Mangaluru: Hotelier Prabhakar Poonja of Poonja International passes away

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 18, 2025: Prabhakar Poonja (72), the well-known owner of Poonja International Hotel in Hampankatta, Mangalore, passed away at a private hospital in the city after a brief illness. He hailed from Bantwal.

Prabhakar Poonja was born and raised in Mumbai, where he grew up speaking Hindi, Marathi, Tulu, and Gujarati, while also understanding Kannada. Over the years he built lasting friendships with senior police officials and politicians in both Mumbai and Mangalore.

Prabhakar Poonja of Poonja International

He was relative of the late Sharad Shetty, a well-known figure in Mumbai however Mr Poonja only maintained family links to him but charted his own independent path.

At 30 years old, Poonja moved to Mangalore and founded Hotel Poonja, a landmark that remains the largest hotel in the city. His focus on quality, service, and community relationships laid the foundation for a family enterprise that his children continue to run successfully today.

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