The 'Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award' ceremony was held with great grandeur in Bengaluru.

• 7
• 0

The 'Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award' ceremony was held with great grandeur in Bengaluru.

Organised by the state's prestigious business magazine, "Icons of Indian Business," this 41st edition of the awards ceremony was a highly significant and magnificent event. The 'Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award - 2026' ceremony took place on Thursday, October 14, 2026.

The event was held at 7:00 PM in the banquet hall of the renowned Vividus Hotel in Bengaluru, which was packed with attendees. More than 50 achievers from various fields, who had travelled from distant places, were present to receive their awards.

A performance by Anil, a renowned artist hailing from North Karnataka, left everyone amazed. Anil earned great appreciation for creating a portrait of Sir M. Visvesvaraya using an 'upside-down' painting technique. Prior to the main proceedings, the well-known singer Vinay entertained the audience with his melodious rendition of classic songs.

The event was further enhanced by the hosting of young presenter Ms Nanditha, who, with her excellent oratory style, introduced the distinguished guests in detail and invited them onto the stage.

Srinivas Thimmagowda, Editor-in-Chief of the publication *Icons of Indian Business*, delivered the welcome address, explaining the core objective of the publication and its journey of growth over the past six years.

Since successfully organising its first awards ceremony in 2021, the organisation has hosted 40 events to date, honouring more than 2,400 achievers with awards. Furthermore, the publication has featured over 4,000 entrepreneurs—an initiative that continues to this day.

Speaking as the chief guest, the newly appointed President of FKCCI, Mr Sairam Prasad, lauded the immense contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya to the state. He expressed that serving as the President of an organisation like FKCCI—which carries forward the legacy of Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s contributions to this land—is a matter of great pride as well as a significant responsibility. He highlighted how FKCCI supports the state and its entrepreneurs, and extended his congratulations to all the achievers who received awards.

Dr Subrahmanya Sharma G., grandson of the former President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, spoke on the occasion. While conveying his best wishes to the award recipients, he reflected on his own family's contributions to the nation and emphasised the significance of such awards.

Mr Basavaraju, a KAS officer and the Managing Director of the Karnataka Minerals Development Corporation, remarked that Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s achievements were monumental. He praised the initiative of presenting awards in Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s name and extended his best wishes to the publication.

Decades ago, Mr Radhakrishna Holla arrived in Bengaluru from distant Kasaragod. He began his journey working hard as a hotel server (waiter). Through sheer perseverance, he rose from those humble beginnings—starting with just a single Ambassador car—to build 'Kaveri Cars,' a massive enterprise that now provides employment to hundreds of people and has established him as a prominent entrepreneur.

Mr Radhakrishna Holla... He also attended the event as a guest, serving as an inspiration to all the award recipients. His words were deeply appreciated by our publication and the achievers alike. Radhakrishna Holla currently serves on the Managing Committee of the FKCCI and is the President of the Karnataka Tourist Vehicles Operators Association.

V. Venugopal.Chief Engineer (Retired)

Retired Chief Engineer from HAL (a Defence Public Sector Undertaking); a resident of Indiranagar, Bengaluru, since 1967.President of "Bhumi Boo Global Ventures."President of the Karnataka Veterans Athletics Association (VAAK).

Senior Vice President of the Veterans Athletics Federation of India (VAFI).Executive Member of the Indian Fitness Bodybuilders Federation (IFBF).Landowner, real estate developer, and agriculturist.

Indian football player, Indian Ball Badminton champion, and athlete. World Champion at the UWSFF World Arm Wrestling Championship held in Thailand in November 2025—winning a gold medal for India. ...have emerged victorious.

As a social worker, he has served society and the public for the past 50 years and has contributed to various temple-related initiatives. It is a matter of great pride that she graced our event; her highly inspiring words added a special lustre to the occasion.

Another chief guest, Mr Bhaskaran—who holds a high-ranking position within the Rotary organisation and is actively engaged in social service—also attended. Mr Bhaskaran, who has supported our publication since its inception, extended his best wishes to all the achievers. In his address, he highlighted the pivotal role education plays in our lives. He noted that his own two children have become prominent doctors and have earned great recognition in society—a success he attributes primarily to their education. He further illustrated the importance of education and the acquisition of knowledge by citing Sir M. Visvesvaraya as a prime example of how learning shapes one's life.

Mr B. C. Nagaraj, who completed his engineering education in Bengaluru and went on to establish the Kuppam Engineering College in Andhra Pradesh—where he currently serves as Chairman—also attended the event. As a chief guest, he congratulated all the award recipients. Notably, Mr B. C. Nagaraj himself is a recipient of the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award.

The following is an introduction to the achievers who received the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award.

1 Dr Krupakar Narayanaswamy,   State Award Teacher, Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Excellence in Educational & social service

2 Nithish Sheshagiri, Apex Fashion Lab. Emerging entrepreneur in the Apparel industry     

3 Rtn. B. K  Gurumurthy, Rotary Coffee Land, civil engineer, contractor & social entrepreneur.   Best civil Engineer, contractor & social Entrepreneur

4 Mr Ramana Venkat Swamy, Production Manager, Siddhi Precision Industries, Abbigere, B'lore. Best precision Components Manufacturing

5 Dr Satyanarayana Sheshagiri, Managing Director, Sheshagiri Industries Pvt. Ltd., Annapurneshwari Layout, B'lore. Excellence in the Apparel industry

6 Mr Prakash K., Proprietor, Precision Fab Tech, Nijaguna Industrial Area, Seegehalli, B'lore. Excellence in CNC Laser Fabrication & Powder coating

