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The Evolution of Chamber’s Logo

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 Preface

Celebrating 120 Years of

Legacy and Leadership
It is with immense pride and reverence that we present this Commemorative
Coffee Table Book to mark a historic milestone — 120 glorious years of the PHD
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Founded in the crucible of India’s pre-independence era, PHDCCI has stood the
test of time as a beacon of industry, innovation, and national service. Through
colonial rule, independence, liberalization, and now the digital age, the Chamber
has evolved while staying true to its founding purpose — to empower Indian
enterprise and contribute meaningfully to the country’s growth.

This volume captures more than a timeline — it narrates a living legacy. A legacy
shaped by visionary leaders, resilient businesses, and the spirit of nation-first.
From championing policy reforms and fostering entrepreneurship to enabling
MSMEs and embracing global challenges, PHDCCI has consistently aligned itself
with India’s economic aspirations.

As India charts its path toward Viksit Bharat by 2047, this Coffee Table Book
reflects how PHDCCI is preparing for the future — not only adapting to the
times, but actively shaping them. With a renewed commitment to innovation,
sustainability, and inclusive development, the Chamber remains a trusted
partner in building a self-reliant, globally competitive India.

We hope this collection of stories, images, and insights inspires pride in our past,
confidence in our present, and hope for our shared future.

PHDCCI — 120 Years of Impact, Innovation & Nation-Building.

PHDCCI@120 - Committed to Viksit Bharat@2047

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 Message

W
ith immense pride, we celebrate the 120th anniversary of PHDCCI—an enduring legacy of
economic progress, innovation, and resilience. For over a century, PHDCCI has stood as a
beacon of economic progress, innovation, and resilience, fostering an environment conducive
to business growth and national development. This milestone honors our founders’ vision while
charting an inspiring course for the future.

Serving as President in this landmark year is both an honour and a privilege. With the unwavering
support of our Former Presidents, Managing Committee members, Expert Committees, and Task
Forums, we continue to play a pivotal role in accelerating national growth. Guided by our Guiding
Principle-VOICE (Value Creation, Opportunity, Innovation, Collaboration, Engagement)—we are
committed to supporting India’s mission of becoming ‘Viksit Bharat’, a fully developed nation by 2047.

Founded in 1905, we emerged at a pivotal time in India’s political and economic history,
representing trade and industry through transformative eras—the colonial period, the fervor of
Independence, and the economic liberalization of the 1990s and beyond. Our name too, has evolved
to its present identity, PHDCCI, with a pan India presence. We have influenced policy frameworks,
advocated for regulatory reforms, and forged India’s global trade position. Our collaboration with the
MR. HEMANT JAIN
government across key sectors—aviation, defense, infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare—has
PRESIDENT, PHDCCI
fostered a business-friendly environment.

We take immense pride in empowering MSMEs, driving advancements in emerging technologies,

and ensuring economic growth aligns with sustainability. A defining focus of our journey has been
skilling India’s youth, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting start-ups. By championing
innovation and infrastructure development, we actively contribute to India’s transformation into a
global economic powerhouse.

On this momentous occasion, I extend my deepest gratitude to our members, stakeholders,

and policymakers. Our partnership with policymakers has played a crucial role in bridging the gap
between industry and governance, creating an ecosystem where businesses can thrive and contribute
meaningfully to national development. The government’s progressive policies and unwavering
support have been instrumental in making India one of the most attractive investment destinations in
the world, and we are proud to be a part of this transformative journey. Their guidance has been the
cornerstone of our success, bridging the gap between industry and governance.

As we commemorate our 120th anniversary, our planned events and initiatives will serve as
platforms for innovation and collaboration, reinforcing our commitment to India’s ascent as a global
superpower.

We dedicate this milestone to our pioneers and the visionary leaders who have shaped our journey.
With integrity and determination, we step into the future, driven by our unwavering spirit of Progress,
Harmony and Development.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to another 120 years of excellence!

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 LEADERSHIP PROFILES (2024 - 2025)

M
r. Hemant Jain is the Managing Director of the KLJ Group of Companies, the largest manufacturer and market leader in
Plasticizers, Chlorinated Paraffin and Polymer Compounds in South Asia and the largest manufacturer across the globe
for Secondary Plasticizers. He is also the Vice Chairman of KLJ Organic Qatar W.L.L, Qatar and has set up an ultra-modern
Cho-Alkali plant producing a range of products in Qatar. His vision has led to the Group’s diversification into Petrochemical
trading and real estate as well as becoming a multi-national group, by setting up manufacturing plants at Thailand and Qatar and
offices in Singapore & Dubai. The KLJ Group runs a well-established school in Delhi imparting high-quality education and is also
running a 200 bed hospital with good medical facilities for the residents of the city. Mr. Jain is a trained business management
professional having earned a Diploma in International Business Management from Harvard University. Mr. Hemant Jain is a wild
Mr. Hemant Jain
President, PHDCCI life enthusiast and yoga aficionados.

M
r. Rajeev Juneja, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mankind Pharma, is a first generation entrepreneur with real
world experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Mankind is the number one company of India by prescriptions, seamless
blending innovation with quality to redefine healthcare accessibility and improve patient outcomes. Over the years, Mr.
Juneja has passionately led diverse functional areas of the business and in the process created a great balance between systems,
processes and people within Mankind. A stellar business leader and a humanitarian by heart, Mr. Juneja has applied his expertise
in various domains of the organization to synthesize long-term, winning plans to deliver high-quality pharmaceuticals and
affordable medicines. He has been the recipient of several Awards such as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” and “Best Design in
Healthcare”. Under Mr. Juneja’s dynamic leadership, Mankind Pharma Limited won the ‘Best Pharma OTC Company of the Year,
Mr. Rajeev Juneja 2018’. Mr. Juneja has occupied several leadership positions in PHDCCI and served as Chairman of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Senior Vice President, PHDCCI Committee.

M
r. Anil Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of KEI Industries Limited is a well-known expert in the cables and wires
industry. Since taking the helm of the KEI Group in 1979, he has transformed the company into a global leader in the wires
and cables sector, with a market capitalization of Rs. 40,000 crores—a testament to his leadership and vision. With a strong
commitment to quality and innovation, KEI adheres to international standards and has established a significant export presence.
KEI Industries has made significant contributions to enhancing education by establishing a library in Mathura. Additionally, the
company supports various CSR initiatives and has created homes for women and orphans, demonstrating its commitment to
social welfare. Mr holds a post-graduate degree in Commerce from Delhi University.
Mr. Anil Gupta
Vice President, PHDCCI

M
r. Sanjeev Agrawal, Chairperson of MMG Group is the largest bottling partner for Coca-Cola in India under the franchisee
agreement with Coca-Cola INC, Atlanta. The Group also operates McDonalds restaurants in North and Eastern regions
of India through the Connaught Plaza Restaurants. In 2017, Mr. Agrawal was conferred the ‘Capital Foundation National
Award’ by Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology. Being a philanthropist,
he provides support to the specially-abled, downtrodden and economically weaker sections of the society and also set up a
Charitable Society, Radha Bihari Shiksha Samiti, “Ishwarchand Vidyasagar Institute of Technology” and “MM Agarwal Institute
of Technology” providing post-graduate education and scholarships to the bright students from poor families. Mr. Agrawal holds
an honorary Ph.D. in Food Nutrition Sciences and Technologies from Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon and a Masters degree in
Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal
Immediate Former President Commerce and MBA from Coca-Cola University, Atlanta.
PHDCCI

D
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r Ranjeet Mehta, with a Ph.D degree in Management and being a University Gold Medalist has over 35 years of experience in
various corporate leadership roles. He also holds an Organizational Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School,
a Management degree from Cornell University and a Law degree. Fellow of the US Government’s International Visitors
Leadership Program, Dr Mehta plays a significant role in trade policy, bilateral & multilateral engagements, thus enabling the
Indian industry to expand its global footprints. Representing Indian Industry in many Government and Parliamentary Committees,
he has been instrumental in addressing policy-related issues in the infrastructure sector, logistics, MSMEs and Startups. He is a
member of the Industry Advisory Group for the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and the Government’s National Centre for Cold
Dr Ranjeet Mehta Chain Development Committee on Supply Chain & Logistics.
CEO and Secretary General
PHDCCI

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 LEADERSHIP 2024-2025

L - R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General; Mr. Anil Gupta. Vice Presiden; Mr. Rajeev Juneja, Sr. Vice President; Mr. Hemant Jain, President and Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal, Immediate Former President

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 Artist’s Impression of the First Business Meeting of the Chamber (1905)

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 A DEFINING MOMENT IN HISTORY

The year was 1905, a crisp winter evening in Delhi. Within the walls of a bungalow
in the Civil Lines area, five British and three Indian businessmen convened to
discuss a common vision: promoting and safeguarding the interests of businesses
in undivided Punjab. Their deliberations culminated in the establishment of the
Punjab Chamber of Commerce, marking the inception of what would become a
cornerstone of trade and industry in the region.

Mr. James Currie of Messrs James Currie & Co. was appointed the first President.
Mr. W. W. White of Allahabad Bank assumed the role of Vice President, while Mr. MR. JAMES CURRIE
Arthur A. Legat volunteered as the Honorary Secretary. (THE FOUNDING PRESIDENT)

Mr. W. Angelo, Agent of the Delhi and

London Bank, generously offered
office space for the Chamber within
his bank premises-now the site of the
State Bank of India, Bhagirath Palace,
Chandni Chowk.

Historical accounts suggest the

Punjab Chamber of Commerce was
operational by late 1905. The first
Annual Report, covering the fiscal year
ending December 31, 1906, documents
a thriving organization. Membership
was considered a privilege, with new
members elected only at Annual or
Special General Meetings. By 1906,
the Chamber was actively engaged in
regulatory affairs.
Chamber’s first Office : Delhi & London Bank Building

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 PHD House, New Delhi

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POWERHOUSE OF
PROGRESS
120 years of Purpose,
More to Come...

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 MORE THAN WALLS
SYMBOL OF PROGRESS, HARMONY AND DEVELOPMENT

T
he Chamber’s office was initially located in
the premises of the Delhi and London Bank
in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. The Chamber The Chamber’s Building Project
moved to Egerton Road, Civil Lines, Dufferin
House and later to Scindia House when AF The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) allotted 1.4 acres of land to the Chamber in the Institutional
Ferguson started providing secretarial services Area of Siri Fort on a perpetual leasehold basis for construction of its building. Past President,
and then to Phelps Building in Connaught Place. Mr. S P Virmani was appointed Chairman of the Building Committee and Mr. L M Thapar consented to
be the Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee.
1959- The Chamber’s office shifted to Phelps
Building, Connaught Place from Scindia House
which was later expanded at the same premises.

1970 – An application was made for a building

site near Connaught Place or in an Institutional
Area in New Delhi.

1973 - The Chamber requested for allotment

of land in any Institutional Area and a Committee
was formed to take necessary action.

1975 - The Committee was apprised that as

a sequel to discussions with Delhi Development
Authority (DDA). It was decided to allot the
land to the Chamber and that a formal letter of
allotment was awaited from DDA.

1976 -DDA on February 9, 1976 allotted 1.4

acres of land to the Chamber in the Siri Fort
Institutional Area for Rs.6,23,392. The Chamber
took possession of land on June 7, 1976.

The Chamber’s leadership undertook the

building activity in right earnest, ably supported
by the Secretary General, Mr. ML Nandrajog.
Mr. B D Kapur, Past President agreed to be
the Chairman of the Building Committee. The
Foundation Stone laying ceremony was done
on January 31, 1979 by the President of India,
Mr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. With the spontaneous
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120 Years of PHDCCI
support of membership and major donors,
the Chamber building was completed in 1981
and inaugurated by the Vice President, Mr. M
Hidayatullah.

1984 - In May, the Perspective Group (1984-

89) while identifying new services/activities to be
undertaken by the Chamber realized the need for
more space and recommended the construction
of second phase of PHD House. The Managing
Committee, in December, while considering
the recommendations of Perspective Group
accepted the recommendation for PHD-House
Phase II but deferred the implementation of the
same. PHD HOUSE, LUCKNOW
1985 - Meeting-cum-Party room contributed
by Grindlays Bank was completed.

1986 - In June, the Managing Committee

accorded approval to the development of Phase
II of “PHD House”. A construction schedule was
drawn up and a Fund Raising Committee was
constituted with Mr. LM Thapar as the Chairman.
A building committee with Mr. SP Virmani as the
Chairman and Mr. Shiv Raj Gupta as the Co-chair
was also set up. The Committee approved the
re-appointment of Messrs Kothari Associates as
Architects and Messrs Gurbakhsh Singh, BA as
Civil Contractors. The construction was started
after approval of plans.
PHD HOUSE, CHANDIGARH
1990 - Inauguration of PHD House, Phase
II Project was done by Mr. R Venkataraman,
Hon’ble President of India on November 2, 1990.

In recognition of Chamber’s contribution to

the economic growth of the States, the Punjab
Government alloted a plot of land in Sector 31,
Chandigarh. The buiilding was completed in the
year 2007.

The UP Government allotted one acre plot

in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow for construction of PHD
House. The building got completed in the year
2012.

The Jaipur Building was constructed in the

year 2014. PHD HOUSE, JAIPUR
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 Our Luminaries

L-R: Mr. Salil Bhandari; Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Mr. Alok B Shriram; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Sandip Somany; Mr. I. P Anand; Mr. R K Somany; Dr. L K Malhotra;
Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Mr. K S Mehta; Mr. P K Rajgarhia; Dr. Ashok Khanna; Mr. Gopal S Jiwarajka; Mr. P K Jain

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Our Luminaries

M
r. James Currie, the Founder Chairman of the Chamber was the Chief of his firm, James
Currie of Surveyors with branches in Delhi, Amritsar and port towns. He rendered valuable
services to trade and commerce in Northern India during the years of his Chairmanship of the
Chamber, in which capacity he earned the respect and esteem of all classes. It goes to the credit of Mr.
James Currie that the Chamber with its humble beginnings continued to grow, to achieve its current
unique apex stature with a regional focus. Mr. Currie achieved the distinction of being nominated
as Chamber’s representative on the Punjab Legislative Council following Minto-Montague Reforms.
He laid great emphasis on the strengthening of Railways, Roads, Posts & Telegraph and Ports.
Other issues taken up during his tenure included the Chamber’s representation in the Municipal
MR. JAMES CURRIE
(THE FOUNDING PRESIDENT) Committees in the important cities of Punjab and a seat in the Legislative Council.
(1905-1915, 1916-1919)

M
r. F C Waller represented his firm, F C Waller & Co, Delhi, with business interests in imports,
insurance and related fields. He led the Chamber when the World War I was on. Mr. Waller
urged upon the government the idea of sample Exhibitions to be established at certain trade
centres, and the Chamber volunteered to take the initiatives in organizing such exhibitions. During
his time, the premises of the Chamber were shifted to Rama Theatre Buildings (later named as
Majestic Cinema Hall, Opposite Fountain, Chandini Chowk). During his tenure, the Chamber was
given a permanent seat in the Municipal Committee of Delhi to represent the interests of trade and
commerce. The issues taken up by the Chamber during his tenure included matters relating to Posts
and Telegraph, education of factory children and goods classification for railways. Because of the
MR. F C WALLER war, the membership of the Chamber had dropped to 53 in December 1915, from 57 in December
(1915 - 1916) 1914.

M
r. R E Grant Govan was the Chief of the Delhi Flour Mills Company Ltd. During his Chairmanship,
the country was facing the aftermath of the war. The victory of the Allies in the war was a happy
augury for the Chamber. It was a period of restrictions on trade and commerce. Mr. Govan
focused on enterprise and for betterment of the labour. Issues taken up by the Chamber during his
chairmanship included stamp duty, Sutlej River power project, Octroi duty, etc. The Government’s
measures, which evoked widespread criticism, were the Excess Profits Tax and the reconstitution
of the Indian Defence Force. Mr. Govan had a strong inclination for acts of philanthropy and he set
up a home for the Anglo-Indian Christians at Delhi in the Kashmere Gate area, which is successfully
functioning even now. It was during his Chairmanship that the Upper India Chamber of Commerce,
MR. R E GRANT GOVAN Cawnpore suggested that united action ought to be taken by the Indian Chambers on the proposed
(1919 - 1920) Excess Profits Duty.

