Radio Brisvaani
Brisbane, September 30(Australia India News Newsdesk)
Mannu Kala’s journey from an international student arriving in Australia from India to a healthcare entrepreneur and philanthropist has earned him Griffith University’s 2026 International Alumnus honour.
Kala was recognised in Griffith University’s 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards for his work across healthcare, technology, business and education. Griffith lists him as the International Alumnus for its Arts, Education and Law group.
For Kala, the recognition has a personal connection. His association with Griffith began when he came to Australia as a student. He completed a Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2010 and a Master of Arts and Media in 2012, according to his Griffith alumni profile.
His career later took him in a different direction, towards healthcare and entrepreneurship.
Kala is Co-Founder and Co-Director of KnG Healthcare, where he has worked on new approaches to delivering care and supporting hospital services. His work during the COVID-19 pandemic included efforts to address problems associated with hospital capacity and patient flow, according to Griffith University.
The experience also shaped his view of entrepreneurship.
Rather than focusing on business alone, Kala has spoken about finding practical solutions to problems that affect people’s lives. Healthcare has remained one of the main areas where he has pursued that approach.
He has also ventured into technology through MK Tech Innovations. One of his ambitions is to develop stronger links between healthcare and technology on the Gold Coast and help establish the region as a centre for health innovation.
But business is only one part of Kala’s connection with Griffith.
In 2026, the Mannu Kala Foundation established an MD scholarship at Griffith University for students facing educational disadvantage. Griffith says the scholarship provides full tuition-fee support for an eligible Doctor of Medicine student for the duration of the degree.
Griffith News reported that the foundation had committed more than $350,000 to the scholarship initiative.
The decision to support students has a strong personal element for Kala. When he first arrived in Australia, Griffith provided him with a $300 emergency loan to help with basic expenses, including food and rent, according to his alumni profile.
That early assistance stayed with him.
Years later, after establishing himself professionally, Kala chose to support other students through the scholarship programme. For him, it has become a way of giving something back to the institution that played an important role when he was beginning his own life in Australia.
His Griffith profile describes his move from a small town in India to Australia as a major turning point. The experience, he says, taught him to adapt, remain determined and look for opportunities in difficult circumstances.
The 2026 alumni awards recognised graduates from a range of professions and backgrounds.
Griffith University named Seema Chauhan International Alumnus for Griffith Business School, Dr Mercy Moraa Nyanchoga for Griffith Health and Professor David Romero for Griffith Sciences.
The university also recognised Marielle Sander and Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC as joint Outstanding Alumni. Ryan James received the Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus recognition, while Dr Mikaela Seymour was named Outstanding Young Alumnus.
Kala’s recognition stands out for the way his Griffith story has come back to the university in a different form.
He first arrived as a student who needed help to get through the early stages of life in Australia. Today, he is supporting students who are beginning their own journeys through higher education.
His work now brings together three areas that have become central to his career — healthcare, technology and education — while his continuing relationship with Griffith reflects the lasting connection many international students develop with the institutions that give them their first opportunity in Australia.
