Dr. Dharma Prasad

08/09/2026

A design school can make you look at something as familiar as a saree very differently.

Going back to Queens School of Design gave me a chance to speak with young designers about three things I have come to value deeply: Skill, AI, and Reputation.

Skill was where I began.

Not only stitching, colour, textiles, or software, but learning to observe people closely.

A bride does not come looking for 5.5 metres of cloth. She comes with expectations, family, photographs she may look at twenty years later, and a certain feeling she wants to carry.

Sometimes, someone may bring a 40-year-old Mysore silk saree belonging to her grandmother.

At that moment, design is no longer only about making something new. Memory, culture, and emotion are sitting on your table along with the fabric.

Then came AI.

Young designers today can explore ideas, colour combinations, trends, communication, and business possibilities within seconds.

AI may create ten options, yet someone still has to decide which one belongs to a real person.

And finally, reputation.

A young designer may begin with one student project, one customer, one photograph, or one recommendation.

Slowly, a name starts getting connected with a certain style, a certain standard, and a certain feeling.

Sometimes, a new opportunity begins with somebody simply saying, “I know a person who does good work.”

Skill gives substance, AI opens possibilities, and reputation gives a name meaning.

Watching young people stand at a point where all three are beginning to come together felt deeply satisfying.

05/09/2026

Mysuru’s future great export may not be in boxes. It will travel through talent, ideas, and intelligence.

For generations, Mysuru sent sandalwood, silk, Mysuru pak, and many other products across India and beyond.

Today, a different kind of value is travelling from Mysuru.

At the inauguration of rProcess’s fifth delivery centre at Thandya, I saw what that shift can mean.

More than 2,000 professionals now contribute to global work in AI data annotation, engineering design, ADAS, and other advanced technology areas.

But the real story is not the number 2,000.

One job can mean a daughter building a global career while staying close to her parents.

It can mean a first-generation graduate entering technology.

It can mean a person with a disability being recognised for capability.

One salary can bring relief to a home.

One career can change the confidence of an entire family.

rProcess chose Mysuru again, grew here again, and invested here again.

That matters.

Mysuru has always known how to create value locally and take it far beyond its borders.

Perhaps its next golden era is already being built, one opportunity, one family, and one belief at a time.

30/08/2026

Selfie with a Leader | Ep 11: Mahesh Bhirangi, MD & CEO, Pragati Engineering Belgaum Pvt. Ltd.

Some leaders build where everything is available.
Some build where the ecosystem supports them.

And then there are leaders who build where they have to create the ecosystem around them.
Mahesh Bhirangi is one such leader.

I first met Mahesh when he came to Mysuru for an industry event. He was leading the industry council in Belagavi at the time.

I don't remember the designation from that meeting as much as I remember the person.

Soft-spoken, down to earth, and genuinely warm. Within a few conversations, he felt less like an industry colleague and more like a friend.

And then I understood what stood behind that simplicity. More than three decades of building.

Pragati Engineering, a precision manufacturing company built and nurtured by the family over generations with discipline and values.

And they built it from Belagavi. Not Bengaluru. Not Pune. Not Chennai.

That part of his story connects with me. I too left Mysuru, went abroad, and came back to build from here. I understand what it means to choose your roots when the easier option is somewhere else.

Anyone who has built from a Tier 2 city knows the reality. Talent is harder to attract, customers are farther away, and the ecosystem you need is often the ecosystem you have to create yourself.

Yet when you look at what Pragati manufactures, you see standards that can stand alongside the best anywhere.
⭕ CNC machine tool accessories and precision components serving OEMs across India
⭕ ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified
⭕ Sustainable practices including solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and a monthly no-vehicle day

Their products sit inside machines that make other products. But take companies like Pragati out, and Indian manufacturing simply does not move.

We speak about political leaders and social leaders. But not enough about economic leaders who spend decades creating products, jobs, and opportunities in places that need them most.

Mahesh represents that kind of leadership.

For young professionals reading this:
Technology will change. AI will automate more. Quality will become expected.
But values cannot be automated.

The humility you carry, the standards you refuse to compromise, and the respect you have for your roots while still having the ambition to grow. Those will matter even more.

