Rekhi family
The Rekhi Family is an Indian business and corporate family based in New Delhi. Devotees of Lord Krishna, the Hindu family traces back to Indian Royalty during and before the British Raj.
Born in 1878, Shri Uttam Chand Rekhi (U.C. Rekhi) was a 4th generation businessman and the foundation of the family's fortune. He graduated in 1898, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree bestowed upon him by the Lt. Governor of Punjab. He ventured into the Dairy Industry and in 1939 expanded into Commercial Food Service, with his first contract being that of the Uniack Club. In 1940, U.C. Rekhi acquired the Changla View Hotel, further diversifying in the Hospitality Industry. U.C. Rekhi and his wife, Shrimati Chano Devi, gave birth to 5 daughters and 3 sons, with their third son, Trilok Chand marrying into the famous Diwan family, forming the Rekhi-Nanda family.
Rekhi-Nanda Family
Trilok Chand Rekhi & Kushal Diwan Nanda
Born in 1914, Shri Trilok Chand Rekhi (T.C. Rekhi) was the fifth child and third son of U.C. Rekhi. In February 1944, T.C. Rekhi married Fire movie actress and daughter of Punjab origin industrialist Diwan Brij Lal Nanda, Kushal Diwan Nanda, forming the Rekhi-Nanda family.
The Nanda family’s fortune lies in a deal between the British and , where the Maharaja had to pay 30 million after being crowded the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. The Nandas, then Sahais, helped the Maharaja pay the entire debt and in exchange were conferred upon the ‘Diwan’ title and for generations became the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1942, the Nandas expanded into Catechu business in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh which resulted in them having a strong business empire to fall back on after Partition.
After graduating from the Hindu College, Delhi in 1935, T.C. Rekhi joined his father in the hospitality business, particularly managing the catering of more than 4,000 army and air force officials. With his keen eye to further diversify, T.C. Rekhi started a trading company Mercantile Engineering Co. based in Madras, which focused on importing and selling water pumps. He also ventured into the aerated beverages market with his company Rekhi Obra & Co. In 1941, he took over Munshi Lal Building in one of India’s primary financial hubs, Connaught Place to open the Central Court Hotel. Later, Rekhi also opened three restaurants in the building: Safari, Kohinoor, Shangrila. Located in Lutyens' Delhi, Connaught Place today is among the top ten most expensive office locations in the world, and the Rekhis own one of the largest buildings there.
T.C. Rekhi and Kushal Rekhi furthered the hospitality business by purchasing the West View Hotel, Ranikhet in 1957, the Swiss Hotel, Nainital and its confectionery, Sakley’s Swiss Confectionery in 1958, and opened a new restaurant in Nainital by the name of Kumaon Farm Products. They also diversified into to the real estate sector. The Rekhi-Nanda Family legacy lives on with T.C. & Kushal Rekhi’s five children.
Chanda Rekhi & Raman Bhasin
Chanda Rekhi is the Rekhi-Nanda family's elder daughter. She married Raman Bhasin, a prominent figure in the Indian Real Estate Industry. Bhasin is also a close cousin of the Nanda-Kapoor-Bachchan Family.
Sunit Rekhi & Manju Gambhir Rekhi
The eldest child of the Rekhi-Nanda Family, Sunit Rekhi, was born in 1944 and is a graduate from Austrian Hotel School, Hotel Fachschule Klessheim, Salzburg. Sunit joined the family business in 1967. In 1974, Sunit expanded the business to America opening the first Indian restaurant in Sarasota, Florida with the help of Mr. S.S Sarna. During his time in America, Sunit was a regular in the elite social and political circles of America.
In 1969, Sunit married Manju Gambhir, daughter of real estate tycoon and founder of the prestigious Laxi Commercial Bank, later merged with Canara Bank, S.S Gambhir. Manju is involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors and runs a school for the underprivileged in Delhi.