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 Our Luminaries

M
r. V F Gray represented R J Wood & Co, specializing in the insurance sector. Mr. Gray used
his fighting spirit to press the demand of an exclusive seat of the Chamber in the Legislative
Council as a sequel to the recommendations of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms and
even deputed Chamber representatives to London to lobby for the Chamber’s cause. During his
Chairmanship, activities included evolving an effective exchange situation by stirring up the export
trade and freeing imports from the government regulations. The Chamber also had the pleasure
of seeing “His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales” and presenting an Address of Welcome on the
occasion of his visit to Lahore. The Chamber had also given its incisive opinions to the Government of
India and the Provincial Government on new legislations like Indian Securities Act 1920, the Punjab
MR. V F GRAY
(1920-1921 TO 1926-1927, Moneylenders’ Bill, the Indian Negotiable Instruments Act, the Indigo Cess Act and Indian Carries Act
1933-1934, 1938-1939) during Mr. Gray’s tenure.

M
r. P Mukherjee, the owner of coalfields with the company’s head office at Delhi was the first
Indian to become the Chairman of the Chamber and that too for three terms. He rendered
yoeman’s service to the Chamber. Mr. Mukherjee represented the Chamber on the Punjab
Legislative Council for a number of years and visited London to participate at the Round table
Conference. He was recognized with the title ‘Rai Bahadur’. Mr. Mukherjee’s focused attention were
on labour, banking, anomalies in the railways freight, movement of coal, terminal tariff, insurance
scheme, development of agriculture, etc. The Chamber pleaded for expansion of Delhi and
advocated larger representation of business in the central and provincial legislatures. During Mr.
Mukherjee’s tenure as Chairman of the Chamber, the country faced the global economic depression.
MR. P MUKHERJEE The Chamber also started actively participating at the ILO.
(1927 - 1928 TO 1930 - 1931,
1935 - 1936, 1937-1938)

M
r. W Roberson Taylor represented the East India Carpet Co, Amritsar. As Chairman of the
Chamber, Mr. Taylor welcomed the Gandhi-Irwin agreement and offered his sincerest
congratulations to His Excellency, the Viceroy and to Mahatma Gandhi for temporary
settlement. He supported the Ottawa agreement, as this would give a boost to India’s exports. He
opposed the dumping of goods by Japan, and urged legislation to prevent dumping. He fervently
protested for the Chamber’s representation in the Punjab Legislative Council, which it had been
deprived of in the wake of the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. He was hopeful that India would be
able to take advantage of Imperial Preference in the inter-trade relations which had already been
made possible. The Chamber continued to evolve under his spirited guidance. It was an important
MR. W ROBERSON TAYLOR period when the constitution of India lay in the melting pot. During his tenure, the Chamber took up
(1931-1932, 1932-1933) issues of increase in freight charges and competition from jail industries to private enterprises.

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Our Luminaries

M
r. W G L Gilbert, who was also the Chairman of the Shahdara Saharanpore Light Railways,
was Chairman of the Chamber for three terms. During his chairmanship, he proposed the
foundation of a Bureau of Railway Economics as modelled in the United States, as railways
played a central role as transporter of goods. He also urged for review of bilateral trade agreements,
arguing against “protection as a cure for all our ills”. He opined that India’s right to shape her
commercial policy, both internally and internationally, in the manner that seems best to her is now
definitely established. He also led the Chamber’s team to tender evidence before the Delhi Electricity
Enquiry Committee. The plan for Chamber’s own building, though it not fructify, was also initiated
during his tenure as Chairman.
MR. W G L GILBERT
(1933-1934, 1934-1935,
1936-1937)

S
ardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh, had a major role in construction of several buildings in New
Delhi area. He was the Chairman of the Chamber in 1939-40 and 1941-42. During his tenure the
World War-II was raging and he extended support to the government. Also during his tenure, the
Board of Industrial & Scientific Research was set up and Lala Shri Ram was nominated as its member.
The government recognized his contribution to the community and conferred distinguished titles.
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh urged the government to be careful when concluding the Indo-
Japanese trade agreement and the members to reconcile to the imposition of additional taxation
as being emergency measures and to maintain morale. He appreciated the efforts of the Delhi
National Security Advisory Committee and the Delhi Improvement Trust. He opined that the time
SARDAR BAHADUR SIR was propitious for a policy of industrialization for the benefit of the country.
SOBHA SINGH
(1939-1940, 1941-1942)

M
r. R N B Brunt represented Burmah Shell Oil Storage & Distributing Company of India. He
appreciated the efforts of the Improvement Trust of the Delhi Province “in removing blemishes
which had for so long been a discrete to what we regard as the first city of India.” During his
tenure, he urged the government to harmonize road and rail facilities to improve the movement of
goods. He opposed the Punjab Urban Immovable Property Tax Act and Punjab Sales Tax Act. Since
the financial position of Punjab was very sound, he argued that new taxes were unjustified. It was
during his chairmanship that the Standing Advisory Committee for the Development of New Delhi
was appointed and Chamber was given representation on it. Mr. Brunt appreciated the efforts of the
Improvement Trust of The Delhi Province in removing blemishes which had so long been a discredit
MR. R N B BRUNT to the first city of India. At the Annual General Meeting, he opined, “The way to victory may still be
(1940-1941) hard and long, but, if we all show perseverance and patience, it is none the less assured.”

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120 Years of PHDCCI
 Our Luminaries

M
r. J J Haslet represented the New Egerton Mills, Dhariwal. During the tenure of Mr. Haslet as
Chairman of the Chamber, World War II was at its highest pitch, and regulatory mechanisms
were being clamped. Hoarding and Profiteering Prevention Ordinances, Excess Profit Tax
Ordinance, Restrictions on Bonuses, and Commissions were some of the examples of the stringent
measures which were adopted. The desirability of amending the Trade Marks Act was taken up by
the Chamber. The underlying reason was that the British Trade Marks Act could not be extended
to the Indian states. During Mr. Haslet’s chairmanship, matters related to Punjab Maternity Benefit
Bill were discussed. The object of the bill was to regulate the employment of women in factories for
certain periods before and after confinement and to provide for the payment of maternity benefit to
MR. J J HASLET
(1942 - 1943) them. The Chamber supported the bill. The Chamber once again considered the question of having
its own building and approached the Delhi authorities for allocation of a site. However, the matter
was not pursued further.

L
ala Shankar Lal of DCM provided stewardship to the Chamber at the time nationalist movement
was also at its pinnacle. During his chairmanship, the Chamber suggested to the government
that it would be better to increase the production of consumer goods within the country rather
than import them from abroad. Some of the other important matters which merited attention of the
Chamber during his tenure included War Risk Insurance related issues, coal distribution, railways,
post-war industrial development, food rationing, housing, taxation issues in Punjab, import trade
control, etc. The International Monetary Fund was in the making as agreed upon by the British
and American technical experts during the tenure of Mr. Lala Shankar Lal. The Chamber was of the
view that the objective of the multilateral forum should be definite and complete to promote and
LALA SHANKAR LAL maintain world trade, provided India was given her due.
(1943-1944 TO 1944-1945,
1948-1949)

M
r. C J L Stokoe, representing Bird & Co provided stewardship to the Chamber for three
terms. Matters pertaining to Indian Companies Act, Obsolescence Allowance in Income Tax,
Depreciation Allowance, Government’s Industrial Policy, Agricultural Prices and Marketing,
Labour Welfare Measures, Training of technical personnel etc. were highlighted during Mr Stokoe’s
tenure. It was during the stewardship of Mr Stokoe that India, though partitioned, achieved
Independence on August 15, 1947. India’s “Tryst with Destiny” started and the Chamber’s Managing
Committee headed by a British Businessman welcomed the new dawn. About agricultural prices, the
Chamber felt that the policy of price fixation of agricultural items should be to maintain prices at a
level which was fair both to the producer and consumer. During this time, the Chamber also brought
to the notice of the government certain undesirable practices by the Insurance companies, such as
MR. C J L STOKOE cornering of shares, and frequent changes in the controlling of personnel of Insurance companies
(1945 - 1946 TO 1947 - 1948)
and speculative investment of Insurance funds.

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120 Years of PHDCCI
Our Luminaries

M
r. Vaidyanth Aiyar represented Thakur, Vaidyanth Aiyar, a firm of Chartered Accountants and
financial consultants. During his tenure, the Chamber’s rules were reviewed and modified. He
was for foreign direct investment to supplement and complement the capital formation in the
country. During his tenure, devaluation of rupee to US cents was announced, following devaluation
of sterling pound. The shortage of warehousing accommodation was another problem, for which Mr.
Aiyar suggested that the vacant land near railways yards should be leased out at reasonable rates
to commercial firms for setting up temporary godowns. During his tenure, he urged the government
to make available important documents such as Budget speech to the public at the earliest, since
it was very critical, especially to business to take important decisions. The Budget Speech, which
MR. VAIDYANTH AIYAR was delivered on February 28 was made available on March 7. He wanted the government to take a
(1949 - 1950) positive approach to labour problems.

M
r. J F Sinclair, representing Burmah Shell, led the Chamber during 195-51. Labour legislation,
Indo-Pak trade, regrouping of railways, initiatives of Delhi Improvement Trust, etc., were
some of the important matters successfully highlighted by the Chamber during his tenure
as Chairman. He felt securing loans for industrial purposes from the ordinary commercial banks
acted as a deterrent to the industrialization, this could be mitigated to some extent by the passage
of the State Financial Corporations Bill. He opined that the occupational disease of the businessmen
in the days of controls, material shortages, high taxation and an unceasing flow of legislation was
melancholia. The perennial shortage of electricity and water was a subject dealt by the Chamber
during the tenure of Mr. Sinclair. About the rationalization of taxes by the Punjab government, he
MR. J F SINCLAIR was of the view that uniformity in tax rates would boost industrial growth.
(1950-1951)

M
r. S P Virmani, represented Dhampatmal Jawaladas, with interests in agro and food products,
cotton and textiles, took over the reins of the Chamber, when the Chamber had started its
expansion and consolidation phase. During his tenure, the Indian rupee was advocated for
revaluation. Uniformity in sales tax was also highlighted. The First Five Year Plan Document was
released by the Planning Commission during his Chairmanship. The Chamber welcomed the Plan
Document and said that its implementation would lay the foundation for strong economic progress.
Free Trade Zone at Kandla was being implemented. The Chamber’s Articles of Association for change
of its name and constitution of the Managing Committee were considered during his chairmanship.
Mr. Virmani felt that prosperity of Punjab depended upon on trade with Pakistan. For that, he wanted
MR. SP VIRMANI certain facilities should be granted on mutual basis for inter dominion traveling through the land
(1951-1952, 1961-1962) frontiers.

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 Our Luminaries

M
r. Rajendra Kumar Jain, representing Bharat Fire & General Insurance Co. Ltd. was the
Chairman of the Chamber when the country’s economy was passing through a phase of
transformation in 1952. During his tenure, the name of the Chamber was changed to include
Delhi. The Chamber welcomed the focus that was given to the private sector in the First Plan but
commented that for the private initiatives to blossom, there should be an enabling situation. Controls
had to go and more funds were required from institutional sources. During the chairmanship of Mr.
Jain, Chaudhry Brahm Prakash, Chief Minister of Delhi visited the Chamber’s office to discuss issues
pertaining to Delhi which was at the threshold of expansion, following the massive immigration. At
the 49th AGM of the Chamber, Mr. Jain welcomed the amendments to the Company Law and wanted
MR. RAJENDRA KUMAR JAIN
(1952-1953) the Managing Agency System to continue with its enterprise and initiatives.

M
r. C P G Wade, representing the Burmah Shell Oil Storage and Distributing Co of Indian
Ltd., took over the reins of the Chamber when the transformation phase was still on. The
Chairman ventured into offering valuable suggestions to increase employment avenues
in the country. While addressing the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Chamber, he said, “The
only solution is rapid development of industries of all kind, large, medium and small, including
various cottage industries.” This he felt, was hindered by high taxes and mounting labour costs.
The Chairman appreciated the performance of the Northern Railway and urged for encouragement
and development of road transport to supplement speedier movement of goods and raw materials.
During his tenure, special attention was paid to the problems in Punjab as he endeavored to keep
MR. C P G WADE in constant touch with both, the Punjab Government and the commercial and trade interests. The
(1953-1954) Chamber continued to surge ahead under his able leadership.

D
r Bharat Ram represented northern India’s premier DCM Group. He received the Padma
Bhushan award in 1972 and wrote two books: ‘Glimpses of Industrial India’ and ‘From
Istanbul to Vienna.’ He also became the Chairman of Indian Airlines. He was of the view that
the Second Five Year Plan should be focused on providing employment to people and the private
sector should be given a significant role in plan allocation. The general policy of the government, to
reduce the economic inequalities and to foster a socialistic pattern of society, without adherence to
any particular socialist dogma, the Chamber felt was laudable. He felt that the existing plants and
machinery should be utilized to maximum capacity. Second and third shifts should be opened where
possible, since the augmented production could bring down the cost of production. And private
DR BHARAT RAM sector should be given a significant role in plan allocation. The Chamber lauded the government’s
(1954-1955, 1955-1956) socialist pattern of society.

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M
r. J R Clarke represented the Lloyds Bank. During his tenure, the Chamber was concerned
about the indiscriminate manner in which government was promulgating the Ordinances.
The Ordinances, the Chamber felt should be restricted to real emergencies and the normal
democratic procedures should be followed in such cases. As the country’s foreign exchange reserves
were declining, the Chamber urged the government to prune imports of consumer goods and by
selective screening of imports of capital goods. Mr. Clarke was of the opinion that the government
should not get trapped into any political ideology while pursuing its policy for the betterment of the
people. Delhi, like Punjab, continued to engage the attention of the Chamber. Delhi had completed
its one year as province with its own legislature. During his chairmanship, the Chamber represented
MR. J R CLARKE
(1956-1957) for inclusion of its nominees in the Delhi Assembly and the proposed Municipal Corporation.

M
r. F C Badhwar represented Bird & Company Pvt. Ltd., when he took over as Chamber’s Chairman
in the year 1957. As Chairman of the Chamber, he was concerned about the government’s
policy to curb private initiatives. The controls and unimaginative tax structure on the industry
had curbed its growth. Law and order, the Chamber felt was critical to the prosperity of the industry
and the common man. He opined that agriculture should be given a place of pride, which was the
most important occupation of the region served by the Chamber. He advocated contract farming
to encourage agro-processing with focus on productivity. He also advocated attention towards
productivity. The Chamber felt that law and and order was critical for the prosperity of the industry
and the common man. He wanted public servants to function independently and in an impartial
MR. F C BADHWAR way. This would lead to common good of the people.
(1957- 1958)

M
r. Kenneth Jowers represented Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd. at the time of taking
over as Chairman of the Chamber in 1958. The Chamber for the first time opened a branch
office at Chandigarh during Mr. Jowers’s tenure. He sounded the need for lowering the tax
rates, particularly when the rate of industrial production was declining during the period. He also
advocated the balancing of State Budgets. During his tenure, labour disputes were very common
which affected the production schedules of the companies. The Primary objective behind the
formation of the Labour Advisor’s office in the Chamber was to handle from the initial stages, all
members’ problems to relieve the increasing load on senior executives who were required to spend a
considerable part of their time negotiating with conciliation officers and appearing before tribunals.
MR. KENETH JOWERS The Chamber laid emphasis on exports. The quality of Indian exports was enhanced to penetrate
(1958-1959) into newer markets and consolidate on the existing ones.

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M
r. I P Anand, a living legend in the field of industry, development, education and social causes
was an eminent part of PHD Chamber as Chairman during two occasions, years 1959-1960
and 1967-68. During his tenure, Power Management System was one of the main focus of
Mr. Anand. He urged the government to enhance power generation and consider rationalization of
tariffs to provide electricity to the industry at an economic price. Narora Power Plant in UP was the
outcome of the Chamber’s effort. He focused on the industrial growth in Punjab and highlighted
several innovative steps in the field of industrial relations, infrastructure development and energy
management. The Chamber pursued the need for setting up State Financial Corporations and with
the support of the Reserve Bank of India, the State Bank of India, the State Financial Corporations
MR. I P ANAND Act was enacted. Jointly with ASSOCHAM, the Chamber contributed to the Khem Karan project for
(1959-1960 , 1967-1968) restoration of the economy in the border areas of Amritsar.

