Kannada speakers, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu still remain outside, but interestingly Solapur in Maharashtra enters this category.

When districts which have more than two lakh and less than four lakh Kannada speakers are considered, Solapur of Maharashtra and Coimbatore and Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu come in and Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu still remain outside the category.

In all, 40 districts in the country have more than one lakh Kannada speakers, which include all the districts in Karnataka, four districts in Maharashtra (Solapur, Sangli, Pune, and Thane), four districts from Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Erode, and Nilgiris) and two districts from Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur and Kurnool).

No shared borders

Interestingly, of the 10 districts outside the State having more than one lakh Kannada speakers, three districts – Pune and Thane in Maharashtra and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu – don’t share borders with the Karnataka

There are 46 districts in the country that have more than 50,000 Kannada speakers, including 30 districts in Karnataka, seven districts in Tamil Nadu, five districts in Maharashtra, three districts in Andhra Pradesh, and one district in Kerala.

Mr. Kodagunti says that his study gives a view of the distribution of Kannada speakers outside the State and can help the government design policies and programmes focusing on the Kannada speakers outside the State.

“Since there was no decadal census in 2021, I had to rely on the 2011 census data to analyse the distribution of Kannada speakers. The analysis showed interesting facts about the significant distribution of Kannada speakers around Karnataka,” Mr. Kodagunti told The Hindu. He plans to compile his analytical essays based on linguistic data into a book soon.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA – INDIA’s FIRST: Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd ( MRPL), becomes India’s First AS 9100: D Certified Refinery

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has been certified with AS9100:D standard prepared by International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) to assure customer satisfaction in aviation, space and defence organisations, under the scope of “production, storage, testing and distribution of aviation turbine fuel”.

MRPL is India’s first refinery to get this new aerospace standard. The aerospace industry demands the utmost precision, reliability, and safety in its supply chain. As a certified organization, MRPL is now well-positioned to serve as a trusted partner to aerospace companies within India and globally.

The standard ensures the interaction and configuration of various processes, from sourcing raw materials to the final product certification.

The certification process involves a stage audit of the entire life cycle of ATF, involving production criticalities like the addition of qualified additives and catalysts, standardisation of production processes, transfer through a dedicated pipeline network, ensuring fuel devoid of foreign object detection (FOD) in storage tanks, followed by certification and distribution to customers.

MRPL’s newly acquired certification is expected to give it leverage to expand its presence in the aerospace sector.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL : KARNATAKA: Bengaluru Kendriya Vidyala Student R. Bhavana presents Science Project at PM’s Pariksha pe Charcha

R. Bhavana represented the KVS Bengaluru region at the programme in Delhi.

R. Bhavana, a class 9 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, DRDO, Bengaluru, presented her science project at the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme held on January 29 in Bharath Mandapam, Pragathi Maidan, New Delhi. As part of the programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students appearing for board exams this year.

R. Bhavana represented the KVS Bengaluru region at the programme in Delhi. Her project on a health monitoring system has earned recognition for its innovative approach, according to Kendriya Vidyalaya, DRDO, Bengaluru.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited0

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Two students from Kundapur, Sullia selected to participate in Pariksha Pe Charcha with PM Modi

Two students from Kundapur and Sullia have been selected to participate in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, which will be held on Monday, January 29, in New Delhi.

Gargi Devi, a ninth-grade student at HMM English Medium Primary and V K R Acharya High School, promoted by Kundapur Education Society, and Achal Bilinele, a first PU science student at Mudipu Jawahara Navodaya Vidyalaya, are the participants in this event.

This year, 2.05 crore students, 14.93 lakh teachers, and 5.69 lakh parents from all over the country will take part in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme online.

Two individuals who won in the national-level art festival have the opportunity to participate in the Republic Day parade and have a discussion in person with PM Modi during Pariksha Pe Charcha.

Gargi Devi secured the first place in the state-level art festival of 2023-24 and won a bronze medal in the classical dance competition of the national-level art festival.

Achal Bilinele has been selected to demonstrate a science model that explains the functioning of Chandrayana-3 in a simple manner understandable by commoners.

Achal is representing the Hyderabad zone of Navodaya Vidyalaya. Out of the 600 Jawahara Navodaya Vidyalayas in the country, eight have the opportunity to participate in the programme. Achal is the son of lecturer Chandrashekhara Bilinele and Dr Anuradha Kurunji.

Achal’s mother, Dr Anuradha, met the then PM Atal Bihari Vajapayee exactly 25 years ago on January 29, 1999. Achal will be meeting PM Modi on the same date and month after 25 years.

Gargi is the daughter of Ashok Suvarna and Natya Vidushi Pravita Ashok, a couple from Devalkunda. She is the second student from Kundapur to be selected to participate in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme. In March 2021, Anusha, a student of Albady-Ardy Charamakki Narayana Shetty Memorial High School, participated in the same programme.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited0

KARNATAKA: AI in MEDICINE: Siemens Healthineers opens Precision Medicine Lab at IISc

Siemens Healthineers and IISc inaugurated the Siemens Healthineers-Computational Data Sciences (CDS) Collaborative Laboratory for AI in Precision Medicine at IISc campus in the city.

The laboratory would develop open-source AI-based tools to precisely automate the segmentation of pathological findings in neuroimaging data, with a focus on accurately diagnosing neurological diseases and analysing their clinical impact at a population level, said Peter Schardt, Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Healthineers while inaugurating the lab.

