Koragappa was born at Hoige Bajar of Mangalore to a renowned Billawa family in 1865. He along with C Abdul Rehman started a trading company named C Abdul Rehman and Trading Co., they had trade ties with Columbia, Singapore, Arabia and many more foreign countries. They were the top exporters of dry fish in those days.
Along with his close aides, in 1908, Shri Koragappa travelled to Kannanore and met Shri Narayana Guru. He invited Narayana Guru to Mangalore and in 1912, he made Narayana Guru to inaugurate ‘Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple’. He was greatly influenced by the teachings of Narayana guru. To unite Billawa community, when Zilla Billawa Union formed, he took charge as a president. He not only worked to uplift his community but to all backward communities of the Tulunad. He and his wife were very generous and used to provide shelter to the students from far away villages who seeked education in Mangalore.
Along with social work, Shri Koragappa was working as an honourary Bench Magistrate for more than 25 years. He breathed his last on May 6, 1947. In his remembrance a hall was built in Kudroli temple with a name “Adhyaksha Koragappa Smaraka Mandira”.