Lord Karan Bilimoria

Biography

From entrepreneur to peer - the remarkable journey of Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL

Lord Bilimoria

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, a leading UK brand and one of the most awarded beers globally. He is also the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, and holds multiple honorary and leadership roles, including Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and Lieutenant for the City of London.

Lord Bilimoria served as Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group (now Tesco PLC) from 2007 to 2016. In 2006, he was appointed to the House of Lords as Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, becoming the first Zoroastrian Parsi peer.

A strong advocate for education, he has held several prestigious academic roles:

Former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now University of West London), where he was the youngest ever university chancellor.

Chancellor of the University of Birmingham (2014–2024), becoming the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group university.

Visiting Entrepreneur at the University of Cambridge.

Honorary Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge; Kellogg College, Oxford; and London Business School.

Former Chair of the Advisory Board at Cambridge Judge Business School, now an Honorary Ambassador.

He is currently pursuing a Business Doctorate at Cambridge Judge Business School and holds executive education credentials from Cranfield, LBS, and Harvard Business School.

Lord Bilimoria is:

President of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on International Students and India

Trustee of Policy Exchange

Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce UK (from Jan 2025)

Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Past President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), 2020–2022

In 2025, he became:

Co-Chair of the Digital Transformation Taskforce at B20 South Africa

Patron of the FW de Klerk Foundation

Advisory Council Member of the Milken Institute’s Europe Competitiveness Initiative

He has received 12 honorary doctorates from UK and international universities and is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and Patron of the Small Business Charter. In 2008, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and holds a Law degree from the University of Cambridge.

Key Highlights

Business Leadership

President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) since 2020, driving UK business interests forward.

Education

Chancellor of University of Birmingham - first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain.

Recognition

CBE for services to business and entrepreneurship, plus numerous honorary doctorates from leading universities.

Personal Story

Karan was born in Hyderabad, India on 26th November 1961 into a Zoroastrian Parsi family with a distinguished background in the armed forces and business. His father, Lt. General Faridoon Bilimoria PVSM ADC (1933-2005) was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Indian Army, also having served as ADC to Indian President Rajendra Prasad.

Karan attended seven different schools, before boarding at the Hebron School in Ooty. When he was still nineteen he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad. He then moved to London on a scholarship and received a diploma in accounting from the London Metropolitan University.

During his time at Cambridge, Karan was a member of the university's polo team and was awarded a Half-Blue, also organising their first ever tour of India. He led the Cambridge Union debating team against the Oxford Union for two years, also becoming Vice President of the Cambridge Union, before graduating in 1988.

It was during the India tour of the Cambridge Polo Team that Karan noticed that polo sticks made in India offered a point of difference to those available in the UK. He promptly embarked on his first business venture, importing polo sticks to Britain, selling them successfully and profitably to Harrod's and Lillywhites.