Sri Vinaya Hegde inherited a deep sense of public duty and moral responsibility. After a successful career in industry | Global TV
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
Mangalore / Nitte: It is with profound sorrow that we mourn the passing of Sri N. Vinaya Hegde, an exceptional educationist, philanthropist, and visionary social reformer, who left us on 01 January 2026. Colleagues across the academic, healthcare, and social sectors join together in paying tribute to a life devoted unwaveringly to service, equity, and nation-building.
Born in 1939 to Smt. Meenakshi Hegde and the eminent jurist and parliamentarian Justice K. S. Hegde, Sri Vinaya Hegde inherited a deep sense of public duty and moral responsibility. After a successful career in industry – most notably as the founder of the Lamina Group of Companies, which created employment for thousands – he made a conscious and defining choice to dedicate his life to the service of society. This transition marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey of social transformation through education, healthcare, rural development, and community empowerment.
In 1979, in accordance iof the wishes of his parents, Sri Hegde started the Nitte Education Trust, guided by the conviction that education and health are the most powerful instruments of social change. What began as a modest Kannada-medium school in a remote village with no access to formal education has grown into one of the region’s most comprehensive educational ecosystems. Today, the Trust runs 43 institutions, ranging from schools to professional colleges and hospitals, serving more than 29,000 students and employing over 5,500 staff. These institutions have opened doors of opportunity to countless young people, many from rural, marginalized, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
A defining hallmark of Sri Hegde’s life’s work was his integrated model of education, healthcare, and rural development. The Justice K. S. Hegde Charitable Hospital, along with 23 rural health centres, provides free and affordable healthcare to underserved populations across Karnataka and northern Kerala. Initiatives such as cleft palate surgeries, geriatric care, community mental health services, and disability rehabilitation stand as enduring examples of healthcare delivered with compassion and dignity.
Under his leadership, Nitte (Deemed to be University) was established in 2008 with a clear social mandate. The University today stands among India’s leading institutions, with NAAC A+ accreditation, a NIRF rank of 80, recognition in QS Asia (Rank 586), and inclusion in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (1201-1500 band). Four of the constituent colleges of Nitte University figure highly in the NIRF rankings in their respective categories. More importantly, it has remained steadfast in its commitment to community engagement, sustainability, and service aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sri Hegde’s commitment to national integration and social equity found powerful expression in his work with youth from India’s North Eastern states. Through the NAMASTE Centre for North Eastern Studies, established in 2016, he enabled free education, residential care, and meaningful cultural exchange. Each year, fully sponsored seats are offered to deserving students from the North East across all programs of the University, and underprivileged children from Meghalaya are supported from primary education through graduation.
Believing that research must serve society, Sri Hegde established advanced research centres addressing real-world challenges in neuroscience, regenerative medicine, cancer, genetics, and environmental health. His vision ensured that scientific inquiry translated into tangible social impact.
Beyond academics, he championed holistic development, promoting sports, sanitation, rural education, and community participation long before such initiatives gained national prominence. His belief that “every person is equal” was not merely a philosophy, but a lived principle that guided decades of selfless service.
A man of humility, simplicity, and quiet determination, Sri N. Vinaya Hegde truly embodied the grace implicit in his name. His legacy lives on in the institutions he built, the lives he transformed, and the values he instilled in generations of students, faculty, and colleagues. We honour his memory with gratitude, reverence, and a renewed commitment to the ideals he held dear.
