An engineer, M. Visvesvaraya worked in government public works department. He was an expert in designing water supply projects and handled several important water supply matters related to Surat, Sind, Dhulia, Kohlapur, Pune, Belgaum, Dharwar and Bijapur. He retired from service in 1908. In 1909, he was appointed the chief engineer of Mysore State by the Maharaja of Mysore. The Krishnarajasagara Reservoir on the Cauveri was built under his guidance.
In 1912, he became the Diwan of Mysore and introduced several constitutional reforms for the development of education, agriculture, industry and commerce in the state. In association with leading industrialists of his time, Visvesvaraya helped in establishing several factories. From 1927-55, he was the director of Tata Iron and Steel Co. He was made the President the All-India Manufacturers’ Organisation. A genius in Planning, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955. Reconducting India, Planned Economy for India, Memoirs of My working Life and Sayings: Witty and Wise are a few of the books written by him.