M
r. H C Mahindra representing Burmah Shell Oil Storage & Distributing Co. of India Ltd.was
the chairman of the Chamber during 1960-61. During his tenure, the Third Five Year Plan was
to commence soon. The nation had adopted a socialist model of industrial development
where both public and private sectors had a role. As Chamber’s Chairman, Mr. Mahindra was deeply
interested “in the acceleration of economic growth which was essential to raising standards of living”,
particularly in the Punjab and Delhi areas. He dwelt at length on the difficulties faced by these states
in the process of industrialization and offered valuable suggestions. According to him, the solution
lay in effective delegation of authority. During his chairmanship, the 56th Annual General Meeting,
held on April 21, 1961 marked a landmark day in the history of the Chamber, when for the first time,
MR. H C MAHINDRA the Chief Minister of Punjab graced the occasion. Addressing that meeting, the Chairman prudently
(1960-1961) remarked that achieving the targets would require the utmost efforts in raising resources both from
India and from friendly countries overseas.

M
r. S Srinivasan representing Hindustan Levers Ltd. was the chairman of the Chamber during
1962-63. The Chinese aggression had left deep scars on the Nation. A National Emergency
was declared. During his tenure as Chairman, the Chamber’s office had to be geared up to
meet the situations arising out of the National Emergency. The government had imposed cuts on
imports as a consequence of the war and depleting foreign exchange situation. The Chamber also
came out with measures for supporting government actions. These included mobilizing funds for
National Defence holding price line and enhancing production and productivity. The Chamber in
collaboration with FICCI, held a businessmen’s convention to propagate measures for National
Defence and to boost the efforts of the business community in this direction. The Union Budget had
MR. S SRINIVASAN by now assumed additional importance in the corporate performance. The Chamber team carefully
(1962- 1963) studied the implications and offered its suggestions to the government.

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M
r. H P Nanda representing the premier Escorts Group took over as the Chamber’s Chairman
in 1963. Mr. Nanda was conscious of the cost push inflation because of the increased rates
of customs duty on raw materials and parts for use in industry. This would have ultimately
meant higher cost for consumer goods and country wide demand for wages to increase. The
reorganization of the Secretariat was also high in the pecking order of Mr. Nanda. After a thorough
review of the Secretariat, additions of the staff, changes in designation and grades of salary to the
existing officers were carried out. It was during Mr. Nanda’s Tenure that the Chamber instituted the
Shri Ram Memorial Lectures. Measures like compulsory savings scheme and ceiling on the salaries of
corporate executives were also clamped during his chairmanship. A Draft Master Plan for Delhi had
MR. H P NANDA been published and the Chamber took a lead in offering comments.
(1963- 1964)

D
r Charat Ram representing the prestigious DCM Group, stewarded the Chamber’s affairs during
1964-65. Two significant developments took place during his Chairmanship. The name of the
Chamber was altered to Punjab & Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the other
was the Chamber becoming an Ordinary Member of FICCI. The Chamber represented against the
policy of giving preference to small industries per se and held the view that such irrational policies
would create distortion in the economy. A restrictive foreign exchange scheme was introduced,
following deterioration in the foreign exchange reserves. During his tenure, the Union Budget
provisions became more restrictive and the Chamber gave its suggestions for spurring economic
growth. Interactions were held with the Chief Minister of Punjab to highlight suggestions for speedy
DR CHARAT RAM industrial growth. Merits related to industrial relations also merited the attention of the Chamber.
(1964-1965)

M
r. W D C Erskine Crum representing the British Overseas Airways Corporation was the Chairman
of the Chamber during 1965-66. The hostilities with Pakistan created manifold problems for
trade and industry in Punjab and the curbs clamped on the credit limits by banks further
aggravated the problems during his tenure as Chamber’s Chairman. The Chamber took up the
issue with the Chief Minister of Punjab requesting him to hold in abeyance demands for advance
payments and regular assessment of taxes in respect of industries located in the border areas of
Punjab. This request was favourably considered by the Central Board of Revenue. At a conference
on energy to discuss about the power situation in Punjab, the Chief Minister of Punjab assured that
industries will not be allowed to suffer. During his tenure, the Commerce Ministry set up the Indian
MR. W D C ERSKINE CRUM Council of Arbitration and invited 20 leading Chambers of Commerce and Employers’ Associations to
(1965-1966) be members. The Chamber was also invited and became the member of the Council.

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M
r. R L Tuli represented the premier bank of North India- the Punjab National Bank. During
his tenure, as Chairman of the Chamber, the Finance Minister devalued the Indian rupee on
June 5, 1966. The Chairman was of the view that some bold step was needed to rectify the
present malaise, and devaluation was perhaps one such bold step. He pointed out that devaluation
as a means of correcting the BOP problems could be effective if the government earnestly took
hard measures to control inflation. Under his chairmanship, special measures were devised for
expeditious issue of information on various developments and prompt attendance of matters that
emerged out of devaluation. Areas that attracted the attention of the Chairman were problems faced
by the exporters of the region, descheduling of food industries, etc. Mr. Tuli opposed amendments
MR. R L TULI to Section 5 of the Central Sales Tax Act. The Membership of the Chamber increased significantly
(1966-1967) during his tenure.

S
ardar Amarjit Singh of Associated Cement Company was the Chairman of the Chamber in
1968-69. As the Fourth Five Plan had been launched after a pause of three years, during his
tenure, he urged the government to give some of the projects proposed for the public sector
for development to the private sector. He also pleaded for better performance of the public sector,
stressing the ‘complementariness’ of the two sectors. The Chairman advocated re-fashioning of tax
policies and a fresh look at the government-business relationship with a view to forging a new bond
between them. He focused on industrial development in Punjab and Haryana, road transport and
industrial relations. At the 64th Annual General Meeting, he opined that it was important that balance
be maintained between the compulsions of economic growth and the primacy of human needs. A
SARDAR AMARJIT SINGH path must be carved out that is economically feasible and at the same time socially responsive.
(1968-1969)

M
r. M N Seth of Sterling General Insurance Co. Ltd. was the Chairman of the Chamber in 1960-
70. The year that saw revival and progress of the Indian economy and developments such as
nationalization of banks, reversal policy of liberalizing controls, passing of MRTP Legislation,
etc. During his tenure, the Chamber opposed the increase by Delhi Administration in the rates of
terminal tax on items like steam coal, vegetable oil, un-ginned cotton, iron, steel, electrical goods,
etc. It was felt that this enhancement would have negative repercussions on trade and industry in
Delhi. The Chairman fully alive of the situation, led the Chamber in various memoranda to the State
and Central government at the policy making level. The Chairman was also concerned about issues
in the power, transport and communication sectors. The Chamber was provided with additional
MR. M N SETH space for its premises and there was an increasing use of various fora for redressal of grievances of
(1969-1970) trade and industry under his Chairmanship.

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D
r Bhai Mohan Singh of Ranbaxy Laboratories was the Chairman of the Chamber in 1970-71.
During his tenure, the year saw the influx of over six millions refuges from Bangladesh. And the
people reposed their trust in the government which received a massive mandate. On the issue
of foreign capital, Dr Singh felt that it was “only through a free flow of savings and capital across
national frontier” that economic development could be achieved. Dr Singh observed “within the
framework of a mixed economy, private enterprise is capable of facing the challenges of development
and willing to play its part, provided its initiative and enterprise are not inhibited.” Other areas that
attracted his attention were the backwardness of northern region, power and transport. Bhai Mohan
Singh advocated for close and meaningful relationship between business and the Government. He
DR BHAI MOHAN SINGH also advocated for encouraging savings to boost investing in the industrial sector.
(1970-1971)

M
r. Man Phool Chopra of Ravi Cold Storage was the Chairman of the Chamber in 1971-72.
August 15 that year was an important landmark in the annals of our country, the Silver
Jubilee of India’s Independence. Reiterating that industrial peace and harmony is essential if
we want to successfully implement the ‘Garibi hatao Programme’, he appealed for eschewing strikes
and lock-outs. It was during his tenure that the Chamber was offered a piece of land in Defence
Colony, Delhi. Welcoming government’s initiative to encourage joint sector’s approach, Mr. Chopra
opined, “we certainly feel that there is scope for a marriage between the managerial expertise of
the private sector and the financial resources of the public sector institutions.” While addressing the
audience at AGM, he said, “no need to become complacent about our achievements for we have to
MR. MAN PHOOL CHOPRA travel a long way still.”
(1971 - 1972)

M
r. Prem Pandhi representing Metal Box Company Ltd., was the Chairman of the Chamber
in 1972-73. At the 68th Annual General Meeting, he pointed out that there had been an
improvement in our technological competence and professional management. Expressing
his concern about the high growth rate of population, Mr. Pandhi urged fellow members to carry out
family planning programmes and set apart at least one percent of their profits “for this immensely
worthwhile cause”. Mr. Pandhi also advocated recognition of the role played by Chambers of
Commerce and observed “Chambers of Commerce had been rendering useful service not only to
industry and business but even to the community at large in a variety of ways.” Other issues that
attracted his attention during his tenure were power shortage, deteriorating labour situation,
MR. PREM PANDHI advisability of changing the structure of the Chambers of Commerce on the lines of Chambers that
(1972 - 1973) existed in Europe.

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M
r. Raunaq Singh of Bharat Steel Tubes Limited was the Chairman of the Chamber during the
year 1973-74, a period of strict government controls and spiralling prices due to oil embargo
that affected the industry. Mr. Singh consistently highlighted the high cost of delays in
getting government approvals, which were the order of the day during his Chairmanship. Mr. Singh
advocated a realistic credit policy that should address to hyper-inflation and at the same time could
power the industry to push up their production and productivity. During the Chairmanship of Mr
Singh, industry was passing through an extraordinary difficult period in the history. The oil crisis has
cast dark shadows. Mr Singh was in the forefront to suggest to the government timely measures to
pep-up the economy. According to him, there were four pillars to economic recovery that included
MR. RAUNAQ SINGH availability of quality power, steel, export promotion, harmonious industrial relations and induction
(1973- 1974) of the State-of-Art technology.

M
r. M K Mohta of Bhagwani Cotton Mills Limited was the Chairman of the Chamber during
the year 1974-1975. Mr. Mohta believed that revival of capital market held the key to a
dynamic economy. The tax structure, he argued, should be investor friendly and tax base
should be current consumption as that could boost the saving habits of the people. This coupled
with lower rate of corporate taxation, could enable corporations to distribute higher dividend to
the shareholders. He suggested that financial institutions had to powered to play a proactive role in
industrial development. He called for creating exportable surpluses in the economy by refashioning
policies and attitudes. The Nation was still in process of recovery from oil crisis during his tenure. At
the 70th AGM of the Chamber, he observed, ‘’the recent oil crisis is, in a way, a blessing in disguise.
MR. M K MOHTA West Asian countries are rolling on their petrol dollar wealth and this has opened new avenues for
(1974-1975) our products.’’

M
r. Bishamber Das Kapur of Atlas Cycle Industries Limited, was the Chairman of the Chamber
during the year 1975-1976. Mr. Kapur laid emphasis on exploring export markets for Indian
products for which then existed considerable scope, in view of the availability of appropriate
technology, lower wage costs as well as indigenous availability of inputs. He called for adopting
forward looking approach by way of major liberalization of export credit. He also advocated for
setting up of an Export-Import Bank, which eventually materialized, in successive years. During
his tenure, he had taken up the issue of price controls by the Government and maintained that it
was imperative that the prices should be kept low for the customers; an evaluation of the policy
is ‘required to ensure adequate return on investment’. He also opined that he was happy that the
MR. BISHAMBER DAS KAPUR industry was wholeheartedly willing to contribute its due share in rural development.
(1975-1976)

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M
r. D D Puri of Saraswati Industrial Syndicate Limited, having interests in diverse areas such
as sugar, steel, industrial machinery, etc., was the Chairman of the Chamber during the year
1976-77. Mr. Puri stressed on the need to harness hydel resource for augmenting power
supply and advocated for providing infrastructure to promote industrialization in backward areas.
During his tenure, he suggested for early implementation of the proposal for a Dry Port to encourage
exports from northern land-locked states. He was in favour of introduction of VAT, since it had a far
reaching relevance to the economy. He reiterated for a cautious and calibrated import policy. “If
any indiscriminate liberalization of imports of capital goods is allowed, it would endanger domestic
industries producing such goods or similar goods,” he said at the 72nd Annual General Meeting of the
MR. D D PURI Chamber. He was of the view that while liberal import of essential items should be permitted, import
(1976 - 1977) of capital goods should be cautiously allowed.

M
r. L M Thapar heading the Ballarpur Industries Group was the Chairman of the Chamber during
the year 1977-78. A staunch supporter of the Chamber of Commerce movement, he observed
that the Chamber was of great help in constructing bridges of understanding and filling the
communication gap between the policy framers and the business community. He was against the
price preference policy of the government, which gave undue advantages to the public sector at the
cost of the private initiatives. He also championed the cause of social responsibility of the business
circles. At the 73rd AGM of the Chamber, he mentioned, “profit is an essential yardstick for success
but along with earning of profit, we should look beyond and take active interest in the community
participation.” He wanted the Nation to lay down a futurist vision and manage uncertainty in this fast
MR. L M THAPAR changing world.
(1977 - 1978)

D
r Bhansi Dhar of Delhi Cloth and General Mills was the Chairman of the Chamber during the
year 1978-1979. Rural Development and supporting the small-scale sector as well as broad
basing the entrepreneurial base occupied high priority during his chairmanship. He had
lent valuable support to the Rural Development Cell of the Chamber, which motivated more and
more industrial enterprises to take up development works in rural areas. He exhorted the business
community to maintain the price level since any upward movement of prices would create hardship
to the common man. He advocated diffusion of industrial activities and maintained that the tendency
of the Industrial units including the public sector r undertakings to flock to the metropolitan cities
should be stopped. During his tenure, he urged setting up of dry ports and air cargo complexes
DR BHANSI DHAR in different parts of the country including non-metro towns, to facilitate spread of economic and
(1978 - 1979) industrial activity.

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M
r. C K Hazari of Escorts Limited was the Chairman of the Chamber during the year 1979-80.
At the 75th Annual General Meeting, Mr. Hazari observed that the quality of life of our people
in terms of education, health, and living conditions was depressing and thus the need to
quickening the pace of development and social change to take the country out of morass. He was
in favour of liberalization of the licensing procedures and well laid licensing procedures. He drew
attention towards measures needed to improve viability of industrial projects due to steep rise of
taxation. He suggested endeavours to remove price controls, which he said should be for a limited
period. It was during the chairmanship that the Chamber adopted its present name and also several
amendments were made to the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Chamber. The Head
MR. C K HAZARI of the organization was redesignated from Chairman to President.
(1979 - 1980)

M
r. K G Khosla of Khosla Compressors Limited was the President of the Chamber during the year
1980-1981. Concerned at the widespread of poverty, Mr. Khosla suggested to wage on war on
poverty which could be done by creating more employment and more production of goods.
During his Presidency, he laid emphasis on the government-business partnership as an effective
vehicle for further growth. He opined that the government should lend support to the industry to
break the vicious cycle of low productivity, low production, and low returns on investment. Laying
emphasis on the contribution of the labour, he maintained that “we also subscribe to the philosophy
that the labour is as vital a part of industry as the employer.” He was of the view that norms of a healthy
and cooperative relationship between labour and management, employees and employers should
MR. K G KHOSLA be evolved. Mr. Khosla also highlighted the need to check inflation, which he said was important not
(1980 - 1981) only to check the galloping price level but also to conserve the purchasing power of rupee.

M
r. Mohinder Pal Puri of M P Puri and Company was the President of the Chamber during the
year 1981-82. The Chamber believed that the Sixth Plan objectives could be achieved only
through a combination of measures including fiscal correction, monetary policy tooling and
focus on accelerated export promotion. Mr. Puri articulated the considered view of the Chamber at
several fora. He felt that credit is the fundamental ingredient for promoting and sustaining industrial
production. During his presidency, Mr. Puri suggested that the government should follow a policy to
progressively reduce Cash-Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio to pump out more credit into
the system, which was otherwise locked up with the banks. Mr. Puri laid emphasis on enhancing
productivity and making optimum use of available resources as this would help in reducing poverty.
MR. MOHINDER PAL PURI He called for organizing export of machinery and infrastructure bottlenecks.
(1981 - 1982)

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M
r. V P Punj of Lloyd and Company Ltd., was the President of the Chamber during the year
1982-83. He advocated for review of the reservation policy for the small sector. He stressed
on upgradation of technology and said the government needs to introduce overall ceiling
of 5 percent on non-resident shareholding in a company and ceiling of 1 percent for a non-resident
individual or corporate entity. Building international connectivity was his priority, which he believed,
would open up new avenues for exports and investment in the country. Recognizing the necessity
to strengthen economic corporation among the South Asian countries, Mr. Punj led delegations
to Pakistan and Nepal. Delegation to Pakistan was the first ever private sector delegation to that
country in a quarter of a century. Mr. Punj also suggested that in order to industrialize areas with
MR. V P PUNJ locational disadvantages, MRTP/FERA companies be encouraged to go into No-industry districts by
(1982 - 1983) allowing their expansion in those areas.

