KARAN A. CHANANA – PROFILE

• Chairman and CEO of The Amira Group
• Bringing the highest quality basmati rice to the world
• Innovating the global rice market by encouraging consumers to reconsider rice
• Transformed The Amira Group into a professional business witha turnover of $550 million
• Amira has been recognised as a Global Growth Company by the World Economic Forum for four consecutive years, since 2010

Described as a ‘leading Indian businessman’ by BBC Business Edition’s Jamie Robertson, Karan A. Chanana is the global visionary changing the way we view Basmati rice. Chanana is the fourth generation custodian of this family business, founded almost a century ago, and since taking Amira’s helm as CEO and Chairman he has led the company from strength to strength.Chanana has realized his vision for Amira through ‘Food Connect’, an endeavour to build relationships that bond people and cultures across the world through the common language of food.

A foodie at heart, Chanana is a man with a vision that lies in the dissemination of a simple but vital fact – rice is a nutritional, gourmet food that can add beauty to any meal. Rice is allergen free, gluten free and has a low GI, it is Chanana’s mission to inspire international consumers to reconsider this noble grain. The Amira Group bring the highest quality basmati rice to shops internationally and to two of the leading high-end Indian restaurants in London, Gymkhana and Michelin-starred Trishna, who use only Amira rice.

Chanana has utilised this passion for food in his business endeavours, taking the company from a family-run operation with a turnover of $50 million into a professionally managed global business with a turnover of $550 million. The Amira Group now has a market presence in over 60 countries and prides itself on bringing the highest quality basmati rice to the world.

The Amira brand was launched in 2008 and is now sold in over forty countries worldwide, with offices in Germany, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Global Growth Company for the past four years, Amira is an award-winning global food brand.

Chanana has been instrumental in the innovation of the global rice category and Amira will be launching their delicious ready-to-eat range under his direction. The range features delicious and innovative concoctions, such as quinoa biryani and basmati, chia seed and vegetable pilaf, representing new, exciting ways for people to engage with and rediscover rice.

Charity is of great importance to Chanana and he nurtures several CSR initiatives internationally. These include Family Reach in the USA and Amira’s own Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Ace Sports, which identifies and supports rising sports stars with potential. Amira are currently sponsoring Shweta Rana, a budding talent in the field of tennis. Amira also work with two key Indian charities, Handicapped Children and Women’s Aid (HCWA) and Handicapped Children’s Rehabilitation Association (HCRA), improving the welfare of handicapped women and children across India.

An industry opinion maker, Chanana is a regular commentator on channels including BBC World News, CNBC and Bloomberg TV. He sits on numerous global boards for industry and agriculture and regularly speaks at conferences internationally.