a WOMAN of PARTS

As the wife of industrialist Harshavardhan Neotia, Madhu Neotia’s involvement and contributions towards the expansion of the Ambuja Neotia Group’s healthcare and hospitality businesses is well known. Add to these the India Story and Genome initiatives, and we have a tireless woman whose many endeavours to give back to society deserve commendation.

- Joseph Rozario & Pooja Mujumdar

The Ambuja Neotia Group of Kolkata traces its genesis to the legendary nineteenth-century Marwari firm Tarachand Ghanshyamdas, whose businesses ranged from banking and insurance to wholesale trade and commodity futures. The Ambuja Neotia Group today has interests in real estate, healthcare, hospitality, education and other sectors and is headed by Harshavardhan Neotia as chairman, to whom Madhu Neotia is married. After associating herself with the group’s healthcare and hospitality ventures, for two decades she has been helping them grow through her initiatives. Further, under the auspices of the Neotia Arts Trust, in 2015, she introduced The India Story, which now is a popular cultural event in Kolkata.

Cultural influences

Much of Madhu Neotia’s formative years were spent in England though. Her father, an ophthalmologist by profession, was a strict disciplinarian, and this resulted in a sheltered environment at home, in which Madhu and her three sisters grew up, led by his example. A lover of arts, he encouraged his daughters to pursue the arts, and was passionate about music too, being a gifted singer himself. All this led to the four sisters developing an ear for all kinds of music ranging from ghazal to Hindustani classical, while also learning to paint and sketch. Further, he was a connoisseur of Indian food, who would insist on experimenting with different kinds of cooking at home. Amidst this cultural environment, a strong sports culture too permeated the household.