Hubballi industrialist sworn in along with new five-member team after Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association’s AGM
BENGALURU, June 28: The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA), the apex body representing Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the state, has a new President. Ninganna S. Biradar took charge for the year 2026–27 after the new Managing Committee was sworn in following elections held in conjunction with the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 28.
New team of office bearers
Biradar will steer KASSIA’s activities for the coming year alongside a team of four other office bearers: Ninganna S. Biradar as Vice President, Prakash C as Honorary General Secretary, Raviraj Shetty S as Treasurer, M.M. Giri as Joint Secretary (Urban), and Mallesh B. Jadar as Joint Secretary (Rural). KASSIA said the new office bearers bring a mix of industry experience and organisational commitment to the role, with a shared vision to strengthen Karnataka’s MSME ecosystem.
A seasoned industry hand
A respected industrialist from Hubballi, Biradar is a Commerce graduate and partner of M/s Banashankari Engineers, a firm engaged in manufacturing electrical hardware line materials. He has spent decades in industry and is known for his work on industrial development, particularly in North Karnataka.
Biradar has held several association leadership roles before this appointment. He served as President of the North Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association, Hubballi, from 2018 to 2020, and earlier held positions as Vice President of KMTRC Industrial Estate, Hubballi, Council Member of KASSIA for six terms, and Joint Secretary of KASSIA for one term. He is also a Director of Shri Shanteshwar Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Ltd, Indi, and an active member of the Rotary Club of Hubballi North.
Agenda for the year ahead
The new leadership is expected to build on KASSIA’s record of advocacy while pursuing a wider agenda covering industrial competitiveness, ease of doing business, infrastructure development, technology adoption, skill enhancement, access to finance, exports, sustainability and policy reforms. The Association is also expected to push for more balanced industrial growth across Karnataka, with greater support for MSMEs in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
Karnataka continues to grow as one of India’s leading manufacturing and innovation hubs, and KASSIA’s new team takes office at a key point for the state’s MSME sector. Under Biradar, the Association said it would work closely with government bodies, financial institutions and industry stakeholders to support industrial growth, employment generation and entrepreneurship in the state.
