Divakar Pai Kochikar elected KCCI president for 2026-27
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, September 30, 2026: Entrepreneur Divakar Pai Kochikar has been unanimously elected as the new president of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) for 2026-27.
The new office-bearers and directors of the chamber were formally elected at KCCI’s 86th Annual General Meeting, held at its office in Mangaluru on Monday.
The newly elected office-bearers are Divakar Pai Kochikar (President), Ashwin Pai Maroor (Vice-President), CA Abdurrahiman Musba (Treasurer), and Jeethan Allen Sequeira and Vincent Coutinho (Secretaries).
The newly elected directors are Nisar Fakir Mohammed, Amit Ramachandra Acharya, B A Nazir, Aditya Padmanabha Pai, M Athmika Amin, CA Nandagopal Shenoy, Sujeer Prasad Naik, Ajay Prabhu Karkala, Nitte Dasharath Shetty, Vincent Joseph Neliyar, Balakrishna Janardhana Jeppu and Ranjal Rajaneesh Naik.
About the new president
Divakar Pai Kochikar is a Mangaluru-based entrepreneur with a three-generation family business background, along with experience in technology and community leadership.
He holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology. He began his career in the banking software division of Nucleus Software in Noida and later worked on Apple projects at Infosys.
He subsequently returned to Mangaluru and joined the family business, Swasti Cashew Industries, as executive director. He is also involved in the cultivation of rubber, arecanut and black pepper.
Pai Kochikar joined KCCI as a director in 2018 and has served as its secretary for two terms. He has also served as secretary of the Mangalore Rotary Club and as a member of the managing committee of the Centenary Amembal Subbarao Pai Memorial Fund.
Speaking after taking charge as KCCI president, Pai Kochikar said the coastal region is likely to enter a crucial phase of growth over the next five to 10 years and stressed the need for planned urban development and sustainable growth to position Mangaluru as a global commercial destination.
He said Mangaluru’s port and maritime economy are among its natural strengths, while sectors such as finance, education, healthcare, information technology and tourism offer significant opportunities.
He also emphasised the need to equip young people with appropriate skills to translate these opportunities into growth. He said KCCI would continue to prioritise the interests of traditional traders, which form the foundation of the organisation, while working towards the economic development of the coastal region.