Karan at Cambridge

"I am delighted and honored to have been appointed Visiting Entrepreneur at Cambridge. I came up with the idea for Cobra Beer while I was a student at Cambridge. Today it is wonderful to see entrepreneurship flourishing at Cambridge and being at the very heart of the University.”

Founder and chief executive of Cobra Beer, the co-chairman of the Indo-British Partnership and convener of the UK chapter of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce, Karan Bilimoria was one of the first two eminent entrepreneurs, along with Dr Hermann Hauser, appointed by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) at the 800-year-old university. Hauser’s achievements have been in the fields of technology venturing, venture capital and policy making, notes the e-mail information from Dr Zareen Karani Araoz.

Announcing the appointment, CfEL’s director Shai Vyakarnam explained the Centre’s raison d’être: "One of our core values is to involve seasoned entre­preneurs...in the delivery of all programs as they have the credibility to teach entrepreneurship through sharing their own experiences and inspiring future en­trepreneurs.”

Bilimoria: honors galore

The son of a soldier — Karan’s father Lt Gen Faridoon Bilimoria had retired as commander-in-chief of India’s Central Army — Bilimoria holds a master’s degree in law from Cambridge, was vice president of its students’ union and had captained its polo team. His foray into entrepreneurship began with the need to repay loan scholarships which he did by importing articles from India and selling them to the upper crust British stores at a profit, as The Sunday Times (London) had reported on October 29, 2000. At the first NRI Day (January 12, 2003) hosted by the Indian government in New Delhi, Bilimoria had been awarded the Pride of India Gold Medal, adds Karani Araoz. Bilimoria was among those selected for the British Queen’s birthday honors on June 12 this year, netting a CBE (Commander of the British Em­pire) for his services to business, notes the FEZANA Journal.