FOUNDER CONNECT SESSION: An Interactive Session with Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder, Managing Director and CEO, Novigo Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), Vamanjoor, hosted “Founder Connect – A Founder-to-Founder Learning & Networking Forum”, an interactive platform aimed at connecting startup founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and industry leaders. The programme was presented by the CII Mangaluru IT & Start-up Panel, with the support of Young Indians (Yi) at 3:00 p.m. on 1 September 2026 in the Kalam Auditorium. The session aimed to provide students and aspiring entrepreneurs with practical insights into entrepreneurship, startup development, leadership, technology and the changing industry landscape.
The programme was graced by the presence of distinguished dignitaries from the institution and industry, including Rev. Fr. Wilfred Prakash D'Souza, Director; Dr. Rio D'Souza, Principal; Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder, Managing Director and CEO, Novigo Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Vinod Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder, Navinod Technologies LLP (Aykan) and Co-Convenor, CII IT & Start-up Panel; Ms. Sushmitha Kamath, Director of Registration Square, Avani Corp and Unizyro Life Sciences Private Limited; Mr. Guruprasad, Executive Officer & Head, CII Mangaluru; Dr. Shreeranga Bhat, Dean R&D and Head, IIG; Mr. Noel Deepak Shiri, Chairperson, IIG; and Mr. Cherian Xavier, Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Development Cell.
The formal programme commenced with an invocation and was followed by the welcome address by Mr. Noel Deepak Shiri, Chairperson, IIG. He warmly welcomed the dignitaries, industry representatives, faculty members, students and participants and set the context for the Founder Connect Session. Following the welcome address, a ceremonial lighting of the lamp was performed by the dignitaries on the dais, marking the formal inauguration of the programme.
Following the inauguration, Dr. Rio D'Souza, Principal, St Joseph Engineering College, addressed the gathering. He highlighted the growing importance of entrepreneurship, startups and innovation and emphasized the need for emerging ventures to "cross the chasm", moving beyond the initial stages of innovation towards becoming sustainable and successful companies. He highlighted the role of angel investors and CII in strengthening the startup ecosystem and emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for founder-to-founder connections, where entrepreneurs can learn from one another, share experiences and develop meaningful professional networks.
Dr. Rio D'Souza also spoke about initiatives at the institution that support innovation and entrepreneurship, including the Inno-Centre and Sector Infinity, supported by STQC, which provide an enabling environment for startups and innovation. He noted that full-fledged companies are already operating from the campus, reflecting the institution's commitment to creating a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He further highlighted the value of the Fireside Chat format as an effective platform for direct interaction with experienced entrepreneurs and for enabling students and aspiring entrepreneurs to gain practical insights from their entrepreneurial journeys.
Following the Principal's address, Mr. Vinod Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder of Navinod Technologies LLP (Aykan) and Co-Convenor of the CII IT & Start-up Panel, addressed the gathering. Mr. Vinod Kumar explained that the Founder Connect platform provides an opportunity for founders, professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs to come together and engage in meaningful conversations. He emphasized the importance of enabling startup founders to interact with students, thereby creating opportunities for collaboration, training, knowledge sharing and talent development. He also highlighted the potential for experienced entrepreneurs and professionals to develop partnerships and collaborations through such interactions. He observed that Mangaluru has a growing startup ecosystem and emphasized the importance of building new interactions, developing professional connections and exchanging ideas. Mr. Vinod Kumar welcomed participants to the Founder Connect initiative and encouraged them to make use of the platform to develop new connections, share ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Fireside Chat with Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi:
The major highlight of the programme was the Fireside Chat with Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder, Managing Director and CEO of Novigo Solutions Pvt. Ltd. The session was moderated by Ms. Sushmitha Kamath, Director of Registration Square, Avani Corp and Unizyro Life Sciences Private Limited. The conversation provided an insightful glimpse into Mr. Kalbhavi's entrepreneurial journey, his transition from the corporate sector to entrepreneurship and his perspectives on startups, technology, leadership and the future of work.
Responding to questions posed by Ms. Sushmitha Kamath, Mr. Kalbhavi spoke about his decision to enter the startup ecosystem and the journey that eventually led to the establishment of Novigo Solutions. He recalled that he joined Infosys in March 1992 and gained around 20 years of corporate experience before taking a different path and venturing into entrepreneurship. He explained that more than two decades ago, he chose to pursue a different path, driven not only by the desire to build a company but also by a desire to help and nurture young minds. He shared that three of his co-founders approached him with an interest in collaborating, which eventually led to the establishment of Novigo Solutions.
