Mr. Umar Teekay is a well known businessman, educationist and community leader, settled in Bangalore.

Mr. Teekay is one of the founders of the Bearys revival movement that started way back in the eighties. He has been the President of the Bearys Welfare Association, Bangalore which is the de facto parent organization to all Beary forums. He was the Secretary General of the first ever Global Beary Convention in 1997 which marked the onset of the Bearys revival movement and has been a pillar of the Beary movement ever since, being a part of all the cultural, literary, educational and general mass upliftment initiatives of the Beary community, in his capacity as a mentor or advisor to various Beary forums.

He was born in 1958 in Bhadravathi in Karnataka, where his father Late Mr. Bava Abdul Khader was an established civil contractor. When he was 2, his family shifted to Mangalore where Mr. Teekay had his growing up and education. He did his schooling in the catholic schools in Bajpe, later completed his PUC from St.Aloysius College, Mangalore and joined Engineering in famed KREC, Surathkal, which is now called NITK.

After completion of Engineering, in 1980, Mr. Teekay joined the well known engineering marketing company, Batliboi Engineers. After a brief stint at Surat in Gujarath and then in Mumbai , he shifted to Bangalore where he worked for Batliboi in various positions till he resigned in 1989.

In 1989 Mr. Teekay founded his business under the family name Teekays which has grown from strength to strength over the years. Teekays Group has a couple of companies under its umbrella, mainly handling interior fit-out solutions and allied services for corporate work places, though its  many offices and various associates across India. Teekays group is also into land bank holding for development of residential and industrial layouts in various parts of Karnataka. Mr. Teekay is currently on the board of a few deep tech start ups where Teekays Family Office holds significant investments.

Mr. Teekay is primarily an Engineering graduate from NIT-K, Surathkal having done his Mechanical Engineering in 1980. Later he did his post graduate diploma in Management from St. Josephs College of Commerce in Bangalore. In the years 2002 to 2004, even as he was helming his business, he did his ‘Owner President Management’ course at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. Throughout his student career Mr. Teekay has been an outstanding student and an active student leader. When he was in NITK, which was then called KREC, he conceptualized and convened the first ever ‘Incident’ festival in 1980, which has consistently remained one of the top 10 college festivals in India. Mr. Teekay is an active member of the Alumni Movement of NITK as well as Harvard Business School, patronizing and supporting all their activities. Teekays group is the sponsor of many coveted Student Awards across well known institutions like NITK, IIIT-B, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavana, RV School of Architecture etc. He has been honoured twice as the Distinguished Alumni by the NITK Global Alumni Association.

In 1989, he joined the world renowned MILT leadership development movement, of which he was the president for two terms. MILT under its aegis has many charity initiatives as a part of its training program. Premaanjali Foundation, which is run by a group of erstwhile Miltonians is a well recognized NGO in Bangalore catering to the needs of homeless children and the underprivileged through its various projects. Mr. Teekay has been a trustee of this foundation since 1995.

Mr. Teekay is well known for his contribution to the cause of education. He is currently the honorary president of Muslim Educational Institutions Federation (MEIF) which has more than 270 schools and colleges under its umbrella, spread across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Hassan and Uttara Kannada districts. Around 7000 teachers work in MEIF schools imparting quality education to more than 100000 children. MEIF’s contribution to the marginalized strata of the society is well recognized and Govt. of Karnataka bestowed MEIF with the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in the year 2023. He is a member of the Vision Group of Govt of Karnataka’s Higher Education department, that is an advisory body for the modernisation of Govt. Engineering colleges, Polytechnics and degree colleges in collaboration with the Asia Development Bank. He is also on the board of the Presidency Launch Association, a section 8 company promoted by the Presidency University, Bangalore, to promote and support the start-up eco system.

Mr. Teekay heads Teekays Foundation, an independent trust promoted by Teekays Group that has been making significant contribution in the field of education in rural areas besides other community outreach programs.

Mr Teekay is a voracious reader and a well known speaker. He is known for his key note addresses and motivation lectures across organizations and Institutions including IIM Bangalore, NITK Surathkal, Presidency University, Garden City University, Christ University, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore International Centre, various Beary and Tulu forums etc.

Mr Teekay is an avid traveller, having travelled across the world and is passionate about nature, wild life & adventure sports. In 2007, he summited Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and the fourth highest in the world. In 2008, he participated in an Antarctica expedition as a part of Harvard Alumni team.

Mr. Teekay is an ardent admirer of Dakshina Kannada and its rich traditional heritage. He is a known patron of Coastal Karnataka’s rich art and cultural treasures like Yakshagana, Kambala, Hulivesha etc. In recognition of his service and contribution to the cause of Dakshina Kannada’s culture, he was honoured with the prestigious Karavali Ratna Award in 2024, by the Dakshina Kannada Association of Bangalore.

Mr. Teekay hails from the well respected Kademane and Kunjarkhan families in Mangalore. He is married to Dr. Zubaida, hailing from another well-known family, the Kukkadis. She is a director in the Teekays Group besides being part of a few community outreach initiatives.

The Teekays have 2 daughters- The older one, Salma is an Architect having done her M.Arch from University of Michigan, USA and is working and settled in Chicago. Their younger daughter Khatija has done her graduation from UCLA, USA and is working for a Los Angeles based fund management company.