At the Jagadguru Gurusiddasiddeshwara Kalyana Mantapa (Ole Math) in Hubballi's Ward No. 67 on Sunday, October 25, Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi gathered with party workers and local leaders to listen collectively to the 139th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat — a programme that has spent over a decade turning the radio dial into a national conversation.

In his post, Joshi described Mann Ki Baat as 'apoorva vedike' — an extraordinary platform — that brings before the entire nation the achievements of ordinary citizens, the innovative thinking of youth, women's empowerment, farmers' accomplishments, environmental conservation, use of indigenous products, sports, and public service.

Kalaburagi's pigeon pea reaches Maldives

Two Karnataka-specific highlights dominated Joshi's note from this episode. First, Kalaburagi district's famous togari bele (pigeon pea) is now being exported to the Maldives — a development Joshi described as a compelling example of the new global market opportunities opening up for Indian farmers. Kalaburagi is one of Karnataka's primary pulses-growing belts, and an export linkage to a South Asian island economy signals a widening of agri-trade corridors beyond traditional destinations.

PM Modi's decision to spotlight this export on a national broadcast amplifies visibility for the district's farming community — a recognition that, in the Mann Ki Baat format, often precedes or accompanies formal policy follow-through on agricultural market expansion.

A Karnataka bamboo startup's eco-packaging innovation

The second highlight was PM Modi's praise for a Karnataka-based bamboo startup that manufactures eco-friendly packaging material from bamboo and agricultural waste. Joshi noted that the Prime Minister's commendation adds further pride to the state. The innovation sits squarely within the government's broader push to replace single-use plastics with sustainable alternatives — a policy direction that has gathered momentum under India's Atmanirbhar Bharat and green-economy frameworks.

Bamboo-based packaging startups represent a convergence of rural livelihood creation, agri-waste valorisation, and environmental compliance — the kind of grassroots enterprise Mann Ki Baat has consistently used as a narrative vehicle for Vocal for Local messaging.

Who gathered at Ole Math in Hubballi

The listening event at Hubballi was attended by MLC Lingaraj Patil, Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara District General Secretaries Shivu Menasinkayyi and Jayateertha Katti, former MLA Ashok Katwe, and a cross-section of BJP ward leaders and workers from Dharwad constituency. The organised community listening underscores the party's use of Mann Ki Baat episodes as grassroots mobilisation touchpoints, especially in constituencies where local BJP units seek to keep cadre engagement high.

Mann Ki Baat was launched by PM Modi in October 2014 and has since become a monthly fixture connecting Raj Bhavans, community halls, and party offices across India to a single broadcast voice. Each episode routinely covers themes of agricultural success, citizen-led innovation, and self-reliance — and Karnataka's double appearance in this edition signals the state's growing footprint in the programme's national storytelling.

Whether the Kalaburagi pigeon-pea export corridor deepens or the bamboo startup scales into a policy case study, the PM's public endorsement on a 100-million-listener platform is rarely just a mention — it's a signal.