Vaman Srinivas Kudva
Encyclopedia
Vaman Srinivas Kudva (9 June 1899 - 30 June 1967), popularly called V. S. Kudva, was a founder director of the Syndicate Bank
.
His father shifted to Udupi in 1908 and started a hardware shop, where Kudva spent his spare time. In 1918 he passed the Intermediate exam from the Government College, Mangalore and went to Bombay and joined the Mechanical Engineering Course at the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, Bombay (VJTI). After 3 years as a top ranking student, he gave up his studies in response to Mahatma Gandhi
's non-cooperation movement
and returned to Udupi. He worked as a volunteer teacher in a national school started by the Congress Party
under Gandhiji's call to replace English aided schools.
in response to the call of V. S. Kamath, the then Managing Director of The Canara Public Conveyance Co. Ltd. (CPC Co Ltd), and joined it as its Works Manager. In 1928 he married Kamath's daughter. In 1932 he became its General Manager on the death of Kamath. In 1938 he was elected Managing Director of the Company and continued in that position till 1966. During his regime The CPC Co Ltd progressed and prospered and earned a great name in the country.
He founded The Canara Workshops Ltd. in 1943 and started manufacture of automobile leaf springs under the brand name Canara Springs in 1950. Considering the increased demand in Northern India he opened another factory in Nagpur
. This unit was closed in the late 60's due to various problems faced by the company.
The raw material for the leaf springs, spring steel flats used to be imported into the country. In the late 60s Kudva felt the need for starting a mini steel plant to manufacture the required spring steel within the country. With this in mind a mini steel plant
consisting of a 5 metric tonne electric arc furnace
, a vertical continuous casting
machine to cast steel billet
s and a rolling mill was conceptualised.
This steel plant was commissioned in Mangalore in 1963, and production of steel started a year later after initial production related problems were sorted out. The continuous casting machine when commissioned was the very first in India.
In 1947 he started The Canara Tyre & Rubber Works Ltd. He also started and managed several other transport concerns. Bonus, gratuity, pension benefits were given to employees in his companies even before it became mandatory by law.
"Sathyagrahi". From 1923 to 1934 he worked as editor of Kannada Weekly "Swadeshabhimani".
He was a member of State Journalists Advisory Committee. In 1941 he started The Newspaper Publishers Pvt Ltd. which then published the Kannada daily newspaper
"Navabharath". As its editor he earned the respect of Kannada Journalists, and also organised the Akhila Karnataka Journalist conference in Mangalore.
and Upendra Ananth Pai of Manipal
, Kudva was one of the founder directors of the Syndicate Bank
, then called the Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Ltd.
In 1948 he was elected President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries, South Kanara and continued as President for the next 3 years. Along with his great friend U. Srinivas Mallya
he was instrumental in bringing the all weather port as also the airport to Mangalore.
When he worked for the economic welfare of the district, he also contributed immensely in its educational progress. He started the Canara Foundation in 1955 for giving Loan Scholarship for students going abroad for higher technical education. Once again along with U. Srinivas Mallya
he was also responsible for bringing the Karnataka Regional Engineering College now called National Institute of Technology
, Karnataka (NITK) at Suratkal, and he was on its Governing body for several years.
He traveled widely in India, and abroad. This was during the days when travelling out of India was arduous and rare. He had been to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States in 1951. In 1960 and in 1963 he traveled once again to Europe, the United States and Japan.
Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank Ltd. is one of the oldest and major commercial banks of India. At the time of its establishment, the bank was known as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited. The bank, along with 13 major commercial banks of India, was nationalized on 19 July 1969, by the Government of...
.
Early life and education
In 1899, Kudva was born in a conservative, and traditional Gowda Saraswath Brahmin (GSB) family (the family was known as the Mulky Kudvas) at Mulky. His father Srinivas Ramachandra Kudva owned a small hand loom unit and used to cycle to work, when cars were unknown in Mulky. Brought up in simple surroundings Kudva had his primary school education at Mulky and high school education at Udupi. He took active part in school debates and was a good writer both in English and Kannada.His father shifted to Udupi in 1908 and started a hardware shop, where Kudva spent his spare time. In 1918 he passed the Intermediate exam from the Government College, Mangalore and went to Bombay and joined the Mechanical Engineering Course at the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, Bombay (VJTI). After 3 years as a top ranking student, he gave up his studies in response to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
's non-cooperation movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
and returned to Udupi. He worked as a volunteer teacher in a national school started by the Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
under Gandhiji's call to replace English aided schools.
Joins the CPC Company Limited
From 1922 to 1926 he started an engineering workshop, and in 1926 he went to MangaloreMangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
in response to the call of V. S. Kamath, the then Managing Director of The Canara Public Conveyance Co. Ltd. (CPC Co Ltd), and joined it as its Works Manager. In 1928 he married Kamath's daughter. In 1932 he became its General Manager on the death of Kamath. In 1938 he was elected Managing Director of the Company and continued in that position till 1966. During his regime The CPC Co Ltd progressed and prospered and earned a great name in the country.
