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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Vodafone Idea rolls out new prepaid and postpaid international roaming plans: All details
Who is Harshavardhana Kikkeri, the Indian-origin tech CEO who killed wife and son and dies by suicide TECH NEWS : Harshvardhan Kikkeri, an Indian-origin tech CEO of HoloWorld, was found dead with his wife and son in their Newcastle home in a murder-suicide. Author Times Of India
Gulf News
01-05-2025
- Gulf News
Indian-origin tech entrepreneur, family found dead in Washington home
In a tragic incident that has shocked communities both in the United States and India, a 57-year-old Indian-origin tech entrepreneur from Mysuru, along with his wife and teenage son, was found dead in a suburban home in Newcastle, Washington. The incident, reported by The Seattle Times and confirmed by the King County Medical Examiner's Office, occurred on April 24. Harshavardhana S. Kikkeri, founder and CEO of the robotics firm HoloWorld based in Mysuru, was discovered deceased alongside his wife, Shwetha Panyam, 41, and their 14-year-old son, Dhruva Kikkeri. Shwetha was also the co-founder of HoloWorld. The couple's seven-year-old son is the only known survivor. Authorities responded to a 911 call around 7pm at a townhouse on 129th Place Southeast. Deputies arriving at the scene found signs of violence, including blood on the front window and a single hollow-point bullet on the street, according to King County Sheriff's spokesperson Brandyn Hull. While the motive remains unclear, the King County Medical Examiner has ruled the deaths of Shwetha and Dhruva as homicides. Harshavardhana's death was classified as suicide. However, law enforcement has not confirmed whether the case is being treated as a murder-suicide. 'The investigation is ongoing,' Hull stated. 'Detectives are working diligently to piece together what led to this heartbreaking incident. Until then, the Sheriff's Office won't be releasing further updates.'
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka tech CEO, wife, and son found dead in US home; former colleague mourns 'tragic loss'
The tech community in Karnataka is reeling from the shocking news of the deaths of Harshavardhana Kikkeri , CEO of robotics company HoloWorld , his wife Shwetha Harshavardhana , and their young son Dhruv. Shwetha was also the president of the company. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it The family was found dead at their home in the United States, with local police indicating a possible tragic murder-suicide . While official investigations are underway, the news has sent waves of grief and disbelief through those who knew the couple. Stafford Michahial , Group CTO at PRS Neurosciences and former Deputy CTO at Holosuit, the company Kikkeri founded, shared a tribute with ET, highlighting the profound loss felt by those close to the family. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Crossout 2.0: Supercharged Crossout Play Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola "I still struggle to find the right words," Michahial said in a statement. He recalled how Harsha and Shwetha welcomed him into their vision for Holosuit in 2017, a journey that saw him grow from a developer to their CTO. "We shared late nights building technology, dreams, and friendships that felt like family. And over time, that's exactly what we became." Michahial painted a picture of Harshavardhana as a "man of calm presence — spiritual, meditative, and full of focused energy," someone who believed in him and significantly shaped his life and career. He described Shwetha as a "steady, brilliant leader and a loving soul who held the team — and her family — together." He said their son, Dhruv, was: "always full of light, laughter, and innocence… they were everything to me." Live Events The news of their passing has left Michahial "shattered." "Losing all three of them — Shwetha, Dhruv, and Harsha — in such a tragic way has left a pain I can't describe," he said. "I love Harsha for everything he created, for the wisdom he shared, and the lives he changed. But I cannot reconcile the way it all ended. It is devastating. It's impossible to understand how someone so spiritually grounded could reach such a point." Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories "And yet, this is the hard truth — sometimes the signs are hidden, sometimes silence is louder than words," Michahial said. The tragic news has cast a pall over the tech circles in both the US and India, leaving many to grapple with the sudden loss of an entrepreneur, his wife, and their young child. Kikkeri originally came from Kikkeri village in Karnataka. He completed his early education in Mysuru and later moved to the US, where he earned a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. He worked at major tech firms, including Microsoft, where he focused on robotics and innovation. According to a description on his TEDx talk posted on YouTube, Kikkeri held 44 international patents across the US, China, Japan, and Europe. He was honoured with awards such as the Gold Star from Microsoft, an Excellence Award from Infosys , and a Bharat Petroleum Scholarship. He also won several chess championships.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian techie Harsha Kikkeri's younger son only surviving member of family after murder-suicide tragedy in US
