Shobhana Bhartia
Shobhana Bhartia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bhartia at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in 2013 | |
| Born | 4 January 1957 Calcutta, West Bengal, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Business magnate |
| Term | 2006–2012 |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Shyam Sunder Bhartia |
| Parent |
|
| Awards | Padma Shri |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 16 February 2006 – 15 February 2012 | |
| Constituency | Nominated |
Shobhana Bhartia (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian businesswoman. She is the chairperson and editorial director of the HT Media, one of India's largest newspapers and media houses, which she inherited from her father. She has also recently taken charge as the Chancellor BITS School of Management and Pro-Chancellor of BITS-Pilani (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani) which was founded by her grandfather G. D. Birla and is the current chairperson of Endeavor India. Closely associated with the Congress party, Shobhana served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament from 2006 to 2012. In 2016, she was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the World by Forbes. She is married to Shyam Sunder Bhartia, owner of Noida based Jubilant Bhartia Group.
Background
Born in a Marwari family on 4 January 1957, and also looks after lifestyle businesses such as the Domino's Pizza franchise and also convenience store chain Monday to Sunday in Bangalore. In 2013, Shamit Bhartia married Nayantara Kothari, daughter of Bhadrashyam Kothari, a Chennai-based industrialist and Nina, daughter of Dhirubhai Ambani.
Media career
Bhartia joined Hindustan Times in 1986, as a 29 year old and directly as Chief Executive. She was the first woman chief executive of a national newspaper and probably one of the youngest. She is considered to be one of the motive forces behind the transformation of the Hindustan Times "into a bright, young paper." She looks after editorial as well as financial aspects, and is credited with raising ₹400 crore through a public equity launch of HT Media in September 2005.
She has received the Global Leader of Tomorrow award from the World Economic Forum (1996). She is also the recipient of the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year, 2001, by PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and National Press India Award, 1992. She has also won the Business Woman award, The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence awards 2007. She was named one of Forbes Asia's 50 Women in the Mix. She has received the Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Award 2013 from the ASSOCHAM Ladies League in recognition for her Excellence in Nation Building through Media & Leadership.
Political career
Shobhana was one of the first Padma Shri award nominees in 2005. She introduced "The Child Marriage (Abolition) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2006". Among her close friends included BJP politician Arun Jaitley.
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