Shamia Rekhi
Shamia Rekhi is the elder daughter of Sunit and Manju Rekhi. She is married to Delhi based businessman Atul Kumar. Their manufacturing and trading business supplies a vast range of products for the Hospitality Industry. They also have vast interests in the Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Industry and own the Stone Wood Resorts Group and Amani Group. Large players in Goa, they own the Antares Beach Resort, La Gulls by Amani, Amani Vagator, Nagoa Grande, The Living Room, The River Palace Owl nightclub, amongst others. They also own India's first floating bar and lounge, Watermark, as well as have stakes in nightclubs across India, including Toy Room and B.E.D.
Sameer & Ambira Nagpal Rekhi
A graduate from the renowned Fontainebleau, Paris based business school, INSEAD, Sameer is Sunit and Manju Rekhi's son. He also has a joint MBA degree from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; and The Fletcher School, Tufts University. Sameer has a remarkable record in driving large scale transformation for Fortune 50 companies like General Electric and MetLife. Sameer is part of the Board of Directors and Management Team that globally developed Metlife's Global Operations Support Center and set up the Metlife Captive Center of which he currently is the Global Head. He also serves as the Vice President of MetLife Inc. and is a regular at Leadership Forums like NASSCOM. He is married to Ambira "Amber" Nagpal, daughter of polystyrene baron Niren Mohan Nagpal and Deepika Nagpal, a key player in the United Nations Women Association presence in India. Ambira has a keen interest in arts, culture, theatre, and traveling. She does charity work with a number of organizations including Khushii and is a member of , India's largest, oldest and the apex business organization. She is a regular at Delhi's high society and Page 3 gatherings.
Sameer and Ambira have one son, Vivhan Rekhi. Taking on the family genes, Vivhan has developed social entrepreneurship ventures, under his organization Rescuing Wisdom, and has received numerous international awards for them including the Pramerica Spirit of Community Award and the Diana Award, given in the memory of late Princess Diana, started by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Other patrons of the award include Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell. Vivhan was also named one of India's Top 10 Changemakers by The Better India and was nominated for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, highest civilian honor in India for people below 18. Currently, he is a Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.
Diwan Arun Nanda
Diwan Arun Nanda is an Indian tech mogul and advertising wizard. He is the Founder of Rediffusion. Arun Nanda also serves on the Board of Clariant Chemicals, Yes Bank, Wunderman, Young & Rubicam, and Oriental Hotels, holding company for the Taj Hotels.<
Mandakini (Mandy) Puri
Mandy is one of Wall Street's most influential executives. A graduate from Wharton School of Business, Mandy was the Chief Investment Officer and Co-Founder of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity. She then went on to become the Managing Director and form the leadership team of BlackRock Global Private Equity, the world's largest asset manager. Currently, Mandy is an independent advisor and investor. She serves on the Board of various publicly listed organizations on the New York Stock Exchange, including Vornado Realty Trust, Validus Holdings, and Alexander's Inc. Mandy has also taken an active role in Wharton, promoting Women in Business. She is on the Executive Board of Wharton and in 2006 established a fellowship to support the education of Indian women in the University of Pennsylvania through funding and mentorship.
Other Prominent Members
Vaibhav Rekhi & Dia Mirza Rekhi
Graduate from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Vaibhav is a Mumbai based businessman and investment banker. He is the founder of Piramal Fund Management. On 15 February 2021, Vaibhav tied the knot with famous actress, model, and movie producer Dia Mirza. Apart from being Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific 2000, Dia is also the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador & Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, Ambassador for the WildLife Trust Of India, Ambassador for Save The Children, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Global Ambassador. Dia is also the owner of two production houses, Born Free Entertainment and One India Stories. Vaibhav and Dia recently had their first child, Avyaan. Vaibhav was previously married to the United Nations Yoga Representative, Sunaina Rekhi. They have one daughter, Samaira.
Queenie Singh
Queenie Singh is a prominent socialite, jewelry designer, and Miss India 1987. She is Pamela and Manmohan's daughter. Queenie was originally married to industrialist Raja Dhody, who she has two children with - Tiara and Rajvir. She later married billionaire industrialist and heir to the Newby empire, Rishi Sethia. Rishi also started London based members-only club for billionaires, .
