Kishore Rao started Indian Cancer Society, Karnataka, in 1986 as a voluntary organisation, and today ICS has offices in Kalaburagi and Mangaluru besides Bengaluru. In 1994 he started Karunashraya in partnership with Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar- a shining example of a cancer hospice across the country. Kishore has been in the not-for-profit sector for the last 35 years.