Mr. Kalbhavi emphasized that entrepreneurship is an experience and that becoming an entrepreneur requires the right mindset, confidence, courage and inner drive. He explained that his corporate experience gave him valuable exposure to organizational systems, technology, quality practices and business processes, while entrepreneurship provided an entirely different learning experience.
Mr. Kalbhavi explained that entrepreneurship does not necessarily begin with a perfectly defined problem or a complete picture of what one wants to achieve. Instead, it often begins with an understanding of what one wants to accomplish and what can be done differently. He highlighted the importance of market connection, global exposure and leveraging the latest technology. His experience at Infosys gave him exposure to global enterprises, quality standards and evolving technologies, which helped him understand how technology could be used to address real-world business needs. He recalled the Y2K period, during which opportunities emerged for companies with expertise in addressing technology challenges associated with the transition to the new millennium. The experience provided valuable exposure to client requirements and global business practices. He also discussed how the rapid development of the Internet and e-commerce created new opportunities and emphasized the importance of continuously observing what is new and emerging in the market. He encouraged entrepreneurs and professionals to remain alert to technological changes and be willing to shift towards new technologies when required. He noted that the technology service industry has evolved significantly, with areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and cloud computing becoming increasingly important. He emphasized the need for companies to continuously upgrade themselves and grow in line with global standards.
Mr. Kalbhavi stressed that entrepreneurship should be shared and that successful entrepreneurship requires a combination of courage, confidence and willingness to take calculated risks while leveraging one's own skills and strengths. During the conversation, Mr. Kalbhavi discussed the factors that contribute to the growth and sustainability of an enterprise. He highlighted three important dimensions: people and their motivation, revenue and financial resources. He emphasized that having a good idea alone is not sufficient. Entrepreneurs need to build the right team, maintain motivation, understand the market and ensure financial sustainability. He also highlighted the importance of making clear decisions during the early stages of an idea and the role of founders in taking responsibility for critical decisions.
He encouraged entrepreneurs to move beyond ordinary exposure and continuously challenge themselves to learn, experiment and grow. The discussion also explored the potential of Mangaluru as a location for building globally competitive companies. Mr. Kalbhavi highlighted the adaptability of people in the region and the potential productivity of the local talent pool. Drawing from his experience at Infosys, including exposure to quality frameworks such as ISO and CMM, he emphasized the importance of productivity, quality and systematic approaches to business. The discussion highlighted the potential of Mangaluru to emerge as a strong location for technology and entrepreneurial ventures by leveraging its talent, unique culture and blend of urban and rural strengths.
Mr. Kalbhavi also shared his reflections on N. R. Narayana Murthy, highlighting qualities such as simplicity, humility and visionary thinking. He emphasized the importance of thinking ahead of one's time and referred to similar qualities associated with visionary leaders such as Ratan Tata. He stressed that entrepreneurs should understand their domain thoroughly, particularly when it comes to financial aspects of running a business. He advised aspiring entrepreneurs to have a clear plan, validate large ideas with experts and make informed decisions before moving forward. One of the important takeaways from the discussion was the need to build a Proof of Concept (POC) before approaching investors. A well-developed POC can help entrepreneurs demonstrate the feasibility and value of their idea. Mr. Kalbhavi also highlighted the growing relevance of angel networks and investment opportunities and encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to understand the investment ecosystem while developing their ventures.
A significant part of the Fireside Chat focused on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on employment and the technology sector. Mr. Kalbhavi explained that AI should not simply be viewed as a technology that will eliminate jobs. Rather, it can make many jobs easier and more efficient by enabling people to accomplish tasks in less time. However, he also acknowledged that AI is likely to change the nature of several technology roles, particularly software development. He encouraged developers to use AI effectively to complete tasks more efficiently rather than viewing it only as a threat. At the same time, he noted that the number of people required for certain tasks may decrease as productivity increases. He therefore emphasized the need for students and professionals to focus on quality, skills and the ability to solve real-world problems. Instead of focusing only on qualifications, students should build profiles demonstrating the projects they have worked on, problems they have solved and hackathons or technical events in which they have participated. He encouraged students to become job creators rather than only job seekers. According to him, future professionals should be able to understand a problem, formulate a meaningful problem statement, view it from different perspectives and use appropriate AI tools and prompts to develop possible solutions. He also emphasized that one reason startups and products fail is the inability to adequately understand what customers actually need. Understanding customer requirements should therefore remain central to entrepreneurship.
