| Who is it? | Civil Engineer |
| Birth Day | September 15, 1861 |
| Birth Place | Muddenahalli, Chikballapur, Kingdom of Mysore (now in Karnataka), Indian |
| Age | 158 YEARS OLD |
| Died On | 12 April 1962(1962-04-12) (aged 100)\nBangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Birth Sign | Libra |
| Monarch | Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV |
| Preceded by | T. Ananda Rao |
| Succeeded by | M. Kantaraj Urs |
| Alma mater | College of Engineering Pune |
| Profession | Civil Engineer |
M. Visvesvaraya, a renowned civil engineer in India, is estimated to have a net worth of $100K - $1M in 2024. Known for his incredible contributions to the field of engineering, Visvesvaraya played a pivotal role in the development of India's infrastructure. His expertise and innovative approaches to engineering problems have garnered him a significant reputation and financial success. With an impressive net worth, Visvesvaraya's legacy serves as an inspiration for aspiring engineers and his impact on the industry is sure to be remembered for years to come.
Visvesvaraya was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1911. In 1915, while he was the Diwan of Mysore, Visvesvaraya was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. After India attained independence, he was awarded the nation's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. Sir M.V. was awarded honorary membership of the London Institution of Civil Engineers. He was awarded a fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science (based in Bangalore). He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees including D.Sc., LL.D., D.Litt. from eight universities in India. He was president of the 1923 session of the Indian Science Congress. He was the most popular person from Karnataka, in a newspaper survey conducted by Prajavani.
Visvesvaraya has received recognition in many fields, most notably the education and the engineering sectors. Visvesvaraya Technological University which is based in Belagavi (to which most engineering colleges in Karnataka are affiliated) has been named in his honour, as well as prominent colleges like University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore and Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur.
College of Engineering, Pune, his alma mater, has erected a statue in his honour. The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore is named in his honour.
The Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust manages a memorial of Visvesvaraya at his birthplace Muddenahalli. The memorial exhibits his awards, titles and personal belongings, including his living room, spectacles, cups, books and a block with which his visiting cards were printed. Models of the Krishna Raja Sagar dam, which Visvesvaraya designed and supervised the construction of, are exhibited. The memorial is adjacent to his house, which was refurbished and regarded as a temple by the locals.
Er.Visvesvaraya lost his Father at the age of 12. He enrolled for the primary school in Chickballapur and attended high school in Bangalore. He received a BA degree from Central College, Bangalore, (then an affiliate of the University of Madras) in 1881 and later studied at College of Engineering, Pune. He received LCE (Licenciate in Civil Engineering) equal to DCE (Diploma in Civil Engineering) from University of Bombay to which college was affiliated.
He designed and patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates that were first installed in 1903 at Khadakvasla Reservoir near Pune. These gates were employed to raise flood supply level of storage in reservoir to the highest level likely to be attained without causing any damage to the dam. Based on the success of these gates, the same system was installed at the Tigra Dam in Gwalior and Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam in Mandya/Mysore, Karnataka.
In 1906–07, Government of India sent him to Aden to study water supply and drainage systems. The project prepared by him was implemented in Aden successfully.
After opting for voluntary retirement in 1908, he took a foreign tour to study industrialised nations. After, for a short period, he worked for the Nizam of Hyderabad, India. He suggested flood relief measures for Hyderabad town, which was under constant threat by the Musi river. During November 1909, Visvesvaraya was appointed as chief Engineer of Mysore State. Further, during 1912, he was appointed as diwan (second minister) of the princely state of Mysore. He was diwan for seven years.
Visvesvaraya was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1911. In 1915, while he was the Diwan of Mysore, Visvesvaraya was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. After India attained independence, he was awarded the nation's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. Sir M.V. was awarded honorary membership of the London Institution of Civil Engineers. He was awarded a fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science (based in Bangalore). He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees including D.Sc., LL.D., D.Litt. from eight universities in India. He was President of the 1923 session of the Indian Science Congress. He was the most popular person from Karnataka, in a newspaper survey conducted by Prajavani.
He was instrumental in the founding of the Government Engineering College at Bangalore in 1917, one of the first engineering institutes in India. This institution was later named the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering after its founder. He commissioned several new railway lines in Mysore state.
Sir Er.M.Visvesvaraya is known to have designed and planned the entire area of Jayanagar in south Bangalore. The foundation of Jayanagar was laid in 1959. It was one of first planned neighbourhoods in Bangalore and, at the time, the largest in Asia. It is believed that locality, designed by Er.M.Visvesvaraya, is one of the best-planned layouts in Asia.