Harshavardhana Kikkeri was a celebrated techie who once met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Digital India summit. The younger son of Indian techie Harshavardhana S Kikkeri was not at home when he reportedly shot and killed his wife and his elder son and then shot himself in a tragedy that took place in Seattle's King County Monday. Shwetha Panyam, 41, and Dhruva Kikkeri, 14, died from gunshot wounds. Panyam's and Dhruva's deaths were classified as homicides. Harshavardhana Kikkeri , 44, died by suicide, according to the medical examiner's office, the Seattle Times reported. Alex Gumina, the homeowner association president, said a family of four — a husband, wife and their two sons — lived in the home and mostly kept to themselves. The younger son, seven years old, escaped the tragedy as he was not at home at that time. What happened to Harsha Kikkeri, a celebrated techie? Many questions remain unanswered as Harsha Kikkeri , the CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company which is headquartered in Myrsuru town, was known as a bright and promising mind who accomplished a lot. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh funded his organization and was also the brand ambassador. A 2017 selfie that he took with Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai surfaced on social media showing the prominence that he enjoyed in India. Harsha met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Digital India summit. On the night of the shooting, authorities were called to the townhouse on 129th Street after receiving a 911 call. The KING 5 television station said its crew saw a child -- the younger son of the Kikkeri family -- being escorted from the home and comforted by investigators. The detectives found blood on the front window and a lone hollow point bullet in the street. Kikkeri who belonged to the Kikkeri village in Madya, graduated from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru, and worked with Microsoft in the US, focusing on robotics. He also had a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, US. Kikkeri held 44 international patents and worked in Infosys as a software engineer before moving to the US. According to reports, he returned to India in 2017 along with his wife and co-founded HoloWorld. Then he invented HoloSuit, an AI-powered full-body motion capture suit functioning as a virtual trainer.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Very promising and intelligent': a friend remembers Karnataka tech CEO Harshavardhana Kikkeri
Days after Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, a tech entrepreneur from Karnataka, allegedly shot dead his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life in Washington state, US, his friend in Mysuru Wednesday expressed his shock over the deaths. Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, who was the CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru town, reportedly shot Shwetha Panyam, 44, his wife and co-founder of HoloWorld, and their 14-year-old son. While the incident took place on April 24 in Newcastle, Washington, the police in the US town are yet to reveal the motive behind his actions. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bhaskar Kalale, Chairman, EqualizeRCM said Kikkeri was a very active tech-savvy friend. 'The last time I met him was in Mysuru about a year ago. He was very promising, intelligent, and had accomplished a lot of things. In fact, cricketer Yuvraj Singh had funded his organisation and also was the brand ambassador,' added Kalale, who is also the president of the Mysuru chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). 'Many from the business fraternity in Mysuru thought that he was juggling between the US and Mysuru and never knew he had shifted his family,' Kalale said. Kalale said Kikkeri, also a TEDx speaker, used to deliver several talks in Mysuru about technology and innovation. While none of Kikkeri's family members lived in Mysuru, HoloWorld was headquartered in the town's Vijayanagar Third Stage area. He also ran a training centre for robotics in Mysuru. Speaking to the media, the owner of the building where Kikkeri had his office said he started it in 2018, but it was shut down after 2022. The training centre for robotics was also shut, but the HoloWorld operated from Mysuru and the US. 'He was a very reserved person who spoke less but was very humble,' the building owner added. Meanwhile, Brandyn Hull, spokesperson of the sheriff in King County, Washington, told the media they are investigating whether the deaths were a murder-suicide. 'An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident,' Hull said in a statement. American newspaper The Seattle Times reported the police attended a 911 call around 7 pm on April 24, and they found three people dead, and a toddler alive. According to the report, the detectives found blood on the front window, and a lone hollow point bullet in the street. Kikkeri, who belonged to the Kikkeri village in Mandya, graduated from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru, and worked with Microsoft in the US, focusing on robotics. He also had a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, US. Kikkeri held 44 international patents, and worked in Infosys as a software engineer before moving to the US. In 2017, he and his wife, Shwetha, returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld. The company gained recognition in 2018 with the launch of HoloSuit, a wireless full-body motion capture suit used in sports, education, healthcare, and other fields. The company's products were exported to countries, including the US, the UK, and Israel.