Mr. Kalbhavi shared several practical suggestions for students and aspiring entrepreneurs. He emphasized the importance of developing daily learning habits, including reading and keeping oneself updated with developments in technology and industry. He encouraged students to develop skills beyond the syllabus, particularly problem-solving and the ability to apply knowledge to real-world situations. He also emphasized learning from mistakes and using technology and applications as tools for experimentation and learning. He encouraged the spirit of entrepreneurship to be passed on and shared, so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes part of the wider ecosystem. He also highlighted the unique character of Mangaluru, referring to its distinctive culture, its blend of urban and rural characteristics, traditional talent and the combination of elements of both old and new India. These characteristics, he suggested, can provide a strong foundation for innovation and entrepreneurship.
During the student interaction, participants posed several questions to Mr. Kalbhavi. Responding to a question about whether he travels frequently, he explained that travel provides valuable learning opportunities and helps individuals understand different geographies, cultures, markets and perspectives. When asked whether corporate experience is essential before becoming an entrepreneur, Mr. Kalbhavi explained that it depends on the individual and the clarity of the idea. If a person has already identified a clear opportunity and understands what needs to be done, corporate experience may not be essential. However, if the idea is still vague, gaining corporate experience can help an individual understand professional expectations, organizational processes and the practical realities of business.
On the question of talent acquisition and salaries, he explained that finding the right fit is challenging. He emphasized the importance of looking beyond qualifications and considering a person's attitude, willingness to learn continuously and readiness to take up challenges. He also encouraged students to make use of the opportunities available through technical events, innovation programmes, hackathons, industry interactions and other platforms that can help them develop practical skills. The discussion also touched upon the potential of Mangaluru to develop as a "Silicon Beach of India", supported by its talent, culture, educational institutions and growing technology ecosystem.
Mr. Kalbhavi emphasized that students need to learn how to develop a continuous learning process and adapt to emerging technologies. He referred to the growing importance of roles such as forward-deployed AI engineers, where professionals work closely with real-world problems and apply AI solutions in practical environments. He reiterated that while getting a job may appear easy in some sectors, the number of suitable jobs may not be sufficient for everyone. Therefore, students should be encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and work towards becoming job creators. He particularly encouraged Gen Z students to leverage the programmes, platforms and opportunities available to them, listen to experienced leaders who have built companies and learn directly from their journeys. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of curiosity. According to him, curiosity can lead individuals to discover thousands of problem statements and opportunities for innovation. Developing the ability to observe problems, understand them deeply and identify possible solutions is an essential quality for future entrepreneurs.
Following the Fireside Chat, an interactive question and answer session was conducted with the students. Students actively participated and raised questions related to entrepreneurship, startups, career opportunities, corporate experience, talent acquisition, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and the future of employment. The interaction provided students with an opportunity to seek practical advice directly from an experienced entrepreneur and gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in entrepreneurship and the technology industry.
The Founder Connect Session brought together institutional leadership, industry professionals, CII representatives, entrepreneurs, students and members of the startup ecosystem, creating a meaningful platform for networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration. The programme successfully reinforced the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation, continuous learning, industry interaction, partnerships, problem-solving and founder-to-founder connections. The insights shared during the session encouraged students to look beyond conventional career paths, develop relevant skills, understand real-world problems and consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
The programme concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Cherian Xavier, Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Development Cell, who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, speakers, industry representatives, institutional leadership, faculty members, students and all those who contributed to the successful organization of the Founder Connect Session. The programme was compered by Ms. Aroma Peris, a final year B.E. CSDS branch student, who ensured the smooth and effective conduct of the proceedings throughout the session.
Overall, the Founder Connect Session was an enriching and inspiring experience that provided participants with valuable entrepreneurial insights, practical industry perspectives and opportunities for meaningful interaction and networking. The event reflected St Joseph Engineering College's continued commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, nurturing innovation, strengthening industry-academia collaboration and preparing students to become future entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators.
