Quick Info→
Age: 71 Years
Husband: Ranjan Tandon
Hometown: Chennai
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon |
| Profession(s) | Businesswoman, Philanthropist, Vocalist, Composer |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5′ 7″ (170 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Awards, Honours | • 2009– Walter Nichols Medal by the NYU Stern • 2010– Harold Acton Society Award by the New York University • 2010– Sterling Fellow by the New York University • 2016– Polytechnic Medal by the NYU Tandon • 2016– Gallatin Medal by the New York University • 2017– Lotus Award by Children’s Hope India • 2018– Lifetime of Service Award by the David Lynch Foundation • 2018– BCA Leadership Award by the Americans for the Arts Organization • 2019– Horatio Alger Award by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Organization • 2023– Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the Ellis Island Honors Society • 2023– Friend of the Arts Award by The Town Hall • 2024– Woman of the Year Award by the Diwali at Time’s Square • 2024– Woman’s Empowerment Award given by the South-Korean politician Ban Ki-moon • 2025– Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album at the GRAMMY Awards for her album ‘Triveni’ (2024)  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1954 |
| Age (as of 2025) | 71 Years |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Chennai |
| School | Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai |
| College/University | • Madras Christian College, Chennai • IIM, Ahmedabad (1973-1975) |
| Educational Qualification(s) | • Bachelor of Commerce from Madras Christian College • Master Degree from IIM Ahmedabad |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Ranjan Tandon (Founder of Libra Advisors) |
| Children | Daughter– Lita Tandon |
| Parents | Father– (Deceased) (State Banker of Hydroelectricity) Mother– (Musician)  |
| Siblings | Brother– Narayan Krishnamurthy Sister– Indra Nooyi (Businesswoman)  |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Chandrika Tandon
- Chandrika Tandon was raised by her parents in a conservative Tamil Brahmin family in Chennai.
- Being the eldest sibling and the first daughter in the family, Chandrika Tandon was arranged to marry at eighteen. However, influenced by her grandfather, she pursued higher education at Madras Christian College in Chennai and decided not to get married at an early age.
- She wanted to attend the Madras Christian College specifically because her father and grandfather both attended that college. Her grandfather was a judge in Chennai and she grew up listening to stories of the legendary principal Alexander Boyd of Madras Christian College.
- Her mother initially refused to let her attend college as the college was considered a boys’ college because very few girls went to college during those times.
- Chandrika’s mother’s strictness made Chandrika go on a hunger strike for almost two days. Later, the headmistress of her school convinced Chandrika’s mother to let her get enrolled at college.
- After finishing her education at Madras Christian College, Chandrika Tandon initially wanted to go to law school and follow in the footsteps of her grandfather who was a judge in Chennai and her other grandfather was a lawyer.
- One of her professors at the Madras Christian College recommended she apply to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and pursue a career in business instead.
- There were thousands of applicants amongst which Chandrika Tandon was accepted into IIM Ahmedabad as one of eight women in her class.
- After graduating from IIM, Ahmedabad, in 1975, Chandrika Tandon worked as an executive for Citibank in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.
- At the age of 24, in 1979, Chandrika Tandon was offered a position at McKinsey and Company in New York City and became the first Indian American to become a partner in the company.
- In 1992, she founded Tandon Capital Associates, which was a company focused on measurable transformations of financial institutions.
- While running the Tandon Capital Associates, Chandrika has been an advisor for many different companies including clients including Chase Manhattan Corporation, Unibanco (Brazil), Suncorp-Metway Ltd. (Australia), Fleet Financial Group, Bank of America, and ABN Amro.
- In 2004, Chandrika Tandon started the ‘Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation’ which is a private foundation located in New York City that partners with organizations in the fields of community building, arts, and spirituality.
- Chandrika Tandon used to serve as a distinguished executive in residence at New York University and she later joined several of the university’s board of trustees.
- Since 2009, the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation has donated to several organizations including the American India Foundation, Art of Living Foundation, World Music Institute, Lincoln Center, Teach for America, Yale University, Berklee College of Music, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- On the occasion of her father-in-law’s 90th birthday, Chandrika Tandon created a studio recording of his favourite chants as a gift. This project inspired her first full-length studio album titled ‘Soul Call’ in 2009. The album was a continuous recitation of the mantra’s eight repetitions of ‘Om Namo Narayanaya.’
- Chandrika’s album ‘Soul Call’ (2009) was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.
The poster of Chandrika Tandon’s studio album titled ‘Soul Call’ (2009)
- In 2009, Chandrika Tandon became the founder of ‘Soul Chants Music’ which is a not-for-profit platform for world music, global beats, and fusion.
- In 2011, Chandrika Tandon was named the inaugural Distinguished Alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Madras Christian College and both these colleges are her alma mater.
- In 2015, Chandrika Tandon and her husband Ranjan Tandon donated $100 million to the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering which is now named the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. It was known as the largest donation by an Indian American in the United States.
- Chandrika serves as Trustee of NYU and NYU Langone Health. She is a board member of the New York University Stern School of Business and Chair of New York University’s Global Council.
- In the early 2000s, Chandrika made a lot of contributions to the Madras Christian College and founded the Boyd-Tandon School of Business in Chennai. She has been serving as the advisory council chairman of the college since then.
- In 2013, Chandrika released another studio album titled ‘Soul March’ which was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi‘s peaceful Salt March in 1930. The album included Classical Hindustani music with aspects of Latin and jazz. It featured over 75 musicians and the album was recorded in the United States and India.
The poster of Chandrika Tandon’s studio album titled ‘Soul March’ (2013)
- In 2014, Chandrika released her third studio album titled ‘Soul Mantra’ in which she featured the chant’ Om Namah Shivaya’ in nine different ragas.
- In 2023, Chandrika recorded another studio album titled ‘Ammu’s Treasures’ which was inspired by her grandchildren in different languages and genres. The album featured a total of 17 international musicians and some of them were Béla Fleck, Romero Lubambo, Kenny Werner, Maeve Gilchrist, and Jamey Haddad.
- Chandrika Tandon is a Harold Acton Fellow at NYU and a Sterling Fellow at Yale where she serves on the President’s Council on International Activities.
- Her foundation ‘Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation’ has established faculty Chairs at Yale and Harvard Universities.
- Chandrika 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.
- Other studio albums released by Chandrika Tandon are ‘Shivoham – The Quest’ (2017) and ‘Triveni’ (2024).
The poster of Chandrika Tandon’s studio album titled ‘Triveni’ (2024)
- She has conducted many benefit concerts in famous concert venues like the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Nassau Coliseum, Times Square, Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and the National Mall of Washington, DC.
Chandrika Tandon performing live at the Times Square
- Chandrika Tandon uses ‘Love, Light, Laughter’ as her signature in all her official emails.
