Sadananda Maiya Gets Honorary Doctorate

Tumkur University, Tumkur, has conferred honorary doctorate to seven eminent personalities on the occasion of its Third Annual Convocation, viz. to hotelier and promoter of Maiyas  P. Sadananda Maiya,  Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, , freedom fighter Dasappa, R. Ganesh, Sanskrit scholar and educationist Yadalam Gangadhar Shetty.
Sadananda Maiya does not require any introduction to Bangaloreans, who has been serving the people as a hotelier for over 4 decades, with his MTR foods and now the Maiya's Hotel in Jayanagar. He is known for his simplicity and generosity in addition to his honest and non-compromising quality service. He is ably assisted by his son Sudarshan Maiya at his Jayanagar hotel.
Mr. P. Sadananda Maiya, is the Director of MTR Foods Ltd, a multi products company specializing in traditional foods, offering consumers over 300 products in eight categories ranging from ready-to-cook foods to full meals, meal accompaniments, food adjuncts, snacks and savouries, desserts.
People generally have a perception that the Business man just doubles the business by increasing his turnover and with many new projects, no it is not so in Sadananda Maiya's case he is very self content and currently runs a Maya's hotel situated in Jayanagar which is handed by his son Sudharshan Maiya and assisted by him. Here is some un told facts of Sadananda Maiya.
Maiya's philosophy in life can be simply described as "Annadatho Sukki Bhava" and he believes that serving food to people is in a way like serving God. He has 100% repeat customers, uses nano technology glass in all the 5 floors which reflect sun rays and keeps the inside seating area cool throughout the day, and every floor has a kitchen with air filter to provide fresh air to the cooks, uses mineral water for drinking purpose and purified water for cocking purpose.
He is also planning to introduce nano technology foods in tie up with US based company  in the near future and also introducing an online booking to his customers in days to come.
Maiya is a great source of  inspiration to young entrepreneurs. He started his business with an empty pocket, with zero capital. Today his success is deserving to make a film about him and some people even compare his success with Rajnikanth.
Talking to TWB on receiving the  Honorary Doctorate, he expressed his happiness and gratitude to the people of Karnataka and said that coming from a Brahmin family he was supposed to offer free food to poor and needy people, but  in business he was helpless, and as an alternative, he had now decided to help the people in the field of Education under the banner of his own trust namely "Sadananda Maiya Charitable Trust".
The PU Block consisting of 6 floors will be named after him at  Jayanagar National College campus at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 crore sponsored by him with latest hi end technologies, and will start functioning shortly. For MCA from next academic year, four floors will be almost ready by June and the remaining 2 floors will be ready by October he said. Besides this, he has donated 40 computers to his home town school and constructed PU Block at Kotta Viveka School and a well stocked library at Sneha Sagar School.
Belonging to a reputed hotelier family which had established the Mavalli Tiffin Room restaurant at Bangalore in 1924, Mr. Maiya imbibed the innate ability to "CREATE" foods with lasting taste and flavour even when he was studying in the school/college. While most of the boys at his age were more enamored by various extracurricular activities, Mr. Maiya chose to spend his leisure time to observe and learn the intricate art/skill of making new/innovative foods from his forefathers at MTR restaurant. It was this informal exposure, which had made him a real practitioner of art and science of cooking many traditional foods of South India.
Mr. Maiya was born at Parampaalli in Dakshina Kannada district (presently Udupi district) on July 13, 1949. After a brilliant school career in his native place, he completed the Bachelor of Engineering course in Electrical engineering at BMS College of Engineering, University of Bangalore in the year 1973.
Mr. Maiya, as a partner launched MTR Foods in 1976 and by 1978 established a small-scale facility to manufacture a host of ready mix products for many popular foods, which became instant hits in the market From a small-scale ready mix unit Mr. Maiya raised the status of his organisation to a major player in the industrial landscape of the country with high visibility and consumer goodwill. MTR Foods Ltd., as seen today, was incorporated in 1997 with Mr. Maiya as Chairman and Managing Director and growth of the organization ever since has been phenomenal, with the annual turnover of registering more than Rs. 1000 million during 2002-2003. Mr. Maiya was instrumental in transforming the status of his company from a small-scale unit to an ISO 9000 company with HACCP certification. Adoption of the internationally acclaimed -System Application Product in data processing, popularly known as "SAP", by MTR Foods Ltd, for bringing up the management efficiency to be on par with that of large multinationals, a first for a food company in India, speak volumes about the vision of Mr. Maiya and his abiding interest in consumer safely and welfare. The high visibility of products' from MTR stable on the shelves of more than 2,00,000 retail outlets, in the kitchens of millions of households and thousands of stores in more than a dozen countries is a milestone feat that is the envy of all hoteliers.
Mr. Maiya is the recipient of several other awards like:
Defence Technology Absorption Award 2001 from the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, felicitated by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
During the year 2003 - Nominated by the popular Business Today Group of publications as one of the 12 Best marketers.
Sanmana Pathra award from Central Excise, Ministry of Finance, Government of India for Outstanding revenue performance for the year 2001-02.
Mr. P. Sadananda Maiya has also been awarded the prestigious Prof V. Subrahmanyan Industrial Achievement Award in 2002 instituted by Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), Mysore in consideration of his all round development of the food industry in India through his dedication, passionate involvement and unwavering commitment.  Earlier recipients of this award include the renowned agriculture scientist Prof. M.S. Swaminathan and the legendary dairy technologist Dr. V. Kurien
Honest Tax payer awarded during the year 2004 from Karnataka Commercial Taxes Department, Government of Karnataka,
In 2005 -Best Vegetarian Processed Food-2005 PETA Award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals-PETA India.com.

Narasimha Award from Koota Maha Sangh,
Bhargava Prashanthi Award from Dakshina Kannadigara Vedike,
K M Karanth Award for his multifaceted achievements.
"Certificate of Merit" for Excellent Export Performance during the year 2004-2005 from A P E D A, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India.
Life Time Achievement Award - 2004 from All India Food Processors' Association.
Suvarna Karnataka Year 2006 Awarded for the service rendered to the State of Karnataka, felicitated by Chief Minister Government of Karnataka.
"Certificate of Appreciation" in recognition of Life Time Achievement and contribution  made in the filed of Industry on the occasion of Vishwa Tulu Sammelana 2009.
He is a member of the Governing Council of National Education Trust and is associated with several socio-cultural organizations. He visited more than a dozen countries as an ambassador of Indian traditional foods to spread the name and fame of our heritage foods.
By pioneering the dramatic growth of traditional Indian food sector through application of modem science and technology, unprecedented innovative efforts and dynamic management tools, Mr. Maiya has restored the pride, prestige and respectabifi1y to the traditional food sector.
And this legendary personality can be seen many a time chatting to him like any ordinary person with his customers at his hotel's dining table, and giving them free business advice!