Trustees

After graduating in Economics from University College, London in the seventies, Lal Chellaram had been immersed in the Chellaram group’s business activities.  These included trading and retail operations in India, Japan, Europe and West Africa.  From this global platform he has been instrumental in reshaping the group’s activities which now include shipping, healthcare, manufacturing, distribution and investment in the Far East, Africa and Europe.  

His passion for business remains unabated and is matched only by his passion for philanthropy.  He formed Chellaram Foundation in 2000 as the vehicle to drive through his philanthropic vision.   

He brings his leadership and business acumen gained from over 40 years’ of entrepreneurial experience to Chellaram Foundation ensuring its resources are deployed with unnerving focus on the causes he is so passionate about.

Shobhna is a sought-after Iyengar Institute yoga instructor who trains instructors in therapy work and Pranayama – the control of breath as the source of the vital life force. She is an accomplished classical musician, singer and artist.

She is a great supporter of the arts and culture recognising their fundamental role in the spiritual, social and moral fabric of society.

She is a staunch advocate for vegetarianism on the basis that the planet’s resources simply cannot sustain the ever-increasing demands on it from meat consumption and the attendant cruelty that is suffered by animals that this leaves in its wake.

Prakash, a Chartered Accountant, holds leadership positions across the Chellaram group companies with a long association with the group stretching back 40 years.

Following his appointment as a trustee of Chellaram Foundation in 2001, Prakash is the principal coordinator of its world-wide activities. He strives to nurture relationships and scale up the operations of our charity partners that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to their work.

He is a supporter of numerous charities particularly in the areas of health, education, children and youth initiatives and in the arts, music and culture.

Javier was admitted as a member of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple and called to the Bar both in Gibraltar and England in 1984. He has considerable expertise in advising on commercial matters including takeovers, corporate finance, property contracts and start-ups and is internationally recognised as a leading lawyer in this area.

He was the former chairman of the Board of Governors of the Sotogrande International School in Spain and instrumental in transforming the school’s facilities and its curriculum that resulted in pupil numbers increasing from 230 to over 700 pupils during his 20 year stint as a governor.

Javier has had a long association with the Chellaram group and with Chellaram Foundation. He is an exponent of the power of education and the importance of inclusivity and nurturing community spirit. He considers that looking after our environment is of critical importance to a better world.

Carole is a partner at Forsters, a London based law firm, where she specialises in advising individuals on tax, succession planning and philanthropy often involving cross-border estate planning.

She has a keen interest in medical research and has represented Chellaram Foundation on a research project on the use of a radiotracer as a diagnostic tool for the treatment of cancer of the neck.

Carole has a particular interest in health, the environment and animal welfare.

Sankara is a Chartered and Cost Accountant with senior management experience in a variety of industries including shipping, trading, healthcare and investments. He is a director of the Chellaram Diabetes Institute as well as a number of other Chellaram group companies.

Sankara has spearheaded setting up several healthcare projects and implemented an extensive outreach programme to deliver basic healthcare to remote villages in India.

He has also been involved in overseeing the redevelopment and expansion of schools and deeply involved in the administration of large sized educational institutions in India. He has been instrumental in organising student scholarship programs in rural areas in India.

Vishal is a a Fellow of The Institute of Marine Engineers (India).  He is the CEO of Chellaram Shipping joining the company in 1982.

Vishal is a prominent member of the Hong Kong shipping community.  He was awarded the Exemplary Personal Achievement Award by Sailor Today in 2017. He served on the board of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and has been an active member of the shipping committees of Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK and Indian Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

Vishal has been closely associated with Chellaram Foundation’s education projects in India and its cultural programmes in Hong Kong.

Prior to joining the Chellaram Group in 2003, Iqbal was a Corporate Finance partner of Deloitte based in London. He is now based in Gibraltar where he serves as the Chellaram Group’s Finance Director.

Iqbal brought with him extensive expertise in corporate acquisitions, private equity investments, public market listings and financing structures. He has a key role in undertaking due diligence on all the Group investments including its philanthropic activities.