MAM
Vidyabhanu shifts gears to Porsche after steering Skoda’s pre-owned venture
MUMBAI: Abhishek Vidyabhanu has swapped his role building Skoda’s certified pre-owned business for a fresh challenge at Porsche India, where he will lead the marque’s approved car sales, corporate accounts and financial services from September 2025.
The 22-year industry veteran joins Porsche as national manager for approved and corporate sales after nearly four years at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, where he established the carmaker’s entire corporate and pre-owned verticals from scratch. His stint there saw him turn a loss-making mobility division into a profit engine worth more than Rs 350 million, while also overseeing HR services, facilities and even office-space design.
Vidyabhanu’s curriculum vitae reads like a tour through India’s automotive ecosystem. He cut his teeth flogging commercial vehicles at Force Motors and Tata Motors, graduated to sales strategy at Mahindra & Mahindra, managed Toyota dealerships in Mumbai, then spent nearly seven years at Audi, first as area manager, then running the western region, before heading the German brand’s approved plus programme.
At Skoda, he coined the “certified pre-owned” nomenclature that Volkswagen and Kia have since adopted. During the pandemic, he also dreamt up contactless virtual demonstrations and steered the accessories business.
The IIM Kozhikode alumnus describes his philosophy as simple: comfort signals the end of learning. Now he gets to test that theory at one of the world’s most storied sports car brands, where the learning curve promises to be steep and the road ahead thrillingly uncertain.
MAM
Karnataka clears Rs 4,824 crore investment projects across 13 districts
37 new industries approved, projects expected to create 14,525 jobs.
MUMBAI: If investment is the fuel of economic growth, Karnataka has just stepped on the accelerator. The Government of Karnataka has approved industrial projects worth Rs 4,824.31 crore, a move expected to generate 14,525 new employment opportunities across the state, according to a report by Press Trust of India. The approvals were granted during the 158th meeting of the Karnataka State Level Single Window Approval Committee, chaired by state industries authorities.
Karnataka industries minister M B Patil said the committee cleared 37 new industrial proposals and two additional investment projects spread across 13 districts, including Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Chitradurga, Kolar and Ramanagara.
The projects span a wide range of sectors such as information technology infrastructure, sugar manufacturing, technical textiles, compressed biogas, aerospace, jewellery manufacturing, electronics, software services and hospitality, including five star hotel development.
Patil said the diverse mix of industries reflects Karnataka’s strategy of attracting investments across both traditional manufacturing sectors and emerging technology driven industries.
Of the total proposals cleared, 22 projects fall under the large and medium industry category, each involving investments of more than Rs 50 crore.
Together, these projects account for Rs 3,908.68 crore in investment and are expected to create approximately 12,475 jobs.
Another 15 projects are classified as new industrial ventures with investments ranging between Rs 15 crore and Rs 50 crore. These projects collectively represent Rs 350.60 crore in investment and are expected to generate around 1,750 jobs.
In addition, the committee approved two further projects worth Rs 565.03 crore, which are expected to create about 300 employment opportunities.
Among the notable proposals cleared by the committee is a major information technology infrastructure development project by Bagmane Constructions Private Limited with an investment of Rs 494.65 crore.
Another significant project involves Karnataka Bangaru Sugars Pvt Ltd, which received approval to establish a sugar manufacturing facility worth Rs 443.50 crore.
In the textiles sector, Kleine Pax Ltd secured approval to set up a technical textiles manufacturing unit involving an investment of Rs 376 crore.
The hospitality sector also saw a major proposal, with Trishul Buildtech and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd receiving approval to develop a five star hotel project worth Rs 300 crore.
Meanwhile, the state also cleared a compressed biogas production facility by Troult Grass Pvt Ltd involving an investment of Rs 257.77 crore in Mudhol.
In the electric mobility segment, Tsuyo Manufacturing Pvt Ltd has been approved to set up a motor and controller manufacturing facility for electric vehicles, with an investment of Rs 250 crore.
Officials said the distribution of projects across multiple districts is expected to strengthen regional industrial development and expand employment opportunities beyond the state’s established technology hubs.
With the approvals spanning sectors from traditional manufacturing to next generation technologies, Karnataka aims to reinforce its position as one of India’s leading investment destinations while supporting job creation across diverse industries.