7 Sri B.V. Sadananda Reddy, President, Swabhimani Souharda Credit Co-operative Limited, V.V. Puram, B'lore, Excellence in Co-operative Banking services

8.   Mr Basavaraj Agadi, Proprietor, Agadi Enterprises, Dharwad, best agricultural equipment dealer

9. Mr P Sailendranath, Engineer (civil/telecom), Japps Infra, Nellore, excellence in civil & telecom engineering

10. Dr Abhishek Venkateshwar, Professor & HOD, Business Administration, EAN, innovation & entrepreneurship  development, director, Global & Executive MBA, CENTRE HEAD, PhD (DBA Acharya Institute of Technology, B'lore  

11. Mr Deepak Hosamani,   Nandeshwar Industries, Jalahalli village, B'lore,   Best drip Irrigation & Sprinklers & Accessories

12. Dr Balakrishna S. Maddodi, PhD, FGCI Academician, environmental Educator, social impact leader, MAHE, Manipal, India. Excellence Academic Leadership Award

13.   Dr Srinivasa Prasanna, Head, Research & Development Centre, M.N. Technical Institute, Excellence in technical teaching profession

14. Mr Vijeth K,   BIM Modeller, Kadur, Chickamangalore, District Best BIM Modellers, in Construction Industries

15. Er. Sreevinoth. T, Chartered Engineer & Approved valuer, Co-founder, Priyadarshini Spaces E-commerce (Construction & interior Products ), B'lore  

16. Dr V.B. Krishnan Phd Inudustrialist/Advisor, Research, Development & Manufacturing, B'lore; Excellence in Industrial Management

17. Mr Deepak Sonnappa,   Managing  Director, Abhivrudhi Construction, Sahakar Nagar, B'lore;   Excellence in Civil Engineering & Construction Company

18. Dr Ravi Kumar V N, Founder: Neeladri Pest Control, Kolar,  PMA EC Member (South Zone),   Best Pest Control Service & Social Entrepreneur

19. Mr Ambrish Reddy,   Founder: Richbuild Construction, Koigehalli, B'lore,   Best civil engineers & construction company

20. Mr Ashwin,   Proprietor, Jagaish Outdoor Media, Jayanagar, Bangalore, excellence in outdoor advertising

21. Mr Guru,   Founder, Vasu Construction and Builders, Yalahanka New Town, B'lore,   Best construction & designing Company

22. Dr Yerragunta Narayana Swamy, Founder & Chairman M/s NDD ELECTRICAL PVT LTD, B'lore, Excellence in Electrical Consulting & Contracting

23. Mr Murralidhhar B. Arch, MCA, FIIA,   Suvasthuk Sahakara Nagar, Bangalore,   Excellence in Architectural Design, Planning & Vastu consultant

24. Mr K. M. Lakshmi Narayana, Founder, TTD Construction, Yalahanka, B'lore,   Best Civil Engineers & Construction Company.

25. V. Venugopal,   Chief Engineer (RD), HAL, Defence Public Sector, Chairman, BHOOMI BOO GLOBAL VENTURES, Bangalore.   Excellence in HAL Defence & Sports Service. 

 26. Dr Pushpalatha Mahalank/Veeranagouda Goudra, MSc, PhD,   Mathematics Researcher and Professor, Marathon Runner and Influencer,   Excellence in International Race Walking, Professor & Mathematics Researcher

27. Er. Shanawaz M. Kathewadi, M.Tech Structural Engineering, KBN ASSOCIATES, Hubli Best Civil Engineers & Structural Engineering

28. Er. Ch. Chandrasekhar Srinivas, M.Tech Structural Engineer, C S Associates, Vijayawada Excellence in Structural Engineering

29. Mr B. C. Nagaraj, MBA,   Founder Chairman, Kuppam Engineering College, Kuppam Best Engineering College

30. Mr C R Sathyanarayana FREEZE, President, Federation of Indian Photography, Wildlife&Pictorial Photography, Bangalore,   Excellence in Wildlife & Pictorial Photography

31. Mr V. Manikandan,   Proprietor, VMS Group, Muneshwara Nagar, Hosur,   Best Land Developers, Real Estate, Construction & Multiple Business

32. Shri. R Srinath,   Astrologer, Vastu Consultant, Spiritual Book Collection & Priest, Hosur Best Spiritual Services & Spiritual Ambassador

33. Mr Vijay Prakash Singh,   B. Tech (CSE), D. ( GenAT & Agentic AI-GGU), AND Hon. D. (Tech & Innovation-OCU), Bangalore Excellence In Global Enterprise Architecture, AI & Digital Transformation Leadership

34. Shilpi Bhanuprakashacharya Kashyapasya Shilpa Kalakendra, Shivarapattana, Malur Excellence in Shilpakala, Temple Architect, Vastu Shilpa & Kalapraveena

35. Mr Adam Altaf Dabawala,   Managing Director, PRESTIGE ENTERPRISES, Yeshwantpur, Bangalore.   Best Importer & Exporter of Food Grains, Dry Fruits & Spices

36. Mr Praveen Kulkarni,   Founder, Yaduveer Properties, Bangalore.   Best Real Estate Consultant Through Digital Media

37. Mr Harsha Vardhan,   Founder, HK Architects& Interior Designs, Whitefield, Bangalore.   Excellence in Architecture & Interior Design

38. Navitha Singhal,   Principal Architect, NS Associates, Hyderabad.   Best Architect & Interior Designer

39. Mr Harsharaj,   Founder, Raj Infra Builders & Developers, Hosadurga,   Best Land Developers & Builders Company