M
r. K K Modi of Modipon Limited was the President of the Chamber during the year 1983-84.
“Economic growth can take place only through the efforts of 70 million people of India, but it
can be vastly aided or hindered by the Government action and policy,” commented Mr. Modi
at the 79th AGM of the Chamber. Mr. Modi also highlighted the distortions brought in the economy
by high rate of taxes, which encourages tax evasion, leading to loss of revenue and emergence of
a parallel economy, resulting in increased disparities of income and encouragement to wasteful
expenditure. He was of the view that the stipulations regarding the convertibility clause and
nominee directors, would erode the power base of the corporates and would amount to unncessary
incursions into their independence. He called for an end to case-by-case examination of all proposals
MR. K K MODI for industrial expansion. There was violence in the state of Punjab during his tenure and he wanted
(1983 - 1984) the government to act with pragmatism to restore peace and tranquility in the state.

M
r. W N Talwar of Talbros Automotives was the President during the year 1984-85. Promoting
competitiveness was the mission during Mr. Talwar’s Presidency. During his Presidency, the
long standing demand of the Chamber to have a National Capital Region for the Chamber
was accepted by the Government through an Ordinance Promulgated by the President of India. The
Northern Region, he felt, should lay emphasis on infrastructure and entrepreneurship development.
Taking further the Chamber’s international linkages, Mr. Talwar led delegations to Gulf countries
and China. He called upon the government to follow the Chinese model for development of special
economic zones to create modern industrialized cities. Under Mr Talwar’s initiative, the Chamber
set up the PHD Chamber Relief and Rehabilitation Trust, which helped the rehabilitation of many
MR. W N TALWAR families of riot victims, with active support of voluntary organizations, banks, insurance companies,
(1984 - 1985) etc.

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M
r. Shiv Raj Gupta of Central Distilleries and Breweries was the President of the Chamber
gduring the year 1985-1986. During his tenure, he led delegations to Jordan, Egypt, Greece
and Turkey. He made a presentation to the government on how the policy measures were
helpful in transforming Turkey. He commended the deregulation policy being pursued by the
government. Mr. Shivraj Gupta called for constructive cooperation between government and private
sector to achieve vital national objectives. He also emphasized the need to bring down tax rates to
encourage investments. Interactions at the highest level at both the Centre and State levels were
an important hallmark of his Presidency. He took up various issues being faced by the industry in
general and in Northern Region in particular. Perennial shortage of raw materials, high transport
MR. SHIV RAJ GUPTA cost etc. were some of the issues that had been taken up with the authorities during his Presidency.
(1985 - 1986)

D
r Kushal Pal Singh, Chairman emeritus of DLF Limited can be best described as the man
who transformed Delhi Land & Finance Limited (DLF) into one of India’s largest real-estate
development firms.Under his tenure as President of PHD Chamber during 1986-87, the
Chamber signed an MoU with Ohio Department of International Trade Division to promote trade and
economic cooperation between India and the US. Also a ‘China Desk’ was set up in the Chamber. He
also suggested introduction of agro-service centres to improve agriculture productivity. At the 82nd
Annual General Meeting, he reminded the industry of their social responsibility and said, “ We have
to lead the country in her march towards the 21st century, and along we have to carry the conviction
of the people –the teeming millions in villages, semi-urban and urban areas. We shall to respond by
increasing productivity, helping generate employment, improve the quality of products, make them
DR K. P. SINGH
available at cheaper prices and pay taxes in time.”
(1986-1987)

M
r. Manmohan Singh of Frick India Limited was the President of the Chamber during the year
1987-1988. The nation was in the grip of a severe drought, which had caused innumerable
difficulties to the people and farmers in particular. Deceleration in the growth rate, inflation,
precarious balance of payment postion had exerted pressure on the economy. In the meantime,
the nation was entering the English Plan period. Mr. Manmohan Singh had definite ideas about the
planning process. He pitched for further liberalization to attract more investment since the domestic
investible resources were limited. He opined that one of the major drawbacks of our planning has
been that it tends to lay too much emphasis on the size of investment and expenditure incurred.
There should also be a drastic rationalization and reduction not only in non-plan expenditure so that
MR. MANMOHAN SINGH we do not land into the vicious problem of resource crisis.
(1987 - 1988)

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M
r. M M Sabharwal, Chairman, Bata India Limited was the President during the year 1988-1989.
Mr. Sabharwal pitched for further liberalization to attract more investments since domestic
investible resource were limited. He was quoted to have said, “I would suggest that we need
to review and modify the concepts of monopoly and dominant undertakings so as to be in tune with
the competitive environment in the world.” During his tenure, Mr. Sabharwal pitched for import of
capital goods and technology at a concessional rate of duty to facilitate modernization at minimum
cost. He also called for involvement of State Governments in export drive to give proper thrust to
export development. The policy of liberalization, he felt, should be accompanied by a matching
rationalization of procedures so as to truly reflect the intents of policies and reduce the delays
MR. M M SABHARWAL involve in execution of the projects.
(1988 - 1989)

D
r Rajendra K Somany was the Chairman and Managing Director of HSIL Limited (Formerly
Hindustan Sanitaryware & Industries Ltd) - a high profile brand leader in the sanitaryware field.
It was during his tenure that the Chamber entered into a co-operation project with Konrad
Adenauer Foundation of Germany which grew to the Entrepreneurship Training wing of the Chamber.
Further, the Chamber set up the Energy Management Cell based on the experience gained as the
lead agency of the Government of India-UNDP Project. Foreseeing future, Mr Somany highlighted,
“in the industrial sector, the process of globalization has to start right now, otherwise it maybe too
late. To begin with, choice of global sectors be limited to industries which are being vacated by the
developed countries.” He has been honoured with many awards, including Udyog Ratna Award by
DR RAJENDRA K SOMANY the Haryana Government; World Confederation of Business as Excellence in Business Leadership
(1989 - 1990) Award; Life-time Achievement Award by PHD Chamber and APTECH and many more.

M
r. S S Kanwar of Bharat Steel Tubes Limited was the President of the Chamber during the year
1990-1991. The year of his presidency was the year when the nation had launched the new
economic policy with focus on the reform process. Mr. Kanwar felt that the new Industrial
policy had removed most of the barriers to production and investment. The reforms would usher in
an era of stiff internal competition and the industry will have to accept the challenge. He wanted the
government to create an enabling environment for the industry to grow and face the competition. He
opined that the import compression policy should not be allowed to continue. To help the industry to
finance their modernization and expansion plans, they should be allowed to enhance their internal
accruals by reducing the corporate tax to 40 percent. To deal with the problem of redundant labour,
MR. S S KANWAR as a result of liberalization policies, he advocated an exit policy for the workers.
(1990 - 1991)

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D
r Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director at JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. is well known
in the industry for his remarkable visionary abilities, and entrepreneurial zeal, which were best
displayed when JK Tyre ushered radial technology in India way back in 1977. During his tenure
as President of PHDCCI, Dr Singhania was of the view that human resource development held the
key to economic progress of the nation. He advocated for a sharper focus on rural infrastructure
and semiurban market. Also, he opined that development of new cities with modern facilities and
amenities would avoid migration and help in meeting people’s aspirations. The Chamber under
his leadership supported globalization and for India to compete among the comity of nations,
productivity had to permeated to the grassroots. He also highlighted that India should endeavor
DR RAGHUPATI SINGHANIA to develop that measure of strength and excellence and opined that Indian brands should become
(1991 - 1992) household brands in important foreign markets.

C
h. Devinder Singh of Industrial Cables Limited was the President during the year 1992-1993. He
felt that it was imperative that the messages for reforms are spread to the states and local levels,
which could change the mindsets of the people. “A strong and purposeful government willing
to take hard and unpopular decisions to see the process of reform through will be truly beneficial
to our country” he said at the 88th Annual General meeting of the Chamber. He laid emphasis on
research and development. Another important point highlighted by him during his Presidency was
the need for a Mass Rapid Transit System for Delhi as an alternative to the heavily burdened transport
system. In order to attract foreign investment, he urged propagation of the process of economic
reforms and to build a positive image for the Indian business. He led delegations to CIS countries,
South Africa and Nepal during his term as President.
CH. DEVINDER SINGH
(1992 - 1993)

M
r. Vineet Virmani of S P Virmani & Sons Pvt. Ltd. was the President of the Chamber during the
year 1993-1994. Mr. Virmani laid emphasis on evolving a proactive policy to promote small
and medium enterprises in the country. He was of the view that the SSI sector’s cumbersome
procedural requirements acted as a dampener to this sector in getting the required support from
the government. He suggested that the nation should move to second generation reforms which
would involve changes in the labour laws, judicial reforms, agricultural and legislative reforms. It
was during his presidency that the Chamber launched a project ‘Governance for Development’ in
collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprise, Washington, D.C. The project
facilitated close interaction of the Chamber with middle levels of the State government with the
MR. VINEET VIRMANI changes in the economic scenario in the post liberalisation period.
(1993 - 1994)

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M
r. Rajendra K Saboo is Chairman Emeritus of Saboo Business Group which includes KDDL
Limited, a leading manufacturer of watch components and ETHOS, a nation-wide biggest
watch retail boutique chain. As the Chamber’s President, he spearheaded several
international delegations to South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan, thus expanding the Chamber’s
good will to many countries. During his tenure, liquidity crunch had affected the economy and new
projects were put on hold. Mr. Saboo articulated the concerns of the corporate sector at many fora.
He wanted the RBI to give strict instructions to the banks and institutions to invest in the corporate
sector. He suggested development of mirco economic framework to tone up the capital market. He
was of firm belief that liberalization was not an end in itself. The purpose of reforms was to bring up
MR. RAJENDRA K SABOO the level of the common man and improve his quality of life. For achieving this, everyone has a role to
1994 - 1995 play –including businessman, workers, government, famers, and non –governmental organizations.

M
r. P K Rajgarhia of Orient Aster Communication Pvt. Ltd. was the President during the year
1995-1996. The external debt situation was a worrying one at US$ 100 billion in 1995-1996.
Any further increase, Mr. Rajgarhia felt, could create serious problems to the nation in
terms of getting entangled into a debt trap. The escape route, he said, was putting the borrowed
resources into productive uses so that it could generate more resource than the outflow on account
of repayment. One important aspect of his presidency was the emphasis on environ-management.
He wanted the government to take corrective actions to minimize pollution and environmental
degradation in the country. Under his guidance, the Chamber organized a number of seminars and
workshops in different parts of the country to give right type of orientation to the senior and middle
MR. P K RAJGARHIA level officials at the state and local levels. He also urged removal of case-by-case approach of FDI
(1995 - 1996) approvals to be replaced by transparent modalities with requisite predefined safeguards.

M
r. Binay Kumar of Banaras house Limited was the President of the Chamber during the
year 1996-1997. During his tenure, the Chamber laid emphasis on ’Ethics is Good Business’
and adopted it as a motto and promoted empowerment of women and spearheaded the
Chamber’s Annual awrads. He led a high powered delegation to Pakistan and a joint Indo-Pak Study
Team was constituted. Jointly with FICCI, the Chamber organized a path breaking conference at
Srinagar. Political uncertainties had threatened the competitiveness of the national economy and
Mr. Kumar felt that India should insulate economies from politics. Leading the Chamber during the
50th year of country’s independence, Mr. Binay Kumar also called for reforms at the state level to
improve the competitiveness of the national economy. During his tenure, the Chamber also extended
MR. BINAY KUMAR its services to Madhya Pradesh which was included in its geographic jurisdiction.
(1996 - 1997)

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M
r. O P Vaish of Vaish Associates was the President during the year 1997-1998. The East Asian
crisis had affected the state of the world economy. To come out of the contagious effect of
the East Asian crisis, Mr. Vaish felt that India should lay focus on FDI by creating an investor
friendly environment and deal with actual implementation of the projects. During his tenure, he
also advocated the involvement of states in international commercial affairs. Mr. Vaish was of the
view that tax administration should be streamlined to keep up with the pace of reforms and called
for implementation of state level VAT and abolition of Octroi. At the 93rd AGM of the Chamber, he
observed, revenue generation objective alone can result in regressive measures that may further
compound the problem of industrial stagnation.
MR. O P VAISH
(1997 - 1998)

D
r Ashok Khanna, Chairman and Managing Director of Khanna Watches Ltd was the President
during the year 1998-89. As Chamber’s President, he catalogued a number of proactive
suggestions for the government to act on. This included the government playing a predominant
role in providing school education, healthcare and social infrastructure to the people. He advocated
the strengthening and modernization of industrial clusters in the country. Dr Khanna also showed
concern about the poor state of finances of the States and called for change in formula of revenue
sharing between the Centre and states. Dr Khanna supported productivity improvement of labour
laws to improve the generation of employment. He also advocated for introduction of VAT in the
country. In 2011, Dr Khanna was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by SBBS / Zoroastrian College,
DR ASHOK KHANNA Mumbai. He has been a senior Member of the Managing Committee of FICCI, CII and ASOCHAM and
(1998 - 1999) also served as member of Administrator’s Advisory’s Council, IDBI, National Productivity Council,
GNDU, DGTD, etc.

M
r. Karna Singh Mehta, a leading Chartered Accountant is the Managing Partner of the firm of
Chartered Accountants, S.S. Kothari Mehta & Co. During his tenure as President, the states of
Uttaranchal, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand had just been created. The President extended the
Chamber’s cooperation and partnership to the governments of the new states. He appreciated the
golden quadrilateral expressway project and proposed two more mega projects in northern Indian
states . Mr. Mehta made a mark in the profession in Tax Policy thoughts and in Rain Water Harvesting
through the PHD Rural Development Foundation. He led a joint delegation of Haryana Government
to meet industry leaders in Japan, Korea and Singapore. This led to the bringing of Suzuki Engine
Plant to Haryana and other investments on the lines of industrial estates in Singapore. He also
campaigned for liberalization of Capital Issue Rules bringing about the reduction of 60% public
MR. KARNA SINGH MEHTA
holding to 25%.
(1999 - 2000)

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M
r. Sushil Ansal represented the well-established Ansal Group of developers and builders.
During the presidentship of Mr. Ansal, a number of activities were undertaken specifically
focused on the industry needs and potentials. Important among them were interface with
the Chief Secretaries of the northern states and other Economic Ministers at the state level. He was
of the view that there should be a harmonized approach to development of the Northern Region.
He opined that economic development was not about wealth creation per se but about distribution
of wealth as was consistent with the progressive rise in the quality of life generally and with more
equitable society. Mr. Ansal led a business study team to China, Hong Kong and Malaysia and led
delegations to Japan, Suingapore and South Korea.
MR. SUSHIL ANSAL
(2000-2001)

M
r.Arun Kapur of Limrose Engineering Works Pvt. Ltd., and also associated with Atlas Cycle
Industries Ltd. was the President of the Chamber in 2001-02. At the 97th Annual Session of
the Chamber, Mr. Kapur said that an enduring partnership between government and the
business was crucial to facilitate our quest for enhancing global competitiveness. During his tenure,
he led many study delegations to China, Japan and South Korea on behalf of the Engineering Export
Promotion Council. The President focused on human resource development, setting up of economic
zones in the States, and adopted aggressive marketing of the States as investment destinations.
He opined that the FDI policy should be made flexible, consistent and transparent to boost foreign
investors’ confidence. He reiterated the need for fast track of approvals for speedy implementation.
MR. ARUN KAPUR
(2001 - 2002)

M
r. P.K Jain is Chairman-cum-Managing Director of The Malt Company India Pvt. Ltd., one of the
largest family owned Malting Company in India. Mr. Jain is also the Chairman-cum-Managing
Director of PMV Group which is tied up with EPIC Foundation of USA. As President of PHD
Chamber, Mr. Jain made earnest endeavors to enhance the image and effectiveness of the Chamber
as a service organization at the grass-roots level. During his tenure, the Chamber participated in
an exclusive television programme ‘Business Mantra’ series on Doordarshan TV. The Chamber also
officially represented at the International Labour Conference annually organized by ILO. Mr. Jain
also led the first-ever delegation to Latin American countries and the US. Mr Jain felt that in today’s
world of increasing ‘interdependence of nations’ the challenge for us was “ to strategically resond to
MR P.K. JAIN the changing paradigm of globalisation and reforms taken up earnestly.”
(2002 - 2003)

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M
r. Ravi Wig was the Chairman of Wig Brothers (India) Pvt. Ltd., which deals in the area of
construction. As President of PHD Chamber, he advocated development of the infrastructure
sector with the policymakers at the highest level and stressed on harnessing the hydro-
power sources and steered dialogue with power managers in the States with a view to usher in better
environment for private investors. As PHD Chamber’s representative to the Central Board of Trustees
of the Employees Provident Fund Organization, Mr. Wig constantly endeavored to procure a better
deal for the workers and piloted the concept of provident fund benefits for construction workers.
Mr. Wig represented the Chamber at the 92nd Session of the International Labour Conference at
Geneva. Mr. Wig also led high-powered delegations to Pakistan that interacted with high level
MR. RAVI WIG Government officials as well as industry and trade bodies there. Subsequently, business delegations
(2003 - 2004) from Pakistan visited India, giving a distinct boost to the Indo-Pak Trade.

