18 Facts About Chandrika Tandon

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon is an Indian-American businesswoman, philanthropist, and a Grammy-winning musical artist.

Chandrika Tandon is primarily known for her business ventures as the first Indian-American woman to be elected partner at McKinsey and Company.

Chandrika Tandon is on the Board of Governors for the New York Academy of Sciences.

Chandrika Tandon is a composer and vocalist, trained by masters in Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western traditions.

Chandrika Tandon released her first studio album, Soul Call, in 2009 which received a Grammy nomination for contemporary world music in 2011.

Chandrika Tandon has conducted numerous benefit concerts on world stages including the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, Olympiastadion, Lobkowicz Palace, and in the National Mall for the World Culture Festival.

Chandrika Tandon was born into a conservative Tamil Brahmin family in Chennai alongside her sister, Indra Nooyi, and brother.

Chandrika Tandon's mother was a musician while her father was a state banker.

When her mother initially refused to let her attend, Chandrika Tandon went on a hunger strike for almost two days before her mother was convinced by the headmistress of Chandrika Tandon's convent school, Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, to let her enroll.

Amongst thousands of applicants, Chandrika Tandon was accepted into IIM Ahmedabad as one of eight women in her class.

In 2004, Chandrika Tandon started the Krishnamurthy Chandrika Tandon Foundation, a private foundation located in New York City that partners with organizations in the fields of community building, arts and spirituality.

Chandrika Tandon made several contributions to her alma mater, Madras Christian College and founded the Boyd-Tandon School of Business of which she is the advisory council chairman.

Since 2009, the Krishnamurthy Chandrika Tandon Foundation has donated to several organizations including: the American India Foundation, Art of Living Foundation, World Music Institute, Lincoln Center, Teach for America, Yale University, Berklee College of Music, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and New York University.

Chandrika Tandon followed up her nomination with her second studio album: Soul March in 2013, which was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's peaceful Salt March in 1930.

In 2014, Chandrika Tandon released her third studio album: Soul Mantra, featuring the chant Om Namah Shivaya in nine ragas.

Three years later in 2017, Chandrika Tandon released her fourth studio album: Shivoham - The Quest which merged Sanskrit prayer with verses in English.

In 2023, Chandrika Tandon released her fifth studio album titled: Ammu's Treasures, a three-volume collection of songs inspired by her grandchildren in different genres and languages.

In 2025, Chandrika Tandon released her sixth and latest studio album titled Triveni, a collaboration between South African flutist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese-American cellist Eru Matsumoto.