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 with a turnover of $550 million
Amira has
been recognized 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 endeavors, 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. Recognized by
the World Economic Forum as a Global Growth Company for the past four years,
Amira is an award-winning global food brand.
Karan 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.