Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was recently conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain.
The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Nadar’s outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.
Nadar, chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), a philanthropic initiative in art and a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. She is the wife of Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies.
She has played a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperation.
“It is an absolute privilege for me to be conferred ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur’ and I am deeply grateful to the French Government for this great honour. KNMA has a longstanding relationship with France in the cultural space. Our partnership with France has been instrumental in bringing together diverse perspectives and promoting cultural exchange,” said Nadar in a statement.
In 2022, KNMA joined hands with Alkazi Foundation, and the French Institute in India to create 'Converges', the largest exhibition of original pictures from French photographers ever shown in India. The exhibition was brought to India as part of 'Bonjour India 2022', a six-month cultural festival organised by France across India as a present for India’s 75th Independence anniversary.
In 2005, Nadar decided to open her own museum to house her vast collection of art. In 2010, Kiran Nadar was acknowledged by Forbes Asian Magazine as a 'hero of philanthropy' thanks to her launch of India's first private philanthropic museum.
Kiran Nadar is an International Council Member of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
(With inputs from agencies)
