Tarun Das
Born 16 February 1939 · West Bengal
Led the Confederation of Indian Industry as Director General for 37 years, shaping Indian industrial policy.
🔔 Add birthday reminderTarun Das has dedicated his career to advancing the Indian industry. He served CII from 1967 to 2004 as its director general and from 2004 to 2009 as its chief mentor.
✨ A detail that surprised us
In January 2025, Tarun Das was granted Honorary Citizenship by Singapore, recognizing decades of work strengthening India-Singapore economic ties.
1. In April 1967, Tarun Das took the helm as Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), steering the organization through nearly four decades until May 2004, a tenure marked by India's industrial liberalization.
2. 🌏 Between 2004 and 2009, Das transitioned to Chief Mentor of CII, guiding India’s business community during the post-liberalization boom and helping Indian companies navigate globalization's early waves.
3. ✈️ His academic roots lie in the University of Calcutta and Manchester University, but in 2006, his influence was formally recognized with a Doctor of Science honoris causa from the University of Warwick, UK.
4. 🌐 Beyond India, Das chaired the US-India and India-Japan Strategic Dialogues and played a crucial role in climate change talks involving India and the UK, US, and China, anchoring business diplomacy in global geopolitics.
5. As chairman of the Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation and advisor to JCB India and Chubb Insurance (USA), Das bridged industry and social causes, illustrating his broad influence beyond corporate boardrooms.
6. His 2015 book, Crossing Frontiers: The Journey of Building CII, offers a rare insider's account of India's industrial transformation over 40 years, blending personal memoir with business history.
7. ❓ How did Tarun Das’s leadership at CII from 1967 to 2009 shape India’s industrial policy amid restrictive licensing regimes and the eventual economic liberalization era?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan
🔍 One thing most people don't know
Tarun Das served as Director General of CII for 37 years from 1967 to 2004, an unusually long continuous leadership period in a major Indian industry body.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
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🎥 Speeches & Recordings
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📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
Tarun Das’s long tenure at CII coincided with and influenced India’s transition from a closed, license-driven economy to a more open, globalized market. His leadership helped Indian industry engage in strategic international dialogues, fostering partnerships with countries like Japan, the US, and Singapore. His work also bridged corporate and social sectors, exemplified by his role in leprosy eradication efforts and climate change dialogues, leaving a multidimensional imprint on Indian business and policy.
💬 Social Buzz
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