Born in 1878, Shri Uttam Chand Rekhi (U.C. Rekhi) was a 4th generation businessman and the foundation of the family's fortune. He graduated in 1898, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree bestowed upon him by the Lt. Governor of Punjab. He ventured into the Dairy Industry and in 1939 expanded into Commercial Food Service, with his first contract being that of the Uniack Club. In 1940, U.C. Rekhi acquired the Changla View Hotel, further diversifying in the Hospitality Industry. U.C. Rekhi and his wife, Shrimati Chano Devi, gave birth to 5 daughters and 3 sons, with their third son, Trilok Chand marrying into the famous Diwan family, forming the Rekhi-Nanda family.
Rekhi-Nanda Family
Trilok Chand Rekhi & Kushal Diwan Nanda
Born in 1914, Shri Trilok Chand Rekhi (T.C. Rekhi) was the fifth child and third son of U.C. Rekhi. In February 1944, T.C. Rekhi married Fire movie actress and daughter of Punjab origin industrialist Diwan Brij Lal Nanda, Kushal Diwan Nanda, forming the Rekhi-Nanda family.
The Nanda family’s fortune lies in a deal between the British and , where the Maharaja had to pay 30 million after being crowded the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. The Nandas, then Sahais, helped the Maharaja pay the entire debt and in exchange were conferred upon the ‘Diwan’ title and for generations became the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1942, the Nandas expanded into Catechu business in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh which resulted in them having a strong business empire to fall back on after Partition.
After graduating from the Hindu College, Delhi in 1935, T.C. Rekhi joined his father in the hospitality business, particularly managing the catering of more than 4,000 army and air force officials. With his keen eye to further diversify, T.C. Rekhi started a trading company Mercantile Engineering Co. based in Madras, which focused on importing and selling water pumps. He also ventured into the aerated beverages market with his company Rekhi Obra & Co. In 1941, he took over Munshi Lal Building in one of India’s primary financial hubs, Connaught Place to open the Central Court Hotel. Later, Rekhi also opened three restaurants in the building: Safari, Kohinoor, Shangrila. Located in Lutyens' Delhi, Connaught Place today is among the top ten most expensive office locations in the world, and the Rekhis own one of the largest buildings there.
T.C. Rekhi and Kushal Rekhi furthered the hospitality business by purchasing the West View Hotel, Ranikhet in 1957, the Swiss Hotel, Nainital and its confectionery, Sakley’s Swiss Confectionery in 1958, and opened a new restaurant in Nainital by the name of Kumaon Farm Products. They also diversified into to the real estate sector. The Rekhi-Nanda Family legacy lives on with T.C. & Kushal Rekhi’s five children.
Chanda Rekhi & Raman Bhasin
Chanda Rekhi is the Rekhi-Nanda family's elder daughter. She married Raman Bhasin, a prominent figure in the Indian Real Estate Industry. Bhasin is also a close cousin of the Nanda-Kapoor-Bachchan Family.
Sunit Rekhi & Manju Gambhir Rekhi
The eldest child of the Rekhi-Nanda Family, Sunit Rekhi, was born in 1944 and is a graduate from Austrian Hotel School, Hotel Fachschule Klessheim, Salzburg. Sunit joined the family business in 1967. In 1974, Sunit expanded the business to America opening the first Indian restaurant in Sarasota, Florida with the help of Mr. S.S Sarna. During his time in America, Sunit was a regular in the elite social and political circles of America.
In 1969, Sunit married Manju Gambhir, daughter of real estate tycoon and founder of the prestigious Laxi Commercial Bank, later merged with Canara Bank, S.S Gambhir. Manju is involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors and runs a school for the underprivileged in Delhi.
