Once the name to have on Wall Street, Chandrika Tandon is now turning heads in music. In a career seamlessly blending finance and the arts, the Indian-American businesswoman and singer-songwriter recently secured her first Grammy Award. Yet who is Chandrika Tandon, a financial powerhouse turned musician?
Who Is Chandrika Tandon?
Chandrika Tandon was born in 1954 in Chennai, India, and is a Tamil Brahmin raised in a conservative village home. Her father, Krishnamurthy, was a banker, while her mother, Shantha, was a musician. In her community, women did not go to school, Tandon decided she would make her path. She was sent to Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School after which she fought for and came to Madras Christian College to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
The Co educative environment of MCC made her mother initially uncomfortable but Tandon’s insistence prevailed with a hunger strike. Her ambition didn’t stop there. She was one of the 8 women in her class at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. It was here that she developed the skills that would lead her to the upper echelons of the world of finance.
A Career Built on Breaking Barriers
Tandon started her professional life in Beirut when the city was sliding into the Lebanese Civil War at Citibank. After that, she joined New York City, becoming part of McKinsey & Company’s elite band of Indian American women who were given a place in the partner category. However, her entrepreneurial spirit compelled her to blaze a path of her own; in 1992, she founded Tandon Capital Associates, providing consulting services in financial and restructuring operations for global eminent names like Chase Manhattan Corporation and Bank of America.
She was equally good at business and devoted to philanthropy. In 2015, Tandon along with her husband, Ranjan Tandon, gave NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering a huge boon of $100 million, which was renamed NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Since then she has been on many advisors’ boards, promoting education and social change.
Chandrika Tandon Wins Grammy for ‘Triveni’ at 67th Grammy Awards
It was never meant for Tandon to dabble in music. And it all started with a deeply personal gesture: She had recorded a collection of Vedic chants as a present for her father-in-law’s 90th birthday. The experience started a passion and later turned into a second career.
Albums of hers are not just modern soundscapes with ancient Vedic chants, but a unique listening experience.
On February 2, 2025, Chandrika won the Grammy Award for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for Triveni at the 67th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. In her acceptance speech, she expressed thanks for how music healed and brought people together across cultures. Her win solidified her status not just as a formidable business leader but as an artist with a profound impact on the world stage.
Inside Chandrika Tandon’s Life
Chandrika is married to Ranjan Tandon and is the founder and chairman of Libra Advisors. The couple has a daughter, Lita Tandon. Their celebrity lives aside, they have channeled all their fame to a private life of philanthropy, music, and cultural heritage. Growing up, Chandrika was exposed to music from her mother, of which she bore a fondness as she played classical Indian traditions for her. Music is played, and plenty of topics are discussed that involve art, spirituality, and an impact on the social beginnings of a family.
Tandon’s family frequently travel between India and the United States for philanthropic and education programs and retain strong connections to India and the U.S. NYU and the American India Foundation are examples of where they strive to create an environment of talent and opportunity on a tremendous scale. Her Indian heritage has been a very important factor in Chandrika’s philosophy that she adopts in her professional and artistic works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Who Is Chandrika Tandon?:
1. Who is Chandrika Tandon?
- Chandrika Tandon is an Indian businesswoman and philanthropist, as well as a musician. She made history as a finance expert before transitioning into music, eventually winning a Grammy Award.
2. What is her educational background?
- She went on to study at Madras Christian College and later became one of the few women in her class at IIM Ahmedabad which helped churn her business acumen.
3. How did she start her career?
- After Citibank in Beirut, Tandon went to McKinsey & Company, where she became the first Indian American woman to become a partner of the company. After this, she founded Tandon Capital Associates.
4. How did she get into music?
- It all began when it became a personal gift for her father-in-law in the form of recording Vedic chants. As a result, several albums blended Indian classical music with contemporary influences.
5. What was her major musical achievement?
- She won her first Grammy win in Feb 2025, with her album Triveni for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album.
Conclusion
Chandrika Tandon’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and passion. She has broken barriers in global finance, reinvented philanthropy, and received one of music’s highest honors. Whether it is in business, education, or music, she is a unique force of influence who can blend tradition with modernity. Through her work and melodies Tandon continues to prove success is not in one field, but a lifelong pursuit of learning, giving, and creating.
Amit Gupta is a 2016 graduate of Delhi University, India. After working over a decade as an additional writer at TheScoopVilla, he decided to start his own news publication. He mainly focuses on Bollywood News, Hindi and South Indian Movies, Web series articles and editorials. He likes to cooking and play cricket in his free time. Follow On Facebook.