D
r Kashi Nath Memani is the Chairman of HT Consultancy Services Private Limited. He was
the President of the PHD Chamber during the centenary year of the Chamber, 2004-05. The
Chamber commemorated the historic occasion of 100 years during his tenure. Completion of
century of service by the Chamber to the community was indeed a unique landmark. Dr Memani
forged ahead in the task of promoting economic growth and building a resurgent India. He headed
the Quality Review Board, an oversight Board to review the quality of auditors set-up by the
Government of India. He was also associated with the National Advisory Committee on Accounting
Standards and an Expert Committee for amendments to the Companies Act, 1956. Dr Memani has
been associated with many industry associations including as Chairman for American Chamber of
DR KASHI NATH MEMANI Commerce in India, Chairman of Federation of Indian Export Organizations and President for Indo-
(2004 - 2005) American Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

D
r Sushma Paul Berlia, a well-known educationist, is the Co-promoter & President of Apeejay
Stya & Svrán Group and Chairman of the Apeejay Education Society which runs 24 schools and
higher educational institutions across the country. During Dr Berlia’s tenure as the first woman
President of PHD Chamber, a Chief Ministers Conclave was held which was inaugurated by the then
Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and was graced by the Chief Ministers of the Northern
States. Dr Berlia led high-level delegations to various countries including Dubai, UK and Ireland.
Under her leadership, PHD Chamber launched a four year campaign- ‘Hunooz Dilli Door Naist’-
PHDCCI Open Cycle Race to spread the message about the Chamber’s commitment to showcase
Delhi as the best host of the Common Wealth Games 2010 and even Olympics 2016.
DR SUSHMA PAUL BERLIA
(2005 - 2006)

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M
r. Sanjay Bhatia, Managing Director of Hindustan Tin Works Ltd.,(leading manufacturer
of tin containers for food, and non-food products) was President during the year 2006-07.
He also has been the Chairman of PHD Chamber’s Rural Development Foundation. He has
been contributing generously for health, education, water conservation and village development
projects for the benefit of the under privileged sections of the society. During Mr. Bhatia’s tenure
as President, the PHD House at Chandigarh was inaugurated. He advocated de-regulation of the
country’s education sector, encouragement of private and foreign participation in higher education
and incorporation of global best practices in education. Many high-profile programmes with
policymakers at the highest level that included the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of various
MR. SANJAY BHATIA states were held during his tenure. He was a former President of All India Organization of Employers,
(2006 - 2007) Confederation of MSMEs and Past Chairman of the Indian Institute of Packaging.

D
r Lalit Kumar Malhotra was the Ex. Chairman & Managing Director of CHL Limited (Owner of
Hotel The Surya, New Delhi). He was also the Chairman of CHL International, Tajikistan and
Director of Malbros Holdings Private. He was appointed as Honorary Consul of Tajikistan for
India in 1994 and continued till they opened their Embassy in New Delhi in 2003. As President of
PHDCCI for the year 2007-08, Dr Malhotra worked on strengthening bilateral and trade relations
with CIS countries. He supported in facilitating bilateral relations between India and Tajikistan, with
the bifurcation of USSR and formation of various countries under CIS. During Mr. Malhotra’s tenure
as president, a number of diplomats and foreign delegations from Poland, China, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, Germany, Mexico Cuba, Panama, El Salvador, Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan visited
DR LALIT KUMAR MALHOTRA the Chamber and interacted with the industry members on promoting trade and business relations.
(2007 - 2008) The 36th Shri Ram Memorial Lecture on ‘Innovation: Foundation for the Development of Industry’ by
Former President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam also took place during Mr. Malhotra’s tenure.

M
r. Satish Bagrodia, Adviser of Winsome Textile Industries Limited was the President of the
Chamber in the year 2008-09. Mr. Satish Bagrodia was a true symbol of progress, enterprise
and social commitment. During his tenure as President, the Chamber played a catalytic role
to build consensus on wide ranging subjects ranging from corporate governance, agribusiness,
tourism, skill development, taxation, labour laws, defense, economic reforms as well as industrial
relations. The Chamber conducted numerous socio-economic activities to promote women
empowerment, AIDS awareness, mother and child care, water harvesting, rural development as
well as various community development initiative. During his tenure, the Defence Committee was
reconstituted which focused on evolving strategies to strengthen the defence industrial base and
MR. SATISH BAGRODIA public private partnerships in the defence sector, so to contribute towards the country’s self-defence
(2008 - 2009) and modernization of the sector.

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M
r. Ashok Kajaria has an unparalleled reputation in the realm of artisanal tiles in India. Mr.
Kajaria founded Kajaria Ceramics, the largest ceramic and vitrified tile manufacturing
company in India, the 8th largest in the world. Under Mr. Kajaria’s aegis, the company crossed
a turnover of Rs. 2,800 crore in fiscal year 2020-21. The magazine man at the helm of the indomitable
ceramic giant believes that infusing zeal in the work force while emphasizing innovation and
customer satisfaction are the cornerstones of the Kajaria’s success story. He extended much needed
support during the COVID-19 pandemic, via CSR activities. Mr.Kajaria led business delegations to
Uzbekistan and Ethiopia to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation amongst international
communities. The Chamber also organized interactions with delegations and Ambassadors /High
MR. ASHOK KAJARIA Commissioners of various countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, Hong
(2009 - 2010) Kong, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, China, Czech Republic, Mexico, UK, Pakistan, Iran, Gambia, Italy,
Botswana, Estonia and Kazakhstan.

M
r. Salil Bhandari, a Chartered Accountant by profession is the founder of BGJC & Associates
LLP, which is a well-known audit and management consulting firm based in New Delhi. He
counsels top management in several areas of strategy implementation, scaling-up of business,
organizational development and management and family structures. As President of PHD Chamber,
Mr. Bhandari worked on issues important for fostering inclusive growth such as agribusiness,
affordable housing, advancements in biotechnology and skill development. The initiative of ‘Job
Fests for the Differently Abled’ during his tenure received an overwhelming response from Corporate
India. The Chamber also organized the ‘World Education Summit 2011’ which was attended by
national and international policymakers, academicians and other stakeholders. A Health Committee
was also set up to address core issues of the health sector in India during his tenure.
MR. SALIL BHANDARI
(2010 - 2011)

M
r. Sandip Somany is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Sanitary &
Industries Limited (HSIL) and is also the Chairman and NonExecutive Director of Somany
Home Innovation Limited (SHIL). During his tenure as President of PHD Chamber, a prestigious
Global Summit on ‘Role of Industry Chambers’ was organized by the Chamber wherein, more
than 50 National, International and Regional Chambers were invited to discuss and subsequently
advocate policies of mutual benefit to facilitate the stabilization of the global economy due to the
changing dynamics of the 21st century. As President of the Chamber, Mr. Somany led a number of
call-on meetings with dignitaries/ ministers including the Former President of India, Late Mr. Pranab
Mukerjee. With his extensive experience, Mr. Somany has held many leadership positions including
MR. SANDIP SOMANY as President of FICCI, President of International Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the Indian
(2011 - 2012) Council of Sanitaryware Manufacturers’ Association and many more..

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M
r. Suman Jyoti Khaitan, a practicing famous advocate in India is the founder and Managing
Partner of Suman Khaitan & Co. & Khaitan & Partners. Being a lawyer of deep insight, he handles
major international and national legal matters. He appears regularly before parliamentary
committees, making representations and proposals on proposed amendments to important
corporates, commercial and social legislations. He is a member of the Supreme Court Advocates
-on- Record Association, Supreme Court Bar Association and Delhi High Court. As President of PHD
Chamber, he worked towards strengthening the interface between industry and the government on
ease of doing business in the country. Under his leadership, the Chamber made efforts to pioneer
the cause of infrastructure development through various initiatives, including promoting affordable
MR. SUMAN JYOTI KHAITAN housing through a series of conferences in association with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty
(2012 - 2013) Alleviation.

M
r. Sharad Jaipuria is the Chairman and Managing Director of Ginni International Limited, a
composite textile mill. He is also the President of Integral Education Society and many other
management institues. During Mr. Jaipuria’s tenure as President, PHD Chamber started
a number of new initiatives, one of the biggest was participation globally through Market Access
Initiative Scheme, which brought in tremendous visibility to the Chamber worldwide. He led a
number of foreign delegations to Europe and Russia and the Chamber secretariat visited Czech
Republic, Turkey, Ukraine and Canada. He organized a program wherein special mementos were
given to Former Presidents by the Chief Guest, Mr. Kamal Nath, then Minister of Urban Development
as a token of appreciation for their contribution to the growth of the Indian industry through
MR. SHARAD JAIPURIA their entrepreneurial spirit and dynamism. He also was the Chairman of PHD Rural Development
(2013 - 2014) Foundation.

M
r. Alok B. Shriram is the Senior Managing Director & CEO of DCM Shriram Industries Limited.
During his tenure as PHD Chamber’s President, the American President, Mr. Barrack Obama,
visited India in January 2015 and Mr. Alok Shriram was invited to interact with the US
delegation and the American President. The Chamber partnered with the Government of India to
showcase India’s contribution in economic development of Africa in the infrastructure and healthcare
sectors in a Business Exhibition organized at the Third Edition of India-Africa Forum Summit which
was acknowledged by Hon’ble PM, Mr. Narendra Modi. Mr. Shriram led several delegations to China,
Sri Lanka and Thailand for promotion of business and trade. During his tenure, PHD Chamber
participated in the 7th International Exhibition “Spring-Summer Fair,” at St. Petersburg in Russia. He
MR. ALOK B. SHRIRAM held the belief that skilled workforce would be a key enabler for India’s growth story to come true
(2014 - 2015) and thus the motto during his Presidential year was “Skilling India for Global Competitiveness.”

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D
r Mahesh Gupta is known worldwide as PURE WATER MAN for revolutionizing the water
purification industry in India. A first-time entrepreneur, Dr Gupta is the Founder-Chairman
of Kent RO Systems Ltd., India’s leading RO Water Purifier Company. Dduring his tenure as
President of PHD Chamber, he revolutionized the Chamber and initiated the Chamber’s presence
in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra, giving a pan-Indian presence. He
led a delegation to meet the Hon’ble President of India, Late Mr. Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the
Chamber’s initiatives for the promotion of trade and industry. Dr Gupta inaugurated the India pavilion
at 13thThaifex- World of Food Asia Expo at Bangkok and also participated in B2 meetings in Shanghai
and Beijing to strengthen economic cooperation between India and China. During his tenure, the
DR MAHESH GUPTA Chamber made inroads into the Gulf region by organizing the ‘INDO-UAE Global Investment Summit
(2015 - 2016) 2016’ in Dubai.

M
r. Gopal Jiwarajka is the Chairman and Managing Director of Salora International Limited,
one of the oldest and leading companies in the field of consumer electronics. During the
tenure as President of PHD Chamber, Mr. Jiwarajka’s motto was “Lead the change –Make the
difference,” whereby he led many international delegations, such as to Germany, Hungary, Bhutan
and Singapore for strengthening business collaborations. Under his leadership, the Trade and
Facilitation Services was launched for the benefit of foreign investors. In addition, an Arbitration,
Mediation and Conciliation Centre was set up to resolve industrial disputes in tune with the
changing legal framework and also an Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre was established for
assisting MSMEs. It was during Mr. Jiwarajka’s tenure, the Chamber was accorded the QCI NABET
Accreditation Certificate with the rating of DIAMOND BMO organization recognizing it as one of the
MR. GOPAL JIWARAJKA
leading associations in the country.
(2016 - 2017)

M
r. Anil Khaitan is the Chairman of SNK Corp. His company, Sunil Healthcare Limited makes
high quality healthcare products, affordable for the patients. During his tenure as President
of PHD Chamber, Mr. Khaitan focused on forming State Chapters and interacted on a regular
basis with the State Governments. Mr. Khaitan led a high-level delegation to interact with Mr. Ram
Nath Kovind, Hon’ble President of India to put forth the Chamber’s perspective on policy matters.
His engagement with International institutions led to signing of a number of MoUs. He inaugurated
the Chamber’s first International office in Bahrain for promoting industry’s business interests in
all six GCC countries. Mr. Khaitan’s initiatives resulted in setting up an India-Nepal Centre in New
Delhi as well as its counterpart in Nepal to strengthen India-Nepal business ties. Under Mr. Khaitan’s
MR. ANIL KHAITAN guidance, a Start-up Mentoring Cell was launched in Jaipur for the benefit of youth, women and
(2017 - 2018) rural population.

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M
r. Rajeev Talwar, Advisor to DLF Limited, has rich and diversified experience spread over many
years, both as a bureaucrat as well as in leadership roles in the private sector. He is Chairman
Emeritus of National Real Estate Development Council, established under the aegis of the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Under Mr. Talwar’s leadership, PHD Chamber supported
the government for working “Towards a Prosperous India.” During his tenure, the State Chapters
continued to interact on a regular basis with the State Governments to help them frame policies for
the benefit of the industry and the Kerala State Chapter in Cochin was also launched. He supported
Indian industry to participate in Expos to US, Chile, Germany, Poland, Kenya, Ghana, Georgia, Russia,
MR. RAJEEV TALWAR Iran, Azerbaijan, China, Thailand, Nairobi, Malaysia, Nepal and Bangladesh and also for attending
(2018 - 2019) the Horasis meeting at Spain.

D
r D.K. Aggarwal, is the Chairman & Managing Director of SMC Investments and Advisors Ltd.,
SMC Capitals Limited, SMC Comtrade Limited and SMC Real Estate Advisors Pvt. Ltd. and also
Director of SMC Comex International DMCC (Dubai). SMC Group is amongst the top financial
services companies in India. During Dr Aggarwal’s leadership as President of PHDCCI, the country
was faced with the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. While times were very hard globally and nation-
wide, Dr Aggarwal spearheaded several relief programs at the Chamber encouraging PHD members
to generously contribute Rs. 525 crores to the PM CARES FUND, apart from distributing lakhs of food
packets, sanitizers, masks, and other personal protective equipment to beneficiaries, through the
Rural Development Foundation and the Family Welfare Foundation. Under Dr Aggarwal’s guidance,
the Chamber started conducting impactful webinars on economic and business issues to resolve
DR D. K. AGGARWAL
pressing concerns.
(2019 - 2020)

M
r. Sanjay Aggarwal is the Chairman & CEO of Paramount Cables Group and Vice-President of
Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association. During Mr. Aggarwal’s tenure as President of
PHDCCI, the country was passing through the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under his able leadership and guidance, the Chamber continued to work relentlessly to support
the nation in its recovery efforts. In addition to donating Rs. 525 crores to the PM CARES FUND,
industry members also provided relief materials to the frontline workers and medical infrastructure
to hospitals, set up a 250 bedded COVID Care Center at Dwarka, New Delhi, installed oxygen
generation plants at Medicheck Hospital Faridabad and Tirath Ram Shah Charitable Hospital. He was
instrumental in distributing 200 oxygen concentrators to COVID care centers for the needy families.
MR. SANJAY AGGARWAL and signed MoUs and set up ICU Tele Medicine Centres at Burari and also at Indira Gandhi Hospital.
(2020 - 2021)

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D
r Pradeep Multani, Chairman, Multani Pharmaceuticals Limited has more than 40 years
of experience in the field of Ayurvedic & Unani Medicines. A strong believer of performing
Corporate Social Responsibilities voluntarily and supporting multiple NGOs like Action for
Autism, he has also contributed to the Prime Minister’s National Relief & Armed Forces Flag Day
Fund, Kendriya Sainik Board and the Ministry of Defense. Dr Multani was awarded the ‘Distinguished
Entrepreneurship Award for MSME 2019’ by PHD Chamber. During his presidency, at the International
Summit, India signed two MoUs with the Norwegian companies to adopt their technologies in
transforming the Green Hydrogen sector in India. During Dr Multani’s tenure, the Chamber organized
the First Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture, which was addressed by Mr. G Krishan
DR PRADEEP MULTANI Reddy, Hon’ble Union of Tourism, Culture & DoNER. A number of interactive sessions on Ease of
(2021 - 2022) Doing for MSMEs in India were held Dr Multani’s tenure as President.