The focus of this collaborative laboratory would be to work closely with neurologists, radiologists and Siemens Healthineers and integrate the developed computational models into their regular clinical workflows, the company said.

Mr. Schardt said, “The collaboration with IISc solidifies our commitment to advancing precision medicine through AI using state-of-the-art, data-driven deep-learning techniques. Leveraging IISc’s academic excellence and our strong core in medical imaging, smart solutions developed through this collaboration will help us ultimately save lives through precise diagnoses and evidence-based treatments”.

Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science, said, “This lab marks a crucial step forward in unlocking the potential of AI for precision medicine.”

India was one of the four global innovation hubs for Siemens Healthineers, and the company was committed to being catalysts in interdisciplinary research, stated Dileep Mangsuli, Executive Director, Siemens Healthineers.

“Along with IISc, we aim to reshape the landscape of neuroscientific progress through the capabilities of artificial intelligence, translating laboratory insights into intelligent solutions. We want to empower the broader clinical research community and be changemakers in the fight against world’s most life-threatening diseases,” Mr. Mangsuli added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

REGIONAL: KARNATAKA: TRAVEL & TOURISM: Bengaluru to function as Hub of Thomas Cook’s Charter Operations for South India

The travel firm’s maiden air charter service will be between Bengaluru and Bhutanese Capital Thimphu, a three-hour flight, starting in April 2024.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited, an omnichannel travel services company, has forayed into charter services to cater to the growing interest among customers in South India for holiday destinations in South Asian and European countries.

Bengaluru will function as the hub of Thomas Cook’s charter operations for South India and leisure/holidays tourists from across the region would be able to board the charter flights departing from the city, Romil Pant, executive vice-president & Business Head (Holidays), Thomas Cook, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The travel firm’s maiden air charter service will be between Bengaluru and Bhutanese Capital Thimphu, a three-hour flight, starting in April 2024.

“We will hire a 126-seater airplane from Bhutan Airlines and will operate five charter flights every eight days starting from April 27. This is the first time we are entering into the chartering space and we may extend this service to connect other neighbouring countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka and also some European destinations,” Mr Pant said.

Commenting on the rationale of starting the charter service from Bengaluru, he said Karnataka and Bengaluru were the company’s biggest markets in the country. For instance, the southern region solely contributed 45% of Thomas Cook’s total business in the country.

Currently, there is no direct flight to Bhutan from the southern region, only Delhi and Kolkata offer direct flights and land travel also takes a lot of time.

“South India is the largest contributor to the holidays business for us, overtaking the West and North India. Bengaluru and Karnatka has emerged as our number 1 source market for the leisure segment. Huge demand is coming from small cities including Mysuru, Udupi, and Hubballi too,” he added.

Commenting on travel trends in Bengaluru, Mr. Pant said the travel firm had witnessed a 60% increase in demand this year compared to 2019, the travel spend also increased by up to 30%, and average holiday duration has increased to seven days from three days compared to 2019 levels. The most favourite destinations for Bengalureans have been Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Mauritius, Singapore, Dubai, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, and Georgia while Andamans, Kashmir, North-East, Rajasthan, Kerala, Coorg, Chickmagaluru, Kabini, and Ooty are their favourite domestic getaways.

“We are very bullish on Bengaluru and Karnataka and we are investing deeply in this high potential market and are expanding our footprint here. We expect to see a business uptick of 30% from Karnataka in 2024,” Mr. Pant added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: CITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT-MAJOR MILESTONE: Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Clocks 100 Crore Foot Falls ever since its inception

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Achieves Major Milestone with 100 Crore Footfalls.

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro clocked more than 100 crore foot falls from 2012 when it was first launched, said Bengaluru Metro Transport Corporation (BMRCL) in an announcement. This is said to be a major milestone for the key public transport system of the IT Capital.

The first metro line in Bengaluru was launched in the year 2012 and was between Baiyappanahalli and MG Road. The 6.7 kilometers metro on the Purple Line was widely used by the public, with an average daily ridership of 33,152 passengers during the first year.

BMRCL later extended metro lines to most parts of the city in phases. In 2016-17, the Majestic metro station was opened on the Purple line, and it turned out to be one of the busiest metro stations in the city, connecting areas like Mysuru Road, Jayanagar and Baiyappanahalli. The average daily ridership then crossed 1 lakh passengers.

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro has 65 stations with an operational network of 74 kilometres.

In December 2023 alone, Bengaluru’s Namma Metro recorded two crore footfalls. This is said to be the highest monthly ridership for Namma Metro, ever since it was launched, and it also saw a spike in average daily ridership.

Making Purple Line fully operational in October last year by connecting Whitefield to Bengaluru South and Bengaluru Central was a game changer for BMRCL.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally dedicated the full operations of Bengaluru metro’s Purple Line to the people of the IT capital by inaugurating two pending stretches, Baiyappanahalli – KR Puram and Kengeri – Challaghatta, on October 20. The Purple Line operations started on October 9 without much fanfare or an inaugural event.

During the launch of Purple Line, BMRCL expected the increase in ridership would be at least between 70,000 and 1 lakh people, but it has only risen to roughly 60,000 passengers per day.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)