Dr. Subhash Chandra is 2016 CIF Chanchlani Global Award recipient

PRESS RELEASE

Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman of the Essel Group, which includes the Zee Media and Zee Entertainment, has been named as the sixth recipient of the prestigious Canada India Foundation (CIF) Chanchlani Global Indian Award, instituted by Canada India Foundation. He will receive the Award in Toronto on April 22, 2016.

The announcement was made by CIF during the Ontario Business Mission to India, in which CIF was a participant.

Dr. Chandra will be joining a select group of globally renowned persons of Indian origin in receiving this award. Past recipients of the Award are:

Sam Pitroda (2008), architect of India’s telecom revolution

Tulsi Tanti (2009), Founder and Chairman of Suzlon

Ratan Tata (2010), former Chairman of the Tata Group

Deepak Chopra (2012), renowned US-based author and speaker, and

N.R. Narayana Murthy (2014), Founder and former Chairman of Infosys

Subhash Chandra is the Chairman of the Essel Group, a major Indian Conglomerate. He launched India’s first satellite TV channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel Zee News. Today, the Zee brand is known the world over, with hundreds of millions of people of Indian origin and others outside India stay in touch with India through Zee TV channels.

CIF is a public policy organization formed in Canada in 2007 to strengthen Canada India relations and to celebrate the global Indian community. The CIF Chanchlani Global Indian Award was instituted to:

• recognize the transformation of India into a global economy and ascendancy in world stage
• Celebrate the contribution of individuals to this transformation
• Raise the Global Profile of people of Indian origin

The award recipient is recognized for his

• Global leadership
• Strategic vision in globalizing India, and
• Professional Excellence

Chief Guests at CIF’s first Award Gala in 2008 were former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and then Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper. The then premier of Ontario, Canada, Dalton McGuinty and India’s parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor have also been chief guests at CIF Award Gala. The Award includes a cash amount of $50,000 (Cdn), given to a charitable organization of the Award recipient’s choice. A number of India-based charities have benefitted from these contributions.

“The Board of Governors of Canada India Foundation is honoured that Dr. Subhash Chandra has agreed to accept the CIF Chanchlani Global Indian Award. Millions of people of Indian origin have been able to stay culturally and information-wise connected to their motherland, thanks to his initiatives with Zee Media and Zee Entertainment, which have also spread the India brand to non-Indian communities as well.”, said Ajit Someshwar, Chair of CIF.

Canada India Foundation (CIF) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization established in 2007 to foster support for stronger bi-lateral relations between Canada and India; to celebrate the achievements of the global Indian diaspora and to increase the participation by Indo-Canadians in political process in Canada. In addition to the Global Indian Award, CIF is well-known for its high-profile Canada India forums, addressing specific sectors of bi-lateral trade opportunities for Canada and India.

Contact:  Kalyan Sundaram at ksundaram@canadaindia.org or at 1 (416) 779-5237.

Twitter: @canada_india ; @_SubhashChandra