M
r. Saket Dalmia is the Managing Director of PG Industry Limited – a leading manufacturer
of Italian Marble flooring and façade solutions across India under the Brand Name, Marble
City. During his tenure, the Chamber took a number of delegations to various countries
including Oman, Senegal, Ghana & Nigeria, Hong Kong & Macau and Vietnam to identify various
business opportunities in various sectors. Mr. Dalmia, on behalf of the Chamber, participated at
the Annual World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland during his presidency. Mr. Dalmia was
appointed as Co-chair of the Finance Committee of the G-20 Secretariat. The Chamber was also
nominated as Programme Directorate of Start-up-20 and subsequently, MSMEs and Start-ups were
given recognition in G-20’s Delhi Declaration as engines of growth. In support of the grand vision, the
MR. SAKET DALMIA Chamber signed a MoU with India-Saudi Investment Forum to strengthen MSMEs and expand trade.
(2022 - 2023)

M
r. Sanjeev Agrawal, Chairperson of MMG Group is the largest bottling partner for Coca-Cola
in India under the franchisee agreement with Coca-Cola INC, Atlanta. In 2017, Mr. Agrawal
was conferred the ‘Capital Foundation National Award’ by Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union
Minister of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology. Being a philanthropist, he set up a
Charitable Society, Radha Bihari Shiksha Samiti, “Ishwarchand Vidyasagar Institute of Technology”
and “MM Agarwal Institute of Technology” providing post-graduate education and scholarships to
the bright students from poor families. During his presidency, the Chamber remained steadfast in
its COPE vision “Collaborate and Innovate, Optimize resources, Policy reform and advocacy, and
EPIC programs.” The Chamber organized various delegations in the past year to countries including
MR. SANJEEV AGRAWAL Taiwan, UAE, Dubai, France, Czech Republic, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Germany, Kenya, Tanzania, South
(2023 - 2024) Korea, Kuwait, Philippines, Turkey and Nepal to explore business opportunities during his tenure.

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120 Years of PHDCCI
PIONEERING PROGRESS
SINCE 1905

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120 Years of PHDCCI
52
120 Years of PHDCCI
 JOURNEY THROUGH THE YEARS

First Annual General Meeting (1907)

The Chamber’s first Annual General Meeting
was held on March 22, 1907, at Town Hall, Delhi.
At the time, it had 67 subscribing members and
one Honorary Member.

Expansion and Consolidation (1910)

By 1910, the Chamber’s membership had
grown to 68, spanning Delhi, Lahore, Amritsar,
Srinagar, Rawalpindi, Multan, and beyond.
Prominent enterprises such as New Egerton
Woollen Mills, Dhariwal, Delhi Printing Works,
and Upper India Glass Works, Ambala, joined
its ranks. The Chamber’s governance structure
also evolved. The designations of President and
Vice President were replaced with Chairman
and Vice Chairman, aligning with contemporary Artist’s impression of the first Annual General Meet
organizational models.
Recognizing the Chamber’s influence,
The Chamber’s success owed much to municipalities in Delhi, Lahore, Amritsar, and
its competent secretariat. From the outset, Rawalpindi began incorporating its nominees
administrative efficiency was prioritized—a into their administrative committees. This
tradition that persists today. At the first AGM, Mr. allowed the Chamber to play an active role in
Arthur A. Legat was lauded for his contributions urban governance and trade regulations.
as Honorary Secretary.
At the Seventh AGM in 1912, the Chamber
celebrated the announcement of Delhi as India’s
Influence on Policy and Governance new capital.
The Punjab Chamber, advocating for
broader representation, secured a seat in World War I: Impact on Trade and
the Punjab Legislative Council in 1909. Mr. Industry
James Currie was elected as the Chamber’s
first representative, reinforcing its role as the The outbreak of World War I in 1914
region’s foremost business advocacy body. The significantly disrupted trade. At the Tenth AGM
Government regularly sought the Chamber’s in 1915, the Chamber’s President noted severe
views on proposed laws, including the English economic ramifications, stating, “On August 4,
Life Assurance Companies Act, Income Tax Act, 1914, India found itself cut off from Germany
and Patents and Design Act. and Austria, losing a crucial source of supply.” By
1915, membership had dwindled to 53.

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54
120 Years of PHDCCI
Navigating Economic Challenges in
a Changing World
Between 1916 and 1926, the Punjab
Chamber of Commerce emerged as a formidable
institution driving economic progress in India.
From shaping trade policies and advocating
industry-friendly regulations to fostering global
commerce and influencing financial reforms,
the Chamber’s early decades laid the foundation
for its continued leadership in India’s business
landscape.

Strengthening Representation in
Governance
As World War I neared its end, the Punjab
Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in
shaping India’s post-war commercial policies.
The Chamber actively pursued commercial in the Advisory Committee for the proposed Expanding National Influence
representation in the Supreme Legislative Controller of Cotton Cloth.
Council of India. The Chamber secured a In January 1920, the Chamber played a key
shared seat in the Punjab Legislative Council. role in establishing the Association of Chambers
This milestone ensured that commercial and
Sutlej Power Project: Energizing
of Commerce of India and Ceylon (now
industrial stakeholders had a voice in legislative Industry ASSOCHAM).
decisions impacting the region’s economy.

Establishing a Tradition: Chief

Pioneering Industry Standards
Guests at AGMs
The Chamber’s 1922 Annual General Meeting
marked the beginning of a significant tradition—
inviting a distinguished Chief Guest to address
the gathering. The inaugural invitee was Mr. C.A.
Innes, Member for Commerce in the Government
of India, setting a precedent for future AGMs.

The Chamber strongly advocated for the

Advocacy for a Central Bank: The
Sutlej Power Project, foreseeing its transformative Birth of RBI
impact on industrial development in Northern
Recognizing the need for quality control
India. It projected that by 1926-27, towns such The Chamber was an early proponent of
in India’s growing textile sector, the Chamber
as Delhi, Kalka, Simla, Jullundur, Amritsar, and establishing a central bank in India, the Reserve
actively participated in the government’s
Lahore would benefit from affordable electricity, Bank of India to ensure financial stability and fair
initiative to standardize Indian-manufactured
reducing reliance on expensive fuel and fostering monetary policies.
cloth. Lala Sri Ram of Delhi Cloth and General
industrial expansion.
Mills was nominated as a mill representative

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120 Years of PHDCCI
56
120 Years of PHDCCI
Leadership Milestone: An Indian at
the Helm
The year 1927
marked a significant
milestone for the
PHD Chamber as it
appointed its first
Indian Chairman,
Mr. P. Mukerjee of
Messers P. Mukerjee
& Co. Ltd, Delhi. His
leadership ushered in Honoring Business Leadership: Lala Debate Over Relocating the
an era of assertive advocacy for trade Shri Ram Chamber’s Headquarters
and industry, reinforcing the Chamber’s role
as a crucial voice for economic policy reforms In 1930-31, the Chamber congratulated Lala In the early 1930s, a section of members
Chairman, Mr. P. Mukerjee called for stronger Shri Ram on his election as President of FICCI. proposed shifting the Chamber’s headquarters
cooperation between the Federation of Indian The Chamber urged him to work towards closer to Lahore, citing its growing commercial
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) cooperation between FICCI and ASSOCHAM, with significance. However, a consensus was reached
and the Associated Chambers of Commerce the long-term goal of merging British and Indian to retain the head office in Delhi while holding
(ASSOCHAM), emphasizing that unity among commercial interests into a unified national alternate meetings in Lahore, maintaining a
business bodies would strengthen their collective business body. strategic presence in both key economic centers.
voice against unfair legislation.

Industrial Expansion Amidst The Managing Agency System

Elevating Delhi’s Administrative
Economic Challenges
Status
Despite political turmoil, the 1930s witnessed
industrial expansion. The establishment of Tata
Steel Works, textile mills in Bombay, and jute
and tea enterprises in Bengal signaled India’s
economic resilience.

Chamber’s Growing National and

International Presence
The Chamber expanded its secretariat to
handle diverse issues, from legal advocacy The 1930s also saw the stabilization of the
The Chamber championed the cause of to international trade representation. It also Managing Agency System, a business model
granting Delhi the status of a Governor’s Province, increased its participation in global economic where specialized firms managed industrial
advocating for the extension of responsible forums like the International Labour Organization enterprises. Initially a British concept, it gained
governance to its people, similar to other regions (ILO). prominence in India, with groups like Tata and
in India. Martin Burn utilizing this model to raise capital
and expand operations. The system played a
pivotal role in India’s industrialization over the
next seven decades.

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120 Years of PHDCCI
58
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 Urban Development: Pavement
Shops in Delhi

In September 1947, the Chamber petitioned

the Chief Commissioner of Delhi for the removal
of unauthorized pavement shops in Connaught
Place and Chandni Chowk, citing congestion,
obstruction to pedestrian movement, and
Development of Agro-Based northern India. Nevertheless, as an independent disruption to legitimate businesses.
nation, India embarked on a journey of planned
Industries economic development, adopting a mixed The country was stunned with the
economy with regulatory frameworks.
Recognizing Delhi’s potential as an industrial death of Mahatma Gandhi on 30
hub, the Chamber advocated for the growth of
Economic Adjustments in Post- January 1948.
agro-based industries, emphasizing their role
in complementing agriculture and providing Independence India
employment.

Tariff Board and the Sugar Industry

Exchange Value of the Rupee
In early 1947, the Government requested the
In October 1946, India’s Finance Department Tariff Board to assess the sugar industry’s need for
invited the Chamber’s views on the exchange continued protection. The Chamber coordinated
value of the rupee, as the country was required with the Bengal and Upper India Chambers,
to declare a par value under the IMF Agreement. advocating for an extension of protective duties
The Chamber advised maintaining the rupee for one more year. The Tariff Board eventually
at its existing level (1s. 6d. Sterling) to prevent endorsed this recommendation.
inflation and avoid escalating costs for imported
capital goods. India’s Industrial Policy (1948)
Ensuring Quality in India’s Exports
On April 6, 1948, the Government of India
India’s Road to Independence India’s Trade Commissioner raised concerns released its first Industrial Policy Resolution,
over the inconsistent quality of Indian exports, emphasizing social justice, employment, and
In India, the independence movement had with some shipments failing to meet contractual economic growth. Industries were categorized
gained momentum, with the Quit India Movement specifications. In response, the Chamber urged into four groups, ranging from state monopolies
of 1942 and the formation of the Indian National the establishment of an Inspection Board to private enterprises under regulatory
Army under Subhas Chandra Bose. The partition to ensure export quality, safeguard India’s oversight. The Chamber engaged extensively in
of India in 1947 led to mass displacement, reputation, and enhance its global trade discussions, advocating for greater emphasis on
causing immense human suffering, particularly in standing. private enterprise.

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60
120 Years of PHDCCI
Shaping India’s Economic
Landscape
Through its relentless advocacy and policy
interventions, the PHD Chamber played a pivotal
role in shaping India’s economic and industrial
policies, ensuring a balanced approach to
growth, regulation, and enterprise.

Engagement with the Union

Finance Minister
On October 20, 1952, Chamber
representatives met Union Finance Minister
Mr. T.T. Krishnamachari to discuss challenges in
securing industrial finance. They emphasized
the need for capital formation through lower
corporate taxation and easier long-term lending
facilities. The Chamber also proposed that
part of employee bonuses be offered as shares
to enhance worker participation in corporate on November 13, 1958, the Chamber engaged New Chamber Premises and
ownership. with Punjab’s Finance Minister, Dr. Gopichand
Expansion
Bhargava, on the same issue.

Dialogue with Hon’ble Mr. Lal In September 1959, the Chamber moved
Challenges Faced by Industries its headquarters to the newly acquired Phelps
Bahadur Shastri on Taxation Building in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
In October 1953, the Chamber collaborated Additionally, in April 1959, it inaugurated its
with the Delhi Factory Owners’ Federation to Chandigarh Branch, marking another milestone
prepare a memorandum for the Chief Minister. in its expansion.
The document outlined challenges related to
land acquisition, labor laws, financial access,
electrical power supply, and technical aid. These
concerns were distinct from broader industrial
challenges faced across the country.

With industrial disputes on the rise, the

Chamber recommended entrusting wage fixation
and standardization to expert committees
and wage boards. It also stressed the need to
strengthen conciliation mechanisms to ensure
On September 30, 1958, a Chamber balanced negotiations between employers and
delegation met Union Commerce and Industry workers.
Minister, Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri to highlight the
adverse effects of the Purchase Tax. Separately,

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Annual General Meeting, 1960 cooperation, and national solidarity. The To honor the legacy of Lala Shri Ram, the
Chamber also monitored essential commodity Chamber instituted the Shri Ram Memorial
prices in Delhi, publishing monthly comparative Lectures. The inaugural lecture, delivered on
reports. January 11, 1964, in New Delhi, featured Mr.
Ashoka Mehta, Deputy Chairman of the Planning
Annual General Meeting, 1962 Commission, speaking on “The Plan: Perspective
and Problems.”

Annual General Meetings, 1963 &

1964

The Chamber’s Annual General Meeting

(AGM) was held on May 13, 1960, at Ashoka Hotel,
New Delhi. The Finance Minister, Mr. Morarji Desai,
addressed the gathering, outlining government
efforts to streamline tax administration, simplify
tax laws, and stimulate industrial activity. Reorganization of the Chamber
Secretariat (1963)
Location of Industries in Delhi
In November 1963, a sub-committee
The Draft Master Plan for Delhi proposed recommended restructuring the Chamber
industrial zones 30 to 75 miles from the city, within Secretariat, including staff expansion, revisions
Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. However, in designations and salary grades, and the
as these states were reluctant to allocate land, abolition of sustaining membership in the
the Chamber advocated for a large industrial Labour Laws section.
area within Delhi itself to accommodate existing
industrial units.
Shri Ram Memorial Lectures
On May 6, 1963, Union Minister for Steel and
Annual General Meeting, 1961 Heavy Industries, Mr. C. Subramaniam, addressed
the Chamber’s AGM, engaging in discussions on
The 1961 AGM took place on April 21 at Hotel industrial incentives and tax burdens.
Imperial, New Delhi, with Punjab Chief Minister
Sardar Partap Singh Kairon as the Chief Guest. The Annual General Meeting was held on
March 16, 1964 at the Asoka Hotel, New Delhi.
The meeting was followed by lunch at which the
Responding to Chinese Aggression
Union Minister of Railways, Mr. SK Patil was the
(1962) Chief Guest.

Following Chinese aggression in October At an Extraordinary General Meeting on April

1962, the Chamber formed a sub-committee on 10, 1964, the Chamber was officially renamed
October 31 to support national efforts. A special from “Punjab & Delhi Chamber of Commerce”
members’ meeting on November 22, attended to “Punjab & Delhi Chamber of Commerce and
by Punjab Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon, Industry,” effective September 19, 1964.
resulted in a resolution pledging increased
production, price stabilization, civil defense

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120 Years of PHDCCI
64
120 Years of PHDCCI
National Emergency and the Indo- Amendments to the Chamber’s and Restrictive Trade Practices Act. The
Chamber actively engaged with the government,
Pak War (1965) Constitution (1968-69) submitting various policy recommendations.