Shamia Rekhi
Shamia Rekhi is the elder daughter of Sunit and Manju Rekhi. She is married to Delhi based businessman Atul Kumar. Their manufacturing and trading business supplies a vast range of products for the Hospitality Industry. They also have vast interests in the Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Industry and own the Stone Wood Resorts Group and Amani Group. Large players in Goa, they own the Antares Beach Resort, La Gulls by Amani, Amani Vagator, Nagoa Grande, The Living Room, The River Palace Owl nightclub, amongst others. They also own India's first floating bar and lounge, Watermark, as well as have stakes in nightclubs across India, including Toy Room and B.E.D.
Sameer & Ambira Nagpal Rekhi
A graduate from the renowned Fontainebleau, Paris based business school, INSEAD, Sameer is Sunit and Manju Rekhi's son. He also has a joint MBA degree from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; and The Fletcher School, Tufts University. Sameer has a remarkable record in driving large scale transformation for Fortune 50 companies like General Electric and MetLife. Sameer is part of the Board of Directors and Management Team that globally developed Metlife's Global Operations Support Center and set up the Metlife Captive Center of which he currently is the Global Head. He also serves as the Vice President of MetLife Inc. and is a regular at Leadership Forums like NASSCOM. He is married to Ambira "Amber" Nagpal, daughter of polystyrene baron Niren Mohan Nagpal and Deepika Nagpal, a key player in the United Nations Women Association presence in India. Ambira has a keen interest in arts, culture, theatre, and traveling. She does charity work with a number of organizations including Khushii and is a member of , India's largest, oldest and the apex business organization. She is a regular at Delhi's high society and Page 3 gatherings.
Sameer and Ambira have one son, Vivhan Rekhi. Taking on the family genes, Vivhan has developed social entrepreneurship ventures, under his organization Rescuing Wisdom, and has received numerous international awards for them including the Pramerica Spirit of Community Award and the Diana Award, given in the memory of late Princess Diana, started by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Other patrons of the award include Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell. Vivhan was also named one of India's Top 10 Changemakers by The Better India and was nominated for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, highest civilian honor in India for people below 18. Currently, he is a Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.
Diwan Arun Nanda
Diwan Arun Nanda is an Indian tech mogul and advertising wizard. He is the Founder of Rediffusion. Arun Nanda also serves on the Board of Clariant Chemicals, Yes Bank, Wunderman, Young & Rubicam, and Oriental Hotels, holding company for the Taj Hotels.<
Mandakini (Mandy) Puri
Mandy is one of Wall Street's most influential executives. A graduate from Wharton School of Business, Mandy was the Chief Investment Officer and Co-Founder of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity. She then went on to become the Managing Director and form the leadership team of BlackRock Global Private Equity, the world's largest asset manager. Currently, Mandy is an independent advisor and investor. She serves on the Board of various publicly listed organizations on the New York Stock Exchange, including Vornado Realty Trust, Validus Holdings, and Alexander's Inc. Mandy has also taken an active role in Wharton, promoting Women in Business. She is on the Executive Board of Wharton and in 2006 established a fellowship to support the education of Indian women in the University of Pennsylvania through funding and mentorship.
Other Prominent Members
Vaibhav Rekhi & Dia Mirza Rekhi
Graduate from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Vaibhav is a Mumbai based businessman and investment banker. He is the founder of Piramal Fund Management. On 15 February 2021, Vaibhav tied the knot with famous actress, model, and movie producer Dia Mirza. Apart from being Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific 2000, Dia is also the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador & Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, Ambassador for the WildLife Trust Of India, Ambassador for Save The Children, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Global Ambassador. Dia is also the owner of two production houses, Born Free Entertainment and One India Stories. Vaibhav and Dia recently had their first child, Avyaan. Vaibhav was previously married to the United Nations Yoga Representative, Sunaina Rekhi. They have one daughter, Samaira.
Queenie Singh
Queenie Singh is a prominent socialite, jewelry designer, and Miss India 1987. She is Pamela and Manmohan's daughter. Queenie was originally married to industrialist Raja Dhody, who she has two children with - Tiara and Rajvir. She later married billionaire industrialist and heir to the Newby empire, Rishi Sethia. Rishi also started London based members-only club for billionaires, .
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