India, April 15 -- 'The youngest old man', 'an inspirational leader', and 'a Chettiar who managed business and dharma with elan' were among the encomiums showered on The Sona Group Chairman, C. Valliappa, by friends from Bengaluru-his karma bhumi since 1967-especially from FKCCI, BCIC, and KTMA, at the launch of his biography, The Sona Story: The Textile to Tech Journey of Chettiar Industrialist C. Valliappa, held in Bengaluru this weekend.

A panel discussion on "From Cotton to Code: The Art of Business Reinvention" moderated by Raghuvir Srinivasan, Editor of The Hindu Businessline, offered powerful insights into the remarkable journey of C Valliappa, woven with anecdotes, humour, and reflections. Srinivasan said the book stands apart as...