Mangaluru : Dr. Ravichandran Venkataraman, the founder of Glowtouch Techonology and Diya Systems, passed away on November 12. He was 74.

He was in his daughter’s house in Louisville, Kenctucky, USA, following brain surgery two years ago. He leaves behind his wife Indira, daughter Vidya Ravichandran and son Hari.

He started his career as a professor at St. Philomena College in Puttur in 1970 and retired in 1999. He was professor emeritus of the college.

He then started several business ventures, including Diya Systems in 2003, for providing services in the BPO space. GlowTouch Technologies was set up in 2004 and focused on software development services for mid-market clients in the U.S. and U.K. Diya Systems and GlowTouch were merged to amalgamate key products and services. The development centre in Mangaluru with over 1,500 employees was among several such centres of the company.

Known for progressive management practices, Mr. Ravichandran was popular in the organisation and in industry circles. He was involved in several philanthropic activities through the GT Foundation, which he launched in 2004, and was closely associated with the Akshaya Patra Foundatoin. He was a member of Rotary Club of Mangaluru since 2000. He is a recipient of Bharatiya Udyog Ratan Award, Eminent Aloysian Alumni Award, MMA-KVK Outstanding Manager Award, and Spandana Entrepreneur of the Year Award.