When I meet Mahesh, I don't feel the weight of the company behind him. I feel the warmth of the person in front of me.

Strong roots. World-class standards. No need for noise.

This is what leadership looks like when values outlast trends and roots become strength.

Follow Mahesh Bhirangi and Pragati Engineering Belgaum Pvt. Ltd. on LinkedIn.

Would love to hear your thoughts below. And yes, if you believe such leaders deserve greater visibility, a repost helps.

23/08/2026

What happens to your curiosity when you reach the top?

INNOVERGE answered that for me.

Conversations moved across automobile, manufacturing, biotech and AI, and naturally extended into mobility, aerospace, sustainability and creative industries. It was a strong reminder of how closely industries are connected today, and how quickly change in one space can influence another.

What stayed with me most was listening to people with years of experience speak openly.

Sometimes, one sentence from an experienced leader can challenge an old belief, open a new possibility, or completely change the way you look at an industry.

You cannot search for every kind of learning. Some of it comes only from being in the room, listening carefully and allowing someone else’s experience to challenge your own thinking.

Conversations outside the sessions were equally meaningful. Meeting new leaders had its own excitement, while reconnecting with familiar faces brought a different kind of warmth.

A special word of appreciation to Mr. Kamal Bali, Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, Mr. Sam Cherian and Mr. Guruprasad Mudlapur for giving INNOVERGE such depth, purpose and energy.

CII Karnataka brought serious minds, strong industries and valuable relationships together beautifully.

INNOVERGE left me with one thought:

Leadership is not about reaching a stage where learning slows down. Greater experience should create greater hunger.

15/08/2026

Independence gave India its voice. Today, we are celebrating a new voice of our own.

On this Independence Day, as India marks 80 years of independence and 150 years of Vande Mataram, we are delighted and excited to launch our first edition of WOW Monthly Insights.

For us, this is more than a newsletter.

It is the beginning of a new conversation, one shaped by many years of working closely with brands, leaders and organisations to make their knowledge visible, their stories clearer and their presence more meaningful.

For us, digital branding has never been only about posts, designs or simply being present online. It is about helping businesses build a digital presence rooted in visibility, credibility and trust.

Every brand begins with an idea, a story or a purpose. But that story creates value only when people can see it, understand it, trust it and remember it.

That belief has always guided us at WOW Presence. And today, it finds a new expression.

In our first edition, we explore five important shifts shaping the future of brand trust and visibility:

• LinkedIn is rewarding human value over AI-generated volume
• Content is becoming lasting knowledge, not just another post
• Employees are emerging as a company’s most trusted voices
• Distinctiveness matters when everything begins to sound the same
• Measurement is moving beyond vanity metrics towards meaningful impact

These are not trends to follow blindly. They are signals of where brand credibility is heading.

For every Indian brand building its next chapter, finding an honest and recognisable voice may be the most important step.

We are excited, proud and deeply grateful to share this first edition with you. Like every new beginning, it carries a little nervousness, a lot of hope and the excitement of what it could become, with your participation.

Please read it, share your thoughts and tell us what you would like us to explore in the next edition.

Here’s to helping more Indian brands find a voice that is honest, distinctive and truly their own.

Vande Mataram. Happy Independence Day.

08/08/2026

A robot can repeat a movement perfectly. But it cannot decide whether that movement is worth repeating.

During Confederation of Indian Industry Karnataka’s experiential visit to FANUC India Pvt Ltd, I witnessed precision at an extraordinary scale. Robotic arms moved with speed, accuracy, and consistency. Yet, what stayed with me was not the machines. It was the human clarity behind them.

Automation was not introduced merely to impress. Every process had a purpose: to reduce risk, remove repetitive work, improve quality, and prevent avoidable errors.

Watching advanced manufacturing in action filled me with both excitement and responsibility.

Excitement, because Indian industry has access to technologies that can transform safety, quality, and productivity.
Responsibility, because machines alone cannot create progress.
Leaders must decide what should be automated, where it can add genuine value, and how people can work meaningfully alongside it.

I returned with a stronger belief: the factory of the future should not be measured only by how much work is automated. Real progress is when technology makes human work safer, smarter and more meaningful.

