Modi's Famous 8: Get to know those who will advise PM on New India

Businesspersons meeting Modi include web entrepreneurs, I-bankers and & scions of business houses

 

economy news: These are names that represent a new category and a new generation, also reflecting Modi's political preferences. From inheritors of first generation business magnates and self-made billionaires to the wife of a TRS MP and a businessman with a Bollywood bloodline, the list has several interesting names. Here is a brief profile of some of them:

1. Rajiv Bajaj: His second name needs no introduction. Hailing from one of India’s most trusted business houses, Ravi Bajaj has been the managing director of Bajaj Autos for over a decade now. An engineer by profession, Rajiv has seen the prolific transition of ‘Hamara Bajaj’ from a utility two wheeler maker that provided mobility to millions of Indians to affordable sportier motorcycles and more recently to upmarket offerings for the discerning motorist. The introduction of GST which has made motorcycles cheaper has also been a shot in the arm for Bajaj Autos.

2. Avni Biyani: The scion of the Biyani family that runs India’s largest supermarket chains under the brand name ‘Big Bazaar’, she has been entrusted with managing the family’s gourmet food business. Unlike Rahul Bajaj, she isn’t trained in the business she handles. Being a post-graduate in Sociology from an American University, Biyani is overseeing the growth of the gourmet food business called Foodhall from scratch. Under Biyani, Foodhall has seven stores now – four in Delhi, two in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai.

3. Sanjeev Bikhchandani: Since the venture of Naukri.com, Bhickchandani has seen his online empire grow. Now his company is the largest shareholder in Zomato. Under his supervision, Zomato grew to acquire the US based UrbanSpoon in 2015. From making a fortune, Bhikchandani has now moved to more philanthropic projects. Reports suggest that he is actively involved in setting up
Ashoka University, that seeks to modernize under-graduate and post-graduate education in India.

4. Sanjay Nayar: As the CEO of Kohlberg, Kravis & CO (KKR) in India, Nayar is probably one of the most under-stated and influential names in the list. KKR has many strategic investments in India which put Nair on the board of the companies in which such strategic investments have been made. Among them include Coffee Day Holdings, Apollo Tyres, Bharati Infratel. The Modi government’s plan to restructure the assets of stressed companies has given KKR a lot more to choose from to add to its India portfolio at lucrative terms......read more