C Valliappa: A Chettiar Who Made Bengaluru Home and History

The article details the remarkable journey of C. Valliappa, a Chettiar industrialist who made significant contributions to Bengaluru's business ecosystem since 1967. Known for his transitions from textiles to technology, technical education, and real estate, Valliappa's story is chronicled in his biography, "The Sona Story: The Textile to Tech Journey of Chettiar Industrialist C. Valliappa."

The biography, launched in Bengaluru, captures his values of integrating business with dharma and his pioneering efforts in establishing Sona Towers, which hosted India's first remote satellite-based software development for Texas Instruments. The article also features reflections from industry leaders on Valliappa's innovative business practices and his impact on companies like Titan and Wipro.

Recounting the foundation of Sona Towers, Valliappa said, “in mid 1980s Texas Instruments came because I had scientific maps of wind velocity on my rooftop to host the satellite dish. Sona Towers hosted India’s first remote satellite-based software development for TI.”

“VSNL, D-DOT and Titan followed soon, making Sona Towers a pioneering hub where software, telecom, and the consumer story took off—marking the birth of India’s IT revolution,” Chettiar industrialist’s elder son Mr. Chocko Valliappa, MD, The Sona Group.