Meet Indian-American Chandrika Tandon who won Grammy, IIM graduate, philanthropist, ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is her...

Chandrika Tandon, an Indian-American vocalist and entrepreneur, won a Grammy Award for her album Triveni in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category.

The 67th edition of the prestigious Grammy Awards, organized by the Recording Academy, took place on Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Chandrika Tandon, a global business leader and the older sister of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, won the Grammy Award along with her collaborators, South African flautist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto.

"It feels amazing," said Chandrika Tandon, the musician who grew up in Chennai, during a backstage interview with the Recording Academy after winning the Grammy.

Who is ChandrikaTandon? 

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon (born 1954) is an Indian-American businesswoman, philanthropist, and two-time Grammy-nominated musician. She became the first Indian-American woman partner at McKinsey & Company and, in 2015, donated $100 million to the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, marking the largest donation by an Indian American in the U.S.

Tandon is also a trained vocalist in Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western music. She released her debut album Soul Call in 2009, earning a Grammy nomination, and in 2024, her album Triveni earned a nomination for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album. She’s performed at prestigious venues globally.

Early life

Chandrika Tandon was born into a conservative Tamil Brahmin family in Chennai, alongside her sister, Indra Nooyi, and brother. Her mother, a musician, and her father, a state banker, shaped her upbringing. Initially expected to marry at eighteen, Tandon, influenced by her grandfather, pursued higher education at Madras Christian College. Despite her mother's objections, she went on a hunger strike, eventually convincing her to let her enroll. After completing her education, Tandon initially planned to attend law school, but a professor encouraged her to pursue business, leading her to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, where she was one of eight women accepted.

Work life:

Chandrika Tandon graduated from IIM Ahmedabad in 1975 and worked as an executive for Citibank in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. At twenty-four, she was offered a position at McKinsey & Company in New York City, where she became the first Indian-American partner. In 1992, she founded Tandon Capital Associates and advised major clients such as Chase Manhattan Corporation, Comerica, Unibanco (Brazil), Suncorp-Metway Ltd. (Australia), Fleet Financial Group, Bank of America, Rabobank, and ABN Amro.

Philanthropy

In 2004, Chandrika Tandon founded the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation, supporting community building, arts, and spirituality. She donated $100 million to NYU's Polytechnic School of Engineering, now named NYU Tandon School of Engineering. The foundation has also contributed to organizations like the American India Foundation, Yale University, and Berklee College of Music.