Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 2: The city’s entrepreneurial spirit soared to new heights as Evolve – A Women Entrepreneurs’ Association celebrated its 5th anniversary with a dynamic and inspiring annual business conclave, ‘Biz Insights’, at the prestigious Ocean Pearl.

Recognised as the definitive voice of women entrepreneurs in Mangaluru, Evolve is the region’s first and only association exclusively comprising registered women entrepreneurs who are actively scaling their ventures. This five-year young association has grown five times its strength since inception, a remarkable achievement. The landmark conclave reinforced its standing as a premier platform for women entrepreneurship, business networking, startup growth, and leadership development in Coastal Karnataka.

The high-energy gathering brought together leading industrialists, founders, policymakers, professionals, MSME entreprenuers and aspiring entrepreneurs for meaningful dialogue on innovation, digital transformation, business expansion, and the evolving entrepreneurial landscape of Mangaluru.

The highlight of the event was an engaging and insightful panel discussion featuring Bimba Manoj of Garodi Steels Corporation, Dion Monterio of Rohan Corporation, Roopalaxmi Pedamale of NCR Atleos Corporation, Shashir Shetty of Niveus (part of NTT Data), and Shriya Shetty of BuCo, expertly moderated by CA M N Pai. The discussion delved into innovation, growth strategies, digital disruption, and why Mangaluru must aim for global recognition.

Bimba Manoj spoke candidly about navigating a male-dominated steel industry. “Decisions made by women are still often cross-checked,” she remarked, underlining the persistent challenges faced by women leaders. For her, mentorship functions like a GPS—guiding entrepreneurs and helping them avoid costly wrong turns.

Dion Monterio highlighted a significant trend: increasing numbers of entrepreneurs and investors from outside Karnataka are choosing Mangaluru as their base. He revealed that Instagram generates the maximum leads for Rohan Corporation, underscoring the growing power of digital marketing in Mangaluru’s real estate and business ecosystem.

Roopalaxmi Pedamale inspired attendees to think beyond geographical boundaries. “You can be locally placed and globally relevant. In today’s digital economy, your customer can be anywhere in the world,” she emphasised, encouraging entrepreneurs to dream big and scale confidently.

Echoing that sentiment, both Shashir Shetty and Bimba Manoj stressed that Mangalureans must aspire for global visibility. The region has the capability, talent, and infrastructure to build internationally recognised brands. In response to an audience query, Shashir Shetty pointed out that seven incubation centres in the region are available to support and guide emerging startups.

Shriya Shetty energised the gathering by detailing various government schemes available to women entrepreneurs and highlighted the importance of mentorship within Mangaluru’s growing business community. She shared how access to multiple mentors in the city has helped her navigate complex business decisions.

Next, adding a refreshing and innovative dimension to the conclave, popular regional Instagram influencer Dhiraj Shetty Mijar aka Dhirappan delivered a first-of-its-kind management session in a comedy format. Blending humor with practical business strategy, he captivated the audience from the outset.

“Unlearning is the key to scaling up,” he began, before diving into positioning strategies, associative collaborations, tactical decision-making, AI integration, and brand storytelling. He emphasised that sharing behind-the-scenes emotional journeys and clearly communicating differentiators are essential for effective marketing in today’s competitive landscape. With interactive questions and relatable local and global examples, he ensured attendees walked away with actionable insights.

MLA Vedavyas Kamath expressed wholehearted support for the idea of a women-only SEZ in Mangaluru, drawing enthusiastic response from the audience. He lauded Evolve for being a strong and unified voice for women entrepreneurs in the region. Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U T Khader congratulated the organisers and industry leaders present, stating that such events showcase what Mangaluru is truly capable of achieving on a larger stage.

Industry leaders Prakash Kalbhavi and Vinod Pinto strongly encouraged associations such as CREDAI, CII, KCCI,YI, Evolve etc. to collaborate more closely. They urged powerful organisations in the city to work together in building a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem — one that positions Mangaluru as a thriving hub for tourism, startups, employment, and opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

Main sponsor Ideal Ice Creams, represented by Mukund Kamath, added to the excitement by generating a buzz about ‘something close to his heart’ planned for the iconic brand’s upcoming 50th anniversary.

The event was supported by DBS Bank, Bank of Baroda, Trayii Jewelry, Manikya Silks & Sarees, Nirmala Travels, LOL Studio, and Skin Clinic.

The event was attended by special invitees Abhinav Bansal (CII chair), Vinod Pinto (Credai, Ganesh Sharma (BNI), Ajith Kamath (BNI), Komal Prabhu (Hotel Maharaja), Sharan Shetty (YI chair), Athmika Amin (YI past chair), Ahmed Mudassar (KCCI president), Natraj Hegde (past chair CII), Dr Vindhya Pai (Skin Clinic), Shraddha Pai (Trayii Jewelry). further amplifying its impact across the business community.

EmCee Anurag ensured smooth transitioning of the various parts of the event. Along with eminent representatives of the press and media community, the event was also extensively covered by Padmini Shenoy of MangaloreCityVibes instagram handle.

The successful conclave was helmed by president Amruta Nayak, with vice-president Glancy Fernandes, secretary Nanditha Aroor Rao, joint secretary Yashoda Prabhu, and treasurer Poornima Shetty playing instrumental roles in its execution.

As Evolve marks five impactful years, the annual business conclave stands as a powerful reaffirmation of its mission—to empower women-led businesses in Mangaluru, strengthen the local startup ecosystem, foster cross-industry collaboration, and inspire entrepreneurs to think globally while building locally. With renewed momentum and collective ambition, Mangaluru’s business community appears poised for a bold and exciting future.