Recognition for Issuing Certificates

of Origin
The Ministry of Foreign Trade recognized the
Chamber as an authorized issuer of Certificates of
Origin. In 1969, the UK Board of Trade confirmed
its acceptance of these certificates for Indian
handloom exports.

In response to the Indo-Pakistan conflict, 64th Annual General Meeting, 1969

the Chamber convened an emergency meeting
Held on June 2, 1969, the AGM featured
on September 7, 1965, to formulate measures. A
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Gurnam Singh as
resolution expressed unwavering support for the
the Chief Guest.
nation and urged businesses to maintain price
stability, maximize production, ensure smooth
distribution, foster industrial harmony, and Public Sector Enrollments and
participate in civil defense initiatives.
Punjab Industrialists’ Conference
(1970)
59th Annual General Meeting
The Chamber introduced significant
Mr. Y.B. Chavan was the Chief Guest at the constitutional amendments, including a new
59th Annual General Meeting. category of Association Membership, extended
eligibility to public and private enterprises
(registered or not), and removed distinctions
Devaluation of the Indian Rupee between Indian and non-Indian businesses.
(1966)
Office Relocation (1969)
On June 5, 1966, the government devalued
the rupee by 36.5% against gold, setting To accommodate its expanding operations,
exchange rates at ₹7.50 per US dollar and ₹21 per the Chamber relocated from Scindia House to
pound sterling. The Chamber expanded its membership to
a 1,400-square-foot office at Phelps Building,
include public sector undertakings, emphasizing
Connaught Place, where it remained until the
its role in industrial relations. On April 21, 1970, it
Punjab Reorganization and construction of PHD House in 1981.
organized the Punjab Industrialists’ Conference
Business Community’s Appeal in Chandigarh, inaugurated by Chief Minister
Economic Growth and Policy Shifts Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, with Industries
Amid protests over Punjab’s reorganization, (1969) Minister Mr. Balramji Das Tandon presiding.
the Chamber’s Punjab Affairs Advisory Sub-
Committee issued an appeal on March 15, Despite a 6% rise in industrial production 65th Annual General Meeting
1966, endorsed by 39 leading industrialists. The and export growth, 1969 saw paradoxical
statement urged communal harmony, economic developments such as bank nationalization, The 65th Annual General Meeting Held on
progress, and opposition to strikes and business increased economic controls, and the Monopolies May 27, 1970 was inaugurated by the Minister of
closures. Foreign Trade and Supply, Mr. BR Bhagat.

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66
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Meeting with Secretary,
Department of Banking and
Governor, RBI
A delegation of the Chamber led by the
Chairman Mr. Man Phool Chopra, met Secretary,
Department of Banking and Reserve Bank
Governor, Mr. A Baksi on December 15, 1971. The
Chamber also brought to the notice of the RBI
Governor the difficulties faced by industrial units
in the northern region as a result of the National
Emergency.

Directory of Members: Inaugural

Issue

Meetings with Secretaries of Meetings with Dr KL. Rao and Chief

Finance and Supplies Ministers of Punjab and Haryana
A PHD Chamber delegation met Mr. B D Pande,
Secretary, Ministry of Finance, on February 14
1972, and apprised him of the hardships faced by
the copper cable manufacturers on account of
the levy of 30 percent ad valorem duny: Mr Pande
advised the Chamber to take up the issue with
the Ministry of Supply. Consequently, a letter
was addressed to Mr. K Ram, Secretary, Ministry
of Supplies which was followed by a discussion
with him on 22 August, 1972.

During the year 1972, the Chamber published Meeting with Minister for Irrigation
for the first time, a Directory of Members, which
contained the list of members, their business and Power, Punjab
interests, information on industrial activity in
the region, organizational set-up of the Chamber A Chamber delegation called upon Mr
and Managing Committee for the year. Gurmail Singh, Minister for Irrigation and Power
on September 19, 1972 to apprise him of the A delegation of the Chamber met Dr K L
severity of power cuts. Rao, Union Minister of Agriculture and Power,
on October 13, 1972 to apprise him of the

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120 Years of PHDCCI
critical power supply position in the region and
the resultant adverse impact on the industry.
Subsequently, a delegation from the Chamber
held a joint meeting with Dr KL. Rao and the Chief
Ministers of Punjab and Haryana on October 18,
1972. The meeting apprised the Chief Ministers
of the grave situation created by the continuing
power shortage and power cuts. Dr Rao assured
that the import of diesel generators would be
treated with utmost expediency and also agreed
to allow captive generation of power.
Punjab Industrialists’ Conference Power Crisis in Haryana
Meeting with Lt Governor, Delhi The Chamber organized the Punjab Industries in Haryana faced a major power
Industrialists’ Conference at Amritsar on 16 crisis during 1974. The Chamber took up the
A meeting was arranged with Mr. Baleshwar February, 1973, which was inaugurated by the issue with the Central and State authorities. A
Prasad, Lt. Governor, Delhi on 21 December, Union Minister of Planning, Mr DP Dhar and note was also sent to the Prime Minister, wherein
1972. Important issues like the revision of Master presided over by Punjab Chief Minister, Giani the Chamber mentioned, among other things,
Plan, location of commercial offices in residential Zail Singh. More than 200 industrialists attended the need for early commissioning of Badarpur
areas, municipal licenses for factories and Dry the conference. The Chief minister announced and Faridabad Thermal stations.
Port figured at the meeting. various concessions for rapid industrialization of
the State. A delegation of the Chamber also met
Export Convention
Meeting with Minister of Industrial Mr Mohan Dharia, Minister of State for Planning,
in New Delhi on 17 January, 1973 to press for the
Development import of diesel generating sets. In response to
the Minister’s suggestion, an Inter-State Task
A delegation from the Chamber met Mr.
Force was set up to ensure planned development
C Subramaniam on 21 September, 1973. The
of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
Chamber took up issues relating to the grant of
Industrial Approvals and problems regarding
Industrial licensing policy. Subsequently,
a Chamber delegation met Mr. RV Raman,
Secretary, Ministry of Industrial Development,
on 21 September, 1973 and stressed the need for
allowing industry to have an automatic growth
of 3 to 5 per cent annually.

An Export Convention was successfully

Meeting with Minister of State for
organized by the Chamber in New Delhi in
Planning February, 1974 which was addressed by the
Commerce Minister, Mr. D P Chattopadhyay,
The Government of India had set apart Rs 100 the Heavy Industry Minister, Mr. T A Pai, and
crore for implementing schemes for employment the Minister for Industrial Development, Mr. C
of five lakh people. The Chamber representatives Subramaniam. Mr. A C George, Deputy Minister
discussed implementation of the scheme with of Commerce, gave the Valedictory Address at
Mr. Mohan Dharia, Minister of State for Planning, the meeting.
and officials in Delhi and Chandigarh on May 11,
1973 and May 31, 1973 respectively.

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120 Years of PHDCCI
 interests in the social field and attention was
given to the areas of small scale sectors, power,
industrial relations and industrial infrastructure.
Expert Committees constituted for various
subjects became the pillars of strength in
formulation at the policy making levels.

Industry and Finance

Conference on Power for Growth The Chamber convened the Punjab

Industrialists’ Conference at Amritsar on
February 24, 1976 which was addressed by Mr.
Hans Raj Sharma, the Punjab Finance Minister,
and Mr. S L. Kapur, Secretary, Industries, Punjab.

Export Sales Delegation to Middle

East countries
The delegation sponsored by the Chamber The Chamber set up a Working Group to
left for Middle East Countries on 2 April, 1976. review the industrial licensing policy in 1976
The delegation visited Muscat, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and recommended that large houses should
Baharin, Kuwait and Tehran. On return, the be allowed to produce more to generate
A Conference on Power for Growth was
delegation called on the Commerce Minister, internal competition and to bring down prices.
organized by the Chamber on 5-6 February, 1975,
Prof DP Chattopadhyaya, Mr. SG Bose Mulick, The Chamber also gave critical inputs to the
which was attended by senior officials of central
Secretary and Dr PC Alexander, Secretary, formulation of the Five Year Plans..
and state governments. The Conference was
inaugurated by Mr. KC Pant, Minister of Energy, Foreign Trade.
The Chamber provided a forum for regular
and addressed by Dr YS Parmar, Chief Minister
interaction with Union Finance Ministers. Some
of Himachal Pradesh and Mr. PN Haksar, Deputy Resumption of Trade Ties with of the Finance Ministers, who addressed the
Chairman of the Planning Commission.
Pakistan Chamber members included. Mr. John Mathai,
the first Finance Minister of Independent India,
Punjab Industrialists’ Conference at With effect from 15 July, 1976, all importers Mr. TT Krishnamachari, Mr. Pranab Mukerjee,
and exporters were allowed to trade with Mr. ND Tiwari, Mr. Yashwant Sinha and Mr. P
Amritsar
Pakistan, subject to the policy and regulations in Chidambaram.
force from time to time.
Interactions with Industry Ministers were an
integral part of the Chamber’s activities. To name
Emerging impulses for liberalized
a few, meeting with Mr. Sikander Bakht, Union
Economic Growth Minister of Works & Housing in Manch 1978, Dr
Charanjit Chanana, Minister of State for Industry
The Chamber advocated for liberalization in June 1980, Mr. N D Tiwari, Union Minister
of the restrictions for development of a vibrant of industry on May 1983, Ms. Maneka Gandhi,
industrial base in the country. The constitution Union Minister for State for Environment and
of the Chamber was amended pertaining to Forests in February 1991, Prof Y K. Alagh, Union
differentiation of the membership, i.e., Indian Minister of State for Planning and Programme
and foreign firms. The Chamber displayed greater Implementation and Mr. PA Sangma, Speaker,

69
120 Years of PHDCCI
 Small and Medium Enterprises IInternational Networking
(SMEs)
The Chamber was proactive in interfacing
with the authorities to evolve a dynamic export
The Chamber was proactively engaged
promotion policy. When the country was
in promotion of SMEs. Central to the growth
facing a foreign exchange crunch, the Chamber
of the SMEs was the availability of timely and
advocated import compression on a selective
adequate credit. The Chamber suggested to
basis and promotion of import substitution. The
the Government for the setting up of a separate
Chamber delegations met Mr. Jaswant Singh,
financial institution for SMEs. The setting up of
Union Minister for External Affairs on December
the Small Industry Development Bank of India
29, 2000 and Mr. Omar Abdullah, Union Minister
(SIDBI) in 1988 as a subsidiary of the Industrial
of State for Commerce & Industry on January,
Development Bank of India fulfilled a long-
16, 2001. A high-profile invest meet on Africa was
Lok Sabha in December 1997, Mr. K. C. Pant, pending demand of the Chamber.
organized in New Delhi in November 2000.
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission,in
November 2002, Mr. Omar Abdullah, Minster of At the Chamber’s meeting with Prime
A delegation from the Chamber visited
State for Commerce and Industry in July 2000, Minister, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, in May 1989, issues
Brazil, Mexico and state of Ohio from October
Mr. Arun Jaitley, Minister of Commerce & Industry discussed included the plight of foundries in
12-26, 2002. Another high powered Government-
in November, 2003, etc. the northern region due to continuing shortage
Business joint delegation led by Mr. Om Prakash
of pig iron. The general problems of the small
Chautala, Chief Minister, Haryana visited
and ancillary industries such as marketing
Singapore, Japan and South Korea from October
bottlenecks and financial glitches also figured at
7-18, 2000.
the meeting.
The Chamber has been hosting delegations
Energy Management Cell and sent delegations to countries like Australia,
Austria, Countries in Middle East like Saudi
Based on the experience gained by the Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait Egypt, Turkey, African
Chamber, the lead agency in northern India countries like Sudan, Libya and Ghana,
under the UNDP project, the Chamber set up Singapore, Malania, Thailand and South Korea.
the Energy Management Cell, which carries out Meetings with representatives of multilateral
energy audit and advises the corporates on how organizations like IFC, UNIDO, World Bank, etc.
to achieve energy efficiencies. were regular features of the Chamber.
Other important dignitaries, who had
addressed the Chamber over the years included The Chamber held fruitful and regular
Mr. Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister interactions with Railway Board, General
Taxation
on Technology Missions, in September 1989 Manager, Northern Railway, National Highway
and Dr Nilay Chaudhery, Central Board for the An important aspect of the Chamber’s
Authority, Chairman, Kandla Port, Chairman
Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, in functioning is sending a well-drafted
of Indian Airlines, Director General of Tourism,
August 1984. memorandum on tax realted issues it submits
Chairman of Telecom Commission, etc.
every year to the Ministry of Finance before

70
120 Years of PHDCCI
the annual Union Budget as Pre-Budget
Memorandum, and after the Budget as the Post-
Budget Memorandum. The Chamber catalogues
the needs of the industry and remedial measures

Women Empowerment
The Chamber undertook a number of
programmes for empowering women and
developing entrepreneurship skills among them.
The Chamber, in collaboration with Population
Foundation of India, organized three State-level
Advocacy Workshops on Female Infanticides in
Delhi, Chandigarh and Parwanoo in 2004.

Infrastructure
The Chamber took up various issues relating
to infrastructure sectors from time to time. The
Chamber delegation suggested a 10 per cent
increase in power generation from Bhakra Dam
to meet the critical situation.

The Chamber hosted a number of meetings

inviting Tourism Ministers, Secretaries and other
senior officials. These included meetings with
Ms. Sukhbans Kaur, Minister of State for Tourism
in January 1995; Chief Minister of Himachal
Pradesh, Mr. Virbhadra Singh in August 1994;
Mr MP Bezbaruh, Secretary, Department of
Tourism in March 1997; Mr. Jagmohan, Union
Minister of Tourism in July 2003; Ms. Vinay Rathi
Jha, Secretary, Union Ministry of Tourism; Mr VK
Duggal, Director General, Tourism in February
2002; and Mr. K Roy Paul, Secretary, Ministry of
Civil Aviation.

