Mangaluru’s first business hotel Moti Mahal to be shut down by end of April
Mangaluru: Amid prolonged land dispute, Mangaluru's first business hotel, Moti Mahal, is now on the verge of closure and must be handed over to its rightful landowners by the end of April.
As per the Supreme Court’s verdict, Hotel Moti Mahal is to be handed over to the landowners in its current state. Additionally, a compensation of Rs. 3 crore is to be paid to them.
The land on which Hotel Moti Mahal stands located next to Milagres Church in Hampankatta is presently owned by St. Anthony’s Old Age Home, situated in Jeppu.
The legal battle, which began years ago between the local church’s administrative committee and the hotel’s proprietors, has finally reached its logical conclusion. The original landowners have emerged victorious in the prolonged legal conflict.
Hotel Moti Mahal was established in 1966 by renowned Mangalorean businessman A.J. Shetty in Hampankatta, the heart of the city.
At the time of its inception, Moti Mahal was the first hotel in Mangaluru to offer luxury amenities such as a gym and a swimming pool. It quickly became a prominent name with its popular Mangala Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, Madhuvan Veg Restaurant, Mehfil Bar, Taichin Chinese Restaurant, Moti Sweets section, and a swimming pool named Sheetal. The hotel earned its reputation as the first true business and luxury hotel in the city.
With 90 rooms and a grand hall accommodating up to 1,000 people, Moti Mahal mirrored the evolving urban lifestyle of Mangaluru. Over the past six decades, it grew beyond a hotel to become a major landmark of the city.
From family gatherings to business meetings, auspicious ceremonies to celebratory parties, Moti Mahal served as the go-to venue for all kinds of events. Its vegetarian restaurant, in particular, has retained its reputation over the years.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