My three takeaways were simple:
1. Automate repetition, not responsibility.
2. Use technology to strengthen people, not merely replace tasks.
3. Innovate for India’s realities and build solutions for global markets.

India has the talent, scale and ambition.
What we need now is the courage to solve our own problems and the confidence to take those solutions to the world.

For me, the visit was for observation, learning, and a stronger desire to build. Every learning I absorb, every connection I make, and every thought I get, prepares me to be a better contributor to our ecosystem, economy, and country.

As a leader, which task would you automate, and which decision would you always keep human?

03/08/2026

03/08/2026

Can a topper stay stuck for years, while an average student ends up running a company?

I have seen both. Recently, standing before a full hall of MBA students at Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering, Mysuru, I said so openly.

My message was simple.

An MBA gives you entry, but value decides how far you go?

I shared my own story to show what I meant. Failed three subjects in school, poor CET rank.
But later? University rank. A scientist. A CEO. Entrepreneur, more than once.
I did not suddenly become more intelligent, but I slowly became more valuable.

Marketplace pays for one thing only: A problem that is solved.

Apple simplifies technology.
Amazon simplifies shopping.
A vegetable vendor earns by solving a daily need.

Now AI is making knowledge cheap. So human character, trust, judgement become your real advantage.

So, once you decide to become valuable, luck slowly starts working for you.
You cannot control when luck strikes, but you can control how often luck gets a chance to find you. Every conversation, every post, every proposal raises your odds.

Twenty years from now, nobody will ask your MBA percentage. Nobody will ask how many case studies you finished. People will only remember the value you created.

So do not chase success alone. Chase becoming valuable.
Build your knowledge.
Build your relationships.
Build your reputation.
Most of all, build yourself into someone whose absence creates a problem.

Once you become such a person, your career will never depend on economy.
Economy will start depending on people like you.

31/07/2026

While moderating a discussion on Mysuru Airport at Mysore Travel Mart, I felt a deep sense of pride, along with a stronger sense of responsibility.

Listening to Mr. Pratap Simha, Mr. Utsav Agarwal, Mr. K. B. Lingaraju and Mrs. Ushakumari, I realised airport connectivity is not only about adding flights. It is about opening more possibilities for tourism, industry, entrepreneurship and employment.

Mysuru has something very special. Many people come here for education, work or companies or organizations, but slowly begin to feel at home. Some even choose to stay because our city offers a quality of life which is becoming increasingly precious.

One discussion point touched me deeply.
hashtag should grow, but in a way only Mysuru can. Growth should strengthen our culture, comfort and character, not weaken them.

An airport alone cannot transform a city. Hotels, travel professionals, taxi operators, restaurants, industries and public institutions must move with one shared purpose.

Better connectivity can bring people closer to Mysuru. A welcoming multi-dimensional ecosystem can make them return, invest, belong and contribute.
For me, real progress is simple.

Mysuru must fly higher, grow faster, while remaining beautifully Mysuru.

WOW Presence CII Southern Region Confederation of Indian Industry Airports Authority of India Karnataka Tourism hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

25/07/2026

Selfie with a Leader | Ep 10: Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan, MD, Kennametal India

Some leaders command attention with their position.
Some with their knowledge.
And then there are leaders who make an impression simply by how they make people around them feel.

Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan is one such leader.

I met Vijay through Confederation of Indian Industry, Karnataka, where he served as Chairman of the State Council.

The first thing you notice about Vijay is difficult to miss. A tall personality. A big smile. And an energy that immediately makes people comfortable.

One of the most fun-loving senior leaders I have met.

Behind that easy-going personality is a leader driving one of the most serious and precise areas of industry, advanced manufacturing and materials science.

Today, as Managing Director of Kennametal India, Vijay leads an organization many outside manufacturing may not recognize but almost every industry depends on.

Kennametal is not always visible. But its impact is everywhere.

You may never see these products, but without them, many things we use every day would never get made.

That is the beauty of industrial leadership. The most important work is often the least visible.

You can lead large organizations and still remain warm. You can carry responsibility without carrying ego.

Leadership is not only about how much people respect you when you enter a room. It is also about how comfortable they feel when you are there.