Starts new industries
Kudva had realised that to provide employment and in keeping with the enterprising spirit of the people more and more industries must be set up. He put his conviction into practice by founding The Canara Sales Corporation Ltd. in 1938 and The Canara Motor & General Insurance Co. Ltd. in 1941.He founded The Canara Workshops Ltd. in 1943 and started manufacture of automobile leaf springs under the brand name Canara Springs in 1950. Considering the increased demand in Northern India he opened another factory in Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
. This unit was closed in the late 60's due to various problems faced by the company.
The raw material for the leaf springs, spring steel flats used to be imported into the country. In the late 60s Kudva felt the need for starting a mini steel plant to manufacture the required spring steel within the country. With this in mind a mini steel plant
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
consisting of a 5 metric tonne electric arc furnace
Electric arc furnace
An electric arc furnace is a furnace that heats charged material by means of an electric arc.Arc furnaces range in size from small units of approximately one ton capacity up to about 400 ton units used for secondary steelmaking...
, a vertical continuous casting
Continuous casting
Continuous casting, also called strand casting, is the process whereby molten metal is solidified into a "semifinished" billet, bloom, or slab for subsequent rolling in the finishing mills. Prior to the introduction of continuous casting in the 1950s, steel was poured into stationary molds to form...
machine to cast steel billet
Billet (manufacturing)
Semi-finished casting products are intermediate castings produced in a foundry that need further processing before being a finished good. There are four types: ingots, billets, blooms, and slabs.-Ingot:...
s and a rolling mill was conceptualised.
This steel plant was commissioned in Mangalore in 1963, and production of steel started a year later after initial production related problems were sorted out. The continuous casting machine when commissioned was the very first in India.
In 1947 he started The Canara Tyre & Rubber Works Ltd. He also started and managed several other transport concerns. Bonus, gratuity, pension benefits were given to employees in his companies even before it became mandatory by law.
Interests in journalism
Kudva was interested in journalism during his student days. In 1922 he edited the Kannada WeeklyMagazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
"Sathyagrahi". From 1923 to 1934 he worked as editor of Kannada Weekly "Swadeshabhimani".
He was a member of State Journalists Advisory Committee. In 1941 he started The Newspaper Publishers Pvt Ltd. which then published the Kannada daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
"Navabharath". As its editor he earned the respect of Kannada Journalists, and also organised the Akhila Karnataka Journalist conference in Mangalore.
Social leader
With T. M. A. PaiT. M. A. Pai
Dr. Tonse Madhav Ananth Pai, , , a Goud Saraswat Brahmin was an Indian doctor, educationist, banker and philanthropist, most well known for building the university town of Manipal, Karnataka, India....
and Upendra Ananth Pai of Manipal
Manipal
Manipal is a university town situated in the state of Karnataka in India. It is a suburb within Udupi city and is administered by Udupi City Municipality. It is located in the rocky hinterland of the Malabar Coast of south west India, about 8 km from the Arabian Sea...
, Kudva was one of the founder directors of the Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank Ltd. is one of the oldest and major commercial banks of India. At the time of its establishment, the bank was known as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited. The bank, along with 13 major commercial banks of India, was nationalized on 19 July 1969, by the Government of...
, then called the Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Ltd.
In 1948 he was elected President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries, South Kanara and continued as President for the next 3 years. Along with his great friend U. Srinivas Mallya
U. Srinivas Mallya
Ullal Srinivas Mallya who was also called Malliah in North India or Sheenappa Mallya in Dakshina Kannada is called the architect of modern Dakshina Kannada...
he was instrumental in bringing the all weather port as also the airport to Mangalore.
When he worked for the economic welfare of the district, he also contributed immensely in its educational progress. He started the Canara Foundation in 1955 for giving Loan Scholarship for students going abroad for higher technical education. Once again along with U. Srinivas Mallya
U. Srinivas Mallya
Ullal Srinivas Mallya who was also called Malliah in North India or Sheenappa Mallya in Dakshina Kannada is called the architect of modern Dakshina Kannada...
he was also responsible for bringing the Karnataka Regional Engineering College now called National Institute of Technology
National Institute of Technology Karnataka
National Institute of Technology Karnataka , formerly known as Karnataka Regional Engineering College , is an autonomous university along the western shores of India. It was founded in 1960 is today one of the 30 National Institutes of Technology in India and is recognized as an Institute of...
, Karnataka (NITK) at Suratkal, and he was on its Governing body for several years.
Rotary Club
He was responsible for starting the first Rotary Club in Mangalore of which he was the Charter President. He was President of the S. K. Development and Welfare Board, Small Scale Industries Association and S. K. Village Industries Association.He traveled widely in India, and abroad. This was during the days when travelling out of India was arduous and rare. He had been to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States in 1951. In 1960 and in 1963 he traveled once again to Europe, the United States and Japan.