Mohandas Pai pitches Mangaluru as next innovation hotspot: ‘25,000 techies, great beaches and food'

TV Mohandas Pai praised Mangaluru as India's next innovation hub, citing its talent, affordable living, and vibrant startup scene.

Published on: Oct 6, 2025, 14:13:33 IST

By Anagha Deshpande

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Former Infosys CFO and venture capitalist TV Mohandas Pai has hailed Mangaluru as the country’s next major innovation and startup hub, citing its growing talent base, affordable lifestyle, and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

TV Mohandas Pai, chairman, Aarin Capital (HT Photo)

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pai wrote, “Mangaluru is the next hotspot for innovation in India, great talent, very good quality of life, affordable housing, great schools, wonderful people, great food. Now unique workspaces to start off, 25,000 techies already. Great beaches, resorts, etc. GO FOR IT!”

(Also Read: Karnataka CM proposes to name Bengaluru's Namma Metro after social reformer Basavanna )

Pai was responding to entrepreneur Amrit Shenava, who had shared a detailed post about Mangaluru’s expanding startup ecosystem. Shenava noted that many Mangaloreans were keen to return to their hometown to build startups, calling the city a “rising Silicon Beach” of Karnataka.

Shenava highlighted key organisations driving the change:

@TiEMangaluru — the local chapter of TiE Global that connects entrepreneurs and hosts mixers and startup events.

@karnatakadem (KDEM) — which bridges the gap between government and industry and organises initiatives like Mangaluru Blue (a startup pitch competition) and Mangaluru Technovanza (a tech and business conference).

@itssiliconbeach, an initiative helping companies set up offices in the coastal region, aiming to make Mangaluru a tech-friendly city.

How did X users react?

Pai’s post has sparked a wave of reactions from entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts, many agreeing with his optimism.

“I echo your sentiments on this! Already trying to do something in the ecosystem,” one user wrote. Another added, “It’s a good idea, entrepreneurs move and set examples.”

However, some cautioned that urban infrastructure in Mangaluru must keep pace with its growth. “The city is close to its limits; we should avoid becoming another Bengaluru in terms of traffic and congestion,” a user commented.

(Also read: '45 acres for sky deck, only 9 for transport hub': Bengaluru MP PC Mohan slams government priorities )

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande
Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More

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