Mr. Saroj Kumar Poddar

 

 Chairman

 

Mr. S. K. Poddar, Chairman, a gold medalist in B. Com (Hons) from Calcutta University, is the Chairman of Adventz group. Under Mr. Poddar, the group has promoted various projects including joint ventures with leading international corporations. The most notable of these ventures are Gillette India Ltd. (joint venture with the Gillette Company of U.S.A.) and Hettich India Private Limited (a joint venture with the Hettich Group of Germany). Mr. Poddar is the Chairman of these Joint Ventures.

Besides above, Mr. Poddar is the Chairman of Zuari Industries Ltd., Chambal Infrastructure Ventures Ltd., Simon India Ltd., Texmaco Ltd., Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd., Zuari Cement Ltd. (a Unit of Ciments Francais), Adventz Investments and Holdings Ltd. and Lionel India Ltd. He is also on the Advisory Board of one of the most reputed investment brokers - M/s. N M Rothschild & Sons (India) Private Ltd.

A recipient of Rashtriya Samman from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Mr. Poddar is involved with art, culture and sports. A keen collector of contemporary Indian Art, Mr. Poddar promotes young cricketers to go abroad for training and practice. He is currently involved in setting up of a museum in Delhi with the theme 'India through the ages.' The museum will be named as 'K.K. Birla Academy' after former Chairman of the Company - late Dr. K.K. Birla. The academy will be fully funded by the family and is to be commissioned in next three years.

Having served as President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and International Chamber of Commerce in India, the Government of India has appointed Mr. Poddar on Board of Trade – the highest body on trade and also a member of the Court, on the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is the Chairman of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Business Council and a member of the Indo- French CEO Forum. Mr. Poddar has also served for a decade as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and local Board of the Reserve Bank of India.