The Udupi-Manglore region has traditionally been the region of entrepreneurs, bankers and educational entreprenuers largely driven by Saraswat community.<p>Udupi is called &quot;cradle of banking&quot; in India. Large number of private banks started in this region until the socialist government forcibly took over all of them.<p>Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore started in this region.<p>Manipal city which is close to Udupi played a major role in spreading computer education in India through a franchise model of Manipal Private university. I touched a Windows computer for the first time through one such franchises. The course which taught me basic Office, Internet, my first email address, accounting software Tally etc. cost $100 in 1999 and took around 3 weeks.<p>TMA Pai was the the first Indian to start fully privately funded Medical, Dental and Engineering college. TMA Pai foundation was the one to successfully fight against the Indian Government which started putting arbitrary admission,fee criteria even on 100% privately funded Hindu run educational institutes. (Indian government by law interferes only in educational institutes run by Hindus while giving 100% exemption to others thus creating an uneven field to compete).<p>TMA Pai won the court case and Indian government with great urgency passed constitutional amendment to override the court&#x27;s decision.<p>Food:
In my childhood it was a common joke that Americans found an Udupi restaurant on Moon when they sent their men on it.<p>That was the Indian fastfood during those times mostly run by Saraswat community spread across the country. The three colleges I attended all had canteens run by someone from this town.<p>P.S.<p>I always feel connected to Udupi because as a child I faced a life threatening issue and my parents traveled hundreds of miles to take me to Manipal hospital where I got excellent healthcare at reasonable price. Now Manipal hospital has many branches.