Indian-origin Grammy winner Chandrika Tandon’s Ahmedabad connection
Updated: Feb 3rd, 2025
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| Chandrika Tandon |
Indian-origin singer Chandrika Tandon has been honoured with a Grammy. Reflecting on the journey of Tandon, who is sister of former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, it feels like yesterday that she captivated audiences at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In 2011 she had won praise at the premier institute with a performance from her first Grammy-nominated album, Soul Call.
“Music is love, music is light, and music is laughter and let’s all be surrounded by love, light, and laughter. Thank you for the music, and thank you to everyone who makes music,” Tandon said in her award acceptance speech.
Chandrika adorned a pink silk salwar-kurta with elegant golden embroidery while receiving her first Grammy.
The two-time Grammy nominee won the prestigious award for her album, Triveni, in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category.
She was honoured along with flautist Wouter Kellerman and cellist Eru Matsumoto, Tandon’s album blends ancient mantras with modern music.
Chandrika’s Ahmedabad connection
The 71-year-old, Indian-American business leader, philanthropist and musician completed her MBA from IIM Ahmedabad.
Born into a traditional middle-class family in Chennai, Chandrika pursued her BCom at Madras Christian College and later graduated from IIM Ahmedabad before settling in the US. She and her younger sister Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo and one of the world’s top 50 businesswomen) have been passionate about music since childhood.
Who is Chandrika Tanton?
Chandrika is not only a singer but also a business leader. Her family had a deep knowledge of the Samaveda, and Vedic chants were an integral part of her traditional upbringing alongside Carnatic music. With her Grammy win, Chandrika has brought Indian culture and the wisdom of the Vedas to a global stage.
The Grammy winner was one of the earliest and youngest partners of McKinsey & Co and founded her own NY-based advisory firm, Tandon Capital Associates, which has advised more than 40 financial institutions all over the world to improve companies and their overall performance.
Chandrika chairs the Board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and is a Trustee of NYU and NYU Langone Health. She is a board member of the NYU Stern School of Business and Chair of NYU’s Global Council.
She is a Harold Acton Fellow at NYU and a Sterling Fellow at Yale, where she serves on the President’s Council on International Activities. In addition, her foundation has established faculty Chairs at Yale and Harvard Universities. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Investment Committee and serves as a Governor of the New York Academy of Sciences.
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