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120 Years of PHDCCI
72
120 Years of PHDCCI
JOURNEY
FROM 2005

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120 Years of PHDCCI
74
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. K N Memani; Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Hon’ble President of India; Dr Raghupati Singhania; Mr. M L Nandrajog

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120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Raghupati Singhania; Dr Sushma Berlia; Dr Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India; Mr. K N Memani

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120 Years of PHDCCI
Sitting: L-R: Mr. Ravi Wig; Mr. S P Virmani; Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab; Mr. I P Anand; Dr Ashok Khanna; Dr Manmohan Singh,
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India; Dr Sushma Berlia; Gen S F Rodrigues (Retd.) Governor, Punjab & Administtator UT Chandigarh; Smt. Sheila Dikshit,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi; Mr. Virbhadra Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh; Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hon’ble Chief Minister
of J & K

Standing: L-R: Mr. Mohit Jain; Mr. P K Jain; Mr. Amarjit Goyal; Mr. R V Kanoria; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Ashwani Kumar, MoS for Industry; Mr. Arun Kapur;
Capt. S Vasudeva; Mr. Vijay Mehta; Mr. Gokul Patnaik; Mr. R K Saboo; Mr. Devinder Singh; Dr Raghupati Sighania; Dr R K Somany; Dr K N Memani; Mr.
Ram Sahai; Mr. Satish Girotra; Mr Dhian Chand

77
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Kamal Nath, Hon’ble Minister for Commerce and Industry; Dr Sushma Berlia

78
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs; Dr L K Malhotra; Dr Sushma Berlia; Mr. Ashok Kajaria

79
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Krishan Kalra; Mr. K N Memani; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission; Dr L K Malhotra;
Mr. Satish Bagrodia

80
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Satish Bagrodia; Mr. K N Memani; Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs; Dr L K Malhotra; Mr. Ashok Kajaria

81
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister for Finance; Mr. Salil Bhandari; Mr. Sandip Somany

82
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Mr. Sandip Somany; Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister for Finance; Mr. Salil Bhandari

83
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Ajay Maken, Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Poverty Alleviation; Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Mr. Alok B. Shriram; Dr Ranjeet Mehta

84
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Mr. Salman Khurshid, Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs; Mr. Saurabh Sanyal

85
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Smt. Sheila Dikshit, CM, Govt. of NCT of Delhi; Mr. Rajnish Goenka; Dr Mahesh Gupta

86
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Dr Farooq Abdullah, Hon’ble Minister of New and Renewable Energy; Mr. Saurabh Sanyal

87
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sandip Somany; Ms. Meira Kumar, Speaker of Lok Sabha; Mr. Salil Bhandari; Ms. Leela Bordia; Mr. R K Saboo

88
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Vijay Bahuguna, CM, Uttarakhand; Mr. Raman Singh, CM, Chhattisgarh; Mr. Sandip Somany; Mr. Pranab Mukherjee,
Hon’ble President of India; Prof. P K Dhumal, CM, HP; Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi, Dy. CM, Bihar; Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan

89
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping; Mr. Alok B. Shriram

90
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Ms. Susmita Shekhar; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Nitish Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Bihar; Ms. Renu Kumari Kushwaha, Hon’ble Minister of
Industry and Disaster Management, Bihar

91
120 Years of PHDCCI
Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India; Mr Alok B. Shriram & Industry Leaders

92
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Alok B. Shriram; Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Haryana; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka; Mr. P K Jain & Industry Leaders

93
120 Years of PHDCCI
Mr. Barack Obama, US President & Mr. Alok B. Shriram

94
120 Years of PHDCCI
Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India with Industry Leaders

95
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R : Mr. Jayant Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance; Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka

96
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R : Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister for Communications & IT and Law & Justice; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka; Mr. Anil Khaitan

97
120 Years of PHDCCI
L – R : Dr Mahesh Gupta; Dr Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Former Prime Minister of India; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka

98
120 Years of PHDCCI
Managing Committee Members with Dr Manmohan Singh, Former Prime Minister of India

99
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Jayant Sinha, MoS for Civil Aviation; Mr. Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. M. Venkaiah
Naidu, Hon’ble Vice President of India; Mr. Anil Khaitan; Dr D K Aggarwal

100
120 Years of PHDCCI
L – R : Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Anil Khaitan; Mr. Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Finance Minister; Dr D K Aggarwal

101
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Anil Khaitan; Mr. Rahul Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka; Mr. Rajeev Talwar

102
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Anil Khaitan; Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka; Mr. Rajeev Talwar

103
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Gen. Mr. V K Singh, MoS, Road Transport and Highways; Mr. Anil Khaitan

104
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Anil Khaitan; Dr Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry; Mr. Rajeev Talwar

105
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Rajan Sehgal: Mr. K N Rao; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs;
Mr. Deepak Pahwa

106
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister for Jal Shakti; Dr D K Aggarwal

107
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Anurag Thakur, MoS for Finance and Corporate Affairs

108
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Shakti Kanta Das, Governor of RBI; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Rajeev Talwar

109
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Manoj Tiwari, Member of Parliament; Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs; Mr. Rajeev
Talwar; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal

110
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Dr D K Aggarwal; Dr Mahesh Gupta; Dr Raghupati Singhania; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Sandip Somany; Mr. Ashok Kajaria;
Mr. Binay Kumar

111
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal

112
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Kiren Rijiju, MoS of Home Affairs; Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal

113
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saurabh Sanyal; Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble President of India; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria;
Mr. Alok B. Shriram

114
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, Hon’ble President of India; Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Gopal
Jiwarajka; Dr Pradeep Multani

115
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Ram Madhav, National General Secretary, BJP; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal

116
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Mr. Lalji Tandon, Governor of Madhya Pradesh; Dr D K Aggarwal; Dr Mahesh Gupta

117
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Rajeev Talwar; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Ajay Bhatt, MoS for Defence & Tourism; Dr Pradeep Multani

118
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Gen. Mr. V K Singh, MoS, Road Transport and Highways; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Ashish Mohan Wig

119
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste, MoS for Steel and Rural Development; Mr. Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of
Tourism; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Saket Dalmia

120
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. D. V. Sadananda Gowda, MoS for Chemicals and Fertilizers; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Saurabh Sanyal

121
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways; General Manoj Mukund Naravene,
Chief of Army Staff; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Saurabh Sanyal

122
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Smt. Smriti Irani, Hon’ble Minister for Women and Child Development; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Dr Pradeep Multani

123
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

124
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

125
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Kaushal Kishore, MoS for Housing and Urban Affairs; Mr. Rakesh Gupta

126
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal; Dr Pradeep Multani; Ms. Hema Malini, Member of Parliament; Mr. Kaushal Kishore, MoS for Housing and Urban Affairs;
Mr. Rakesh Gupta

127
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Minister of State for MSMEs; Dr Pradeep Multani

128
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Ashish Mohan Wig; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Som Prakash, MoS for Commerce & Industry; Mr. Ravinder Sethi

129
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. B K Sabharwal; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. G Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism & Culture; Mr. Chandra Kumar Bose, Grand Nephew of
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose; Mr. Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council

130
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ravi P. Singh, SG, QCI; Dr Pradeep Multani; General Dr V.K. Singh, MoS for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation; Mr. Sudhir Hoshing;
Mr. Himanshu Agarwal

131
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Dr D K Aggarwal; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Rameshwar Teli, MoS for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour & Employment;
Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

132
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Dr Pradeep Multani; Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MoS for External Affairs

133
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Smt. Droupadi Murmu, Hon’ble President of India; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka

134
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister for Home Affairs & Cooperation; Mr. Saket Dalmia

135
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of NCT of Delhi; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

136
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Defence; Mr. Hemant Jain

137
120 Years of PHDCCI
Lower Row - L-R: Mr. Karan Singh Mehta; Dr Ashok Khanna; Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs &
Cooperation; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Dr Raghupati Singhania; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka

Upper Row - L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal; Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Sandip
Somany; Mr. Alok B. Shriram; Mr. Anil Khaitan

138
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

139
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister for Ayush, Ports, Shipping & Waterways; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

140
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

141
120 Years of PHDCCI
Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs; Mr. Hemant Jain

142
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Anil Khaitan; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia; Mr. Ashok Kajaria; Dr Ashok Khanna; Mr. Sharad Jaipuria; Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan; Mr.
Rajeev Talwar; Dr Pradeep Multani; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. P K Jain; Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs; Mr.
Hemant Jain; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka; Mr. Karan Singh Mehta

143
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa

144
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr D K Aggarwal; Mr. Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Dr Mahesh Gupta; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal

145
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Hon’ble Minister for Communications & Development of North Eastern Region;
Mr. Hemant Jain

146
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Dr Ranjeet Mehta

147
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways; Mr. Hemant Jain

148
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Jagdeep Dhankar, Hon’ble Vice President of India; Mr. Hemant Jain

149
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice; Mr. Hemant Jain

150
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation; Mr. Hemant Jain

151
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Rajeev Juneja

152
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Sujeet Kumar; Mr. Abhishek Khaitan; Mr. Rajeev Juneja; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Saket Dalmia

153
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Rajeev Juneja; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice

154
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; President, PHDCCI; Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar, Hon’ble Vice President of India

155
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs; Mr. Hemant Jain

156
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs; Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Saket Dalmia

157
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr. R G Agarwal; Mr Bhagirath Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare; Mr Hemant Jain; Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, Niti Aayog

158
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Anil Gupta; Mr. Hemant Jain; Yogi Adityanath, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; Mr. Saket Dalmia; Dr Ranjeet Mehta

159
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Pankaj Chaudhary, MoS Finance; Mr. Hemant Jain

160
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Hon’ble Minister of Environment; Forest and Climate Change; Mr. Hemant Jain; Dr Ranjeet Mehta

161
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Aman Sarin; Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, Hon’ble Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Power; Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Salil
Gupta

162
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Dr Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology; Mr. Hemant Jain

163
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal

164
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Dr Ranjeet Mehta; Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Culture & Tourism; Mr. Hemant Jain

165
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Saket Dalmia; Mr. Hemant Jain; Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal; Mr. Rajiv Juneja; Dr Ranjeet Mehta

166
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Anil Gupta; Mr. Hemant Jain; Ms. Ritu Sain, Investment Commissioner, Govt. of Chhattisgarh

167
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Sanjeev Gupta; Mr. Anil Gupta; Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik, MoS, Power & New & Renewable Energy; Mr. Salil Gupta

168
120 Years of PHDCCI
L-R: Mr. Vishal Dhingra; Mr. Anil Gupta; Amb. Hiramatsu, Former Ambassador of Japan to India

169
120 Years of PHDCCI
170
120 Years of PHDCCI
 CSR WINGS OF PHDCCI
PHD RURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
ELEVATING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND DRIVING MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN
LIVING STANDARDS IS A CORNERSTONE OF PHD RDF

P
HD Rural Development Foundation (PHDRDF) was formed
under the aegis of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and
Industry in 1981. For over four decades now, PHDRDF has
been proactively involved in the development of the less privileged
communities by implementing projects that contribute to their
economic and social upliftment. By planning, organizing and
implementing various integrated rural development programmes,
the Foundation has made significant contribution in creating
awareness on various need-based issues focusing on the ones
pertaining to female interests. It has primarily concentrated on
developing the skills of the rural people to use their local resources
so that they can take up self-employment. The Foundation also
enables the rural people to have a positive attitude in the decision-
making process regarding development activities in their villages.
The Foundation has also been actively working to empower
communities in the field of water conservation, health, education,
skill development, waste management, renewable energy through
the Integrated Village Development Approach.

PHD FAMILY WELFARE FOUNDATION

DRIVING MEASURABLE ADVANCEMENTS IN FAMILY WELFARE AND SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS A CORE PILLAR OF PHD FWF

T
he PHD Family Welfare Foundation (PHDFWF) was promoted
by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the year
1986 as a Charitable Trust under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.
It is also registered under 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and
FCRA. PHDFWF for the last thirty-nine years has been actively
implementing different community development projects in the
field of health and family welfare, skill development training
programmes, education, mobile medical care, primary health
centre, sanitation facilities for girls in village schools, prevention
of STD/HIV/AIDS, free eye & dental care, support & care for people
living with disabilities, digital media training, self defence training,
free English speaking classes etc. All the projects under PHDFWF
benefit lakhs of people.

171
120 Years of PHDCCI
 Secretaries of the Chamber
Year Name

December 1905-1906 : Mr Arthur A Legat (Hony. Secretary)

1906 : Mr Norman S Little (Hony. Secretary)
1907 – 1910 : Mr James Prentice
1910 : Mr Norman S Little (Hony. Secretary)
1911 – 1913 : Mr A C Bains
February 1913 : Mr W Alves (Acting Secretary)
March 1913 – May 1919 : Mr J Renton Denning
June 1919 – September 1921 : Mr P Mukerjee (Hony. Secretary)
October 1921 – September 1925 : Mr E S Hearn
October 1925 – February 1926 : Mr A E Larken
March 1926 : Mr A L Hudson (Acting Secretary)
April 1926 – April 1927 : Mr A W Walker
May 1927 – February 1950 : M/s A F Ferguson & Co.
March 1950 – June 1957 : Mr S D Dhir
March 1957 – June 1957 : Mr K K Khullar (Acting Secretary)
July 1957 – March 1960 : Mr Sangat Singh
March 1960 – 16 May 1967 : Mr Santosh Nath
May 1967 – December 1980 : Mr M L Nandrajog
January 1981 – May 1986 : Mr S Ganpathi
June 1986 – October 1995 : Mr H S Tandon
November 1995 - August 2010 : Mr S Kapur

172
120 Years of PHDCCI
 Secretary Generals

Mr. M L Nandrajog Mr. H S Tandon Dr. B P Dhaka

1975 - 1993 1993 - 2001 2001 - 2005

Prof. Bibek Debroy Mr. Krishna Kalra Ms. Susmita Shekhar

2006 2007 - 2010 2012 - 2013

Mr. Saurabh Sanyal Dr. Mahesh Y Reddy Dr. Ranjeet Mehta

2013 - 2018, 2020 - 2023 2018 - 2019 2024 - Continuing

173
120 Years of PHDCCI
 PHDCCI OFFICES
Head Office
PHD House, 4/2 Siri Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi - 110016
Tel: 91-11-26863801-04, 49545454; E-mail: sg@phdcci.in; Website: www.phdcci.in

ANDHRA PRADESH HIMACHAL PRADESH PUNJAB

K.S. Vyas Traffic Control Complex, B-85, Ground Floor, Near MBD House, TMA Complex 2nd Floor, 80, Court Road,
2nd floor, Opp. IGM Stadium, Sector-1, Phase-1, New Shimla - 171009 Amritsar (Punjab)-143001
MG Road, Vijayawada – 520010 Telefax: 91-177-2807855 Telephone : 0172-5001900, 5006900
E-mail: phdap@phdcci.in E-mail: phdshimla@phdcci.in E-mail: rdchd@phdcci.in

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR JAMMU CICU Complex, E-648/A,

Guru Nanak Market, Aberdeen Bazaar, Ground Floor, Maa Vaishno Devi, Near BSNL Exchange,
Port Blair 744101 Gas Premises, Main Chowk, Channi, Phase-5, Focal Point, Ludhiana - 141010
E-mail: phdan@phdcci.in Himmat, Jammu - 180 015 Telephone : 0172-5001900, 5006900
Email: phdjammu@phdcci.in E-mail: rdchd@phdcci.in
BIHAR
SAI KRIPA, House No.22C, Kidwaipuri, JHARKHAND RAJASTHAN
PS Buddha Colony, Patna - 800 001 Building Number 174, 1st Floor, Tara Niketan, PHD House, Plot No.: G – 68
Phone: 91-612-2260265 Behind Sushila Niketan, CO Mansarovar Industrial Area,
E-mail: phdpatna@phdcci.in Radium Road, Ranchi - 834 001 Near Galaxy Multiplex, Jaipur - 302 020
Phone: 91-651-2245356 Phone: 0141-2398825
CHANDIGARH Email: phdranchi@phdcci.in E-mail: phdjaipur@phdcci.in
PHD House, Sector -31A , Chandigarh -160031
Phone: 91-172-5001900, 5006900 KASHMIR TAMIL NADU
E-mail: rdchd@phdcci.in 245, C-63, Rajbagh Extension, Refex Building, 67 Buzullah Road,
Srinagar - 190008 Parthasarathy Puram, T Nagar, Chennai - 600017
CHHATTISGARH Email: phdsrinagar@phdcci.in Phone: 044-4340 5900/950
Udyog Bhawan, Room No.23, IIIrd Floor, Email: phdtn@phdcci.in
Ring Road No.1, Telibandha, MADHYA PRADESH
Raipur - 492006 22, Vaishali Nagar, Near Kamla Nagar, TELANGANA
Phone: 0771-2960720 Police Station Kotra, Bhopal – 462 003 105, Surya Towers, First Floor,
E-mail : phdraipur@phdcci.in Phone: 91-755-2670247 Sardar Patel Road, Secundrabad - 500003
E-mail : phdbhopal@phdcci.in Email: phdtg@phdcci.in
DELHI OFFICE BRANCH - City Centre
Suite No. 23, 2nd Floor, Indra Palace, MAHARASHTRA UTTAR PRADESH
H Block Middle Circle, Connaught Place, 1307-08, 13th Floor, Parinee Cresenzo Opp. MCA Club, PHD House, Plot-B, Phase-II, Vibhuti Khand,
New Delhi - 110001 Avenue 3G Block, BKC, Bandra East, Near Apna Bazar, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow - 226 010
Phone: 91-11-23321858, 49323868 Mumbai – 400051 Phone: 91-522-2728940
E-mail: phdcci@phdcci.in Phone: 91-22-61496622 E-mail: phdlucknow@phdcci.in
E-mail: phdmh@phdcci.in
GUJARAT UTTARAKHAND
B - 403, GCP Business Centr, Opp. Memnagar Fire NORTH EAST REGION (NER) Shiva Palace, 2nd Floor, 18 & 19,
Station, Vijay Cross Road, (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, 57/19 Rajpur Road, Dehradun - 248 001
Ahmedabad - 380014 Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) Phone: 91-135-2754446;
Email: phdgujarat@phdcci.in 101, IIE Block, Rajdhani Apartment, E-mail: phduk@phdcci.in
R.G. Baruah Road, Ganeshguri, Guwahati - 781 006
HARYANA Phone: +91-361-2303136 WEST BENGAL
PHD House, Sector -31A , E-mail: nerguwahati@phdcci.in 1st floor, 6/A, Regent Kusum, Dover Road,
Chandigarh -160031 Ballygunge, Kolkata - 700 019
Phone: 91-172-5001900, 5006900 Email : phdwb@phdcci.in
E-mail: rdchd@phdcci.in

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