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He lead a very simple life. He was a strict vegetarian and a teetotaler. He was known for his honesty and integrity. Before accepting the position of Dewan of Mysore, he invited all his relatives for dinner. He told them very clearly that he would accept the prestigious office on the condition that none of them would approach him for favours. Such things are unheard of these days.
Some of the job positions he held were
- Assistant Engineer, Bombay Government Service (in 1884)
- Chief Engineer, Hyderabad State (he served only for 7 months starting April 15, 1909)
- Chief Engineer in Mysore State (Nov 15, 1909). He was also Secretary to the Railways.
- President of Education and Industrial Development committees in Mysore State
- Dewan of Mysore. [for six years starting 1912]
- Chairman, Bhadravati Iron Works
- Member of the Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- Member of the Governing Council of Tata Iron and Steel Company [TISCO]
- Member of Back Bay enquiry committee, London
- Member of a committee constituted in 1917 to make recommendations regarding the future of Indian States.
Sir M.V. retired in 1908 and Sri Krishnarajendra Wodeyar, Maharaja of Mysore, was eager to secure the services of Visvesvaraya to serve Mysore. He joined as Chief Engineer in Mysore because he wanted challenging opportunities. Sir M.V. had earned a reputation for his honesty, integrity, ability and intelligence. He had introduced compulsory education in the State which later was embodied as a fundamental right in the Constitution of independent India.
To name few of the many things he was responsible for:
- Architect of the Krishnarajasagara dam - or KRS or Brindavan gardens . One of the biggest dams in India which irrigates a hundred and twenty thousand acres of land.
- Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works - as its Chairman he rescued it from becoming extinct.
- Mysore Sandal Oil Factory and the Mysore soap factory
- Mysore University - Sir M.V.'s question was "If Australia and Canada could have universities of their own for less than a million population, cannot Mysore with a population of not less that 60 lakhs have a University of its own?"
- State Bank of Mysore (it was first named The Bank Of Mysore)
- Public libraries in Mysore and Bangalore
- Encouraging girls to attend school.
- Mysore Chamber of Commerce
- Kannada Sahitya Parishad or the Kannada Literary Academy
- Sri Jayachamarajendra Occupational Institute, Bangalore - funded by the ENTIRE money [Rs 2 lacs] he earned from rescuing Bhadravati Iron Works
In India Sept 15 is celebrated as Engineer's Day in memory of our beloved Sir MV.
