Media Release

Mangaluru, Nov 12: Dr V Ravichandran, founder and director of GlowTouch Technologies/Diya Systems, who was instrumental in the company's growth and success to this level and a guiding force, left to his heavenly abode early morning today after bravely battling brain cancer for 3 years. For the last few months, he was at his daughter, Vidya Ravichandran’s home in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He was surrounded by his dear wife, Indira Ravichandran, daughter Vidya and son Hari when he breathed his last.

Dr V Ravichandran was a successful entrepreneur and educator with more than 40 years of Industry experience, both in Education and Technology field. He started his career as a professor at St Philomena’s College, Puttur, in the year 1970 and served at the Institution for close to three decades before retiring in the year 1999. After his retirement, he ventured into entrepreneurship and started several businesses such as a publication business called United Publishers, which became a premier distributor of college and high school text books in South India; SGL Tech, which was a front runner in the desk top publication space; SG Computers, which was the sole provider of computer peripherals and hardware maintenance and a large reseller partner of Wipro, HP and also a channel partner of Satyam. He started SG InfoTech in 1990, which was his foray into the software development business and sold it to USA Support Technologies in the year 2002.

Dr Ravichandran started Diya Systems in 2003 to provide services mainly in the BPO space. In 2004, he started GlowTouch Technologies to focus on software development services for mid-market US and UK clients.

The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA with Global Headquarters in Louisville, KY, USA and branch offices in the Dominican Republic, Philippines and with India offices located at Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mangaluru. The company provides Custom Application Development services, Onsite Consultancy, Call Center, BPO and Infrastructure Services. It is one of the largest IT Companies located in Mangaluru, Karnataka and presently employs 2300+ technically qualified, talented and enthusiastic professionals.

Education:
Dr V Ravichandran received his Bachelors of Science degree from St Aloysius College, Mangaluru. He has a Masters degree in Botany from Karnataka University with a Gold Medal. He also has an M Phil, under the faculty improvement programme at the Center of Advanced Studies in the department of Botany, University of Madras. He has received his PhD through a combined programme between Bangalore University and Clemson University in South Carolina. Dr Ravichandran was a post doctorate and recipient of the highly prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. He has published numerous papers in both national and international journals. He was a professor emeritus of St Philomena College, Puttur.

Family:
Dr V Ravichandran is the eldest amongst the four siblings born to Late professor Venkataraman and Late Meenakshi on January 30, 1947 at Tanjore, Tamilnadu. He is married to Indira Ravichandran and blessed with two children Vidya Ravichandran and Hari Ravichandran who are settled in the USA Dr Ravichandran is also blessed with four adorable grandchildren.

Awards and Accolades:
Dr Ravichandran is the recipient of several awards. He was honored with the Bharatiya Udyog Ratan Award for being a meritorious entrepreneur. Bharatiya Udyog Ratan is a high civilian honour bestowed by the Indian government to an Indian national for success in entrepreneurship and providing economic development in India. He has been conferred with the Spandana Best Entrepreneur Award 2016 by the Spandana Media Group. He has also been honored with the most Prestigious KVK Outstanding Manager’s Award 2016 conferred by the Mangalore Management Association. He has been conferred with the most prestigious Aloysius Alumni Award in 2018 by his Alma Mater.

Founder and Managing Trustee of GT Foundation:
Dr Ravichandran was an active philanthropist, who believed in serving the underprivileged people of the society, providing employment opportunities, especially to the local people of Mangaluru and empowering them with education, health assistance and other basic needs. He started GT Foundation in the year 2004 with the same intent and as a managing trustee of the foundation was actively involved with the philanthropic activities in Mangaluru and surrounding region, administering help through a wide spectrum of programmes catering to the financial requirements of individuals across health, education and cultural domains.

The mission of GT Foundation is to provide economically challenged families access to quality health services, educational assistance, and employment opportunities. At the same time, the foundation also takes up the responsibility to promote art and culture to improve the social, cultural, and economic foundation of our society.

The foundation has independently and also in association with the Rotary Club of Mangaluru has built orphanages, schools, computer training facilities and also participated in a wide variety of social entrepreneurship and awareness projects. In 2010, the foundation has started organizing TejoDiya, an Annual Cultural Event organized mainly for the purpose of honoring renowned personalities from various fields of arts and vocation.

As a part of the GT Foundation’s ongoing philanthropic efforts, the foundation in December 2012 had started Annadhaana Program at Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, located at Kavoor and Carstreet respectively. Around 1500–2000 devotees including the destitutes are being provided with free meals every Thursday and Sunday at Sri Raghavendra Mutt, Kavoor and also on Thursdays in Sri Raghavendra Mutt, Nellikai Road, Carstreet. In addition to this, food packets are also being prepared and taken around Mangalore every Thursday morning whereby, it is distributed to the physically challenged people who sit and request for alms at various places.

Dr Ravichandran was also associated with the Akshaya Patra Foundation, Mangaluru and in joint association- they initiated a mid-day meals program to approx. 50,000 school children in and around Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts on a daily basis. GT Foundation has donated a land to build a mega kitchen facility in Benjanapadavu, Mangaluru for this purpose.

Dr Ravichandran and his family were staunch believers of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and one of his dreams was to build a new temple at Sri Raghavendra Matha, Kavoor. His dream came into reality in the year 2018 when he rebuilt Sri Guru Raghavendra Matha, under the aegis of GT Foundation and in joint association with Sri Ramanjaneya Trust, at the cost of around INR 35 million comprising of 5000 Sq Ft of space allocated to the two floors of 2500 Sq Ft each. The purpose is to provide additional facilities for the underprivileged and economically challenged local residents to perform marriage functions and other community related activities.