Harsh Goenka

Harsh Goenka (born December 1957) has been the chairman of RPG Enterprises, one of India’s largest business groups, since 1988, when he took over from his father R. P. Goenka. Today RPG is a major player in domains like power generation and distribution, retail, information technology, entertainment, infrastructure, tyres, plantations and pharmaceuticals, with an annual turnover of around US $3.6 billion.

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History

RPG Enterprises was founded by his father R. P. Goenka in 1979 and has its origins in the Goenka business family, which has been at the forefront of business in India for over a hundred years. From pioneering organized retail to running the country’s first private sector power generating plants the group has also forged successful alliances with several of the world’s leading corporations. Group company, KEC International[1] is one of the largest power transmission EPC companies in the world and Phillips Carbon Black Ltd is one of the larger carbon black producers in the world. CEAT is amongst the leading tyre companies in the country and a leader in neighboring Sri Lanka, while CESC Ltd, a utility that provides power to the city of Kolkata represents the group’s success in the area of power generation and distribution. Besides, Saregama India Limited is India’s first and foremost music company, also known as HMV, and is home to the largest archive of Indian music recording since early 1900s,

After completing his education in Kolkata, Harsh Goenka began his career in Mumbai. After a brief stint in a textile company, he became the Managing Director of CEAT in 1983, at the young age of 24.

Education and early life

Harsh Goenka graduated in Economics from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, and thereafter pursued his MBA from the International Institute of Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland and has since been inducted on the Board of IMD, Lausanne.

Today

Today, Harsh Goenka wears many hats. Apart from being the Chairman of the Board of RPG Enterprises, [KEC International Ltd],[1] RPG Life Sciences, Zensar Technologies and Raychem RPG Ltd, he is also the Vice Chairman of CEAT Ltd. He is also a Director of Bajaj Electricals Ltd, and SICOM Ltd. The above are large corporations in India.

Goenka, is a past President of the Indian Merchants' Chamber, a large industrial body. In 1993, when elected President of the Indian Merchants Chamber, Harsh Goenka was the youngest to hold the prestigious post and his involvement in formulating and driving economic agenda for industry continues through various institutions. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI, India’s premier industrial association). He is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), one of the leading technical educational institutes in India. He also serves as a trustee of the Breach Candy Hospital Trust in Mumbai. Harsh Goenka has a vast experience in the field of management.

Other interests

Harsh Goenka has one of the most prominent collections of contemporary art in the country, one that embraces several genres and styles and transcends several generations of artists from all regions. Harsh Goenka has been host to several art exhibitions in Mumbai for a decade and continues to support and encourage young artists.

He is a member of the National Art Advisory Committee for the National Gallery of Modern Art and a member of the Council of the National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture.

Harsh Goenka has keen interest in cricket, which is India’s most popular sport. He promotes the CEAT Cricket Ratings for International and Domestic cricket which is a rating system that rewards outstanding cricketers around the world.

Family life

Harsh Goenka lives in Mumbai and is married to Mala and they have two children Anant and Vasundhara.

Group

1) CEAT[2]

2) KEC International[3]

3) RPG Cables Ltd[4]

4) Zensar Technologies[5]

5) Spencer's Retail[6]

6) Saregama[7]

7) Phillips Carbon Black Ltd[8]

8) RPG Life Sciences[9]

9) Raychem RPG[10]

10) Harrisons Malayalam Ltd[11]

References