The Khanna family is a prominent Punjabi Hindu family originating from India. Members of the Khanna family have been involved in various fields, including business,

finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

, politics, philanthropy,

sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

s, and

sports administration The Sports Administration (SA; ) is a branch of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan). History The Sport Administration was initially established in 1932 as the Sports Council (體育委員會). On 12 January 1998, the Sp ...

. Khanna family members initially gained prominence and notability from the 1950s onwards. Members of the family have been noted for their wealth and power, both within and outside of India. Through many of its members, the Khanna family is related to numerous other notable individuals and families.

History and background

The Khanna family's history stems from the city of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

in the Punjab Province of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, where they were a wealthy family as a result of the manufacturing business founded by Shanti Lal Khanna in 1939, during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. The Khanna family has Punjabi Hindu origins and traces its roots to the

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

Khanna clan. During the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

in 1947, the Khanna family fled the city and resettled in Delhi, India. The family initially lost their wealth in the Partition and had to rebuild in Delhi. The Khanna family's rise began in

independent India Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independen ...

after they settled in Delhi following the Partition. Family members first gained prominence in the 1950s, when Shanti Lal Khanna restarted his business and founded Delhi Small Scale Industries, a manufacturing company in Delhi. From the 1960s, the success of brothers

Vipin Khanna Vipin Kumar Khanna (14 December 1930 – 7 November 2019) was an Indian business magnate and a retired officer of the Indian Army. Khanna had diverse business interests. He founded Dynamic Sales Service International, a commodities trading and m ...

and Vinod Khanna, two of the sons of Shanti Lal Khanna, and their descendants grew the Khanna family's business,

financial Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

, and political reach. Members of the Khanna family are primarily based in Delhi, though some members, both current and past, have resided in various locations across India and abroad. Additionally, some family members are not Indian citizens.

Business and financial interests

The Khanna family initially rose to prominence in the 1950s, due to the success of its members in business and

, fields in which many family members continue to be involved and expand their interests. Although various members of the family have jointly owned businesses with certain relatives at different times since the 1960s, they generally maintain separate business and financial interests. Members of the family have had business and financial interests in both India and globally. The Khanna family has been noted, including at times controversially, for its power and influence both within India and internationally, which they have reportedly used to expand their business and financial interests, and enhance their network of connections.

1960 – 2020

Since the 1960s, various members of the Khanna family have had interests in a wide array of industries, including agriculture,

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

, commodities trading,

consultancy A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

, general trading,

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...

, infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing, mining, power, railways, real estate, software,

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

telecommunications equipment Telecommunications equipment (also telecoms equipment or communications equipment) are hardware which are used for the purposes of telecommunications. Since the 1990s the boundary between telecoms equipment and IT hardware has become blurred as a ...

, and

utilities A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

. Beginning in the 1980s, some members of the Khanna family, starting with Vipin Khanna and followed by his middle son

Arvind Khanna Arvind Khanna (born 29 May 1967) is an Indian politician, business magnate and philanthropist. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Khanna is a senior leader of the BJP and a prominent figure in Bharatiya Janata Party, Punjab, BJP ...

, have been particularly noted for their vast business interests in the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

and

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

industries. Vipin Khanna and later Arvind Khanna have allegedly exerted significant control over the approval of

defence procurement Military acquisition or defense acquisition is the "bureaucratic management and procurement process", dealing with a nation's investments in the technologies, programs, and product support necessary to achieve its national security strategy and ...

contracts in India.

Indian government The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...

authorities have claimed that the Khanna family has controlled arms deals in the Indian defence industry since the 1980s. Arvind Khanna also founded one of India's first

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

defence companies in 2001, and his company was one of the first nine companies to receive a defence manufacturing licence. Aditya and Vipin Khanna

From the 2000s, members of the Khanna family, beginning with Vipin Khanna and his youngest child

Aditya Khanna Aditya Khanna (born 8 December 1971) is an Indian entrepreneur, financier and philanthropist. In his career, Khanna has founded and invested in businesses in a diverse range of industries. In 2020, he co-founded Faarms, an Indian technology comp ...

, entered the financial services industry by co-founding an

investment bank Investment is the dedication of money to purchase of an asset to attain an increase in value over a period of time. Investment requires a sacrifice of some present asset, such as time, money, or effort. In finance, the purpose of investing is ...

that included an

asset management Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from the things that a group or entity is responsible for, over their whole life cycles. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as buildings ...

division. Aditya Khanna later founded his own investment bank and

investment company An investment company is a financial institution principally engaged in holding, managing and investing securities. These companies in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and must be registered under the ...

, and maintained ownership interests in

private equity In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...

asset management companies. Other members of the family have also been involved in investing,

fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

, and providing investment advisory services.

2020–present

Since the 2020s, some members of the Khanna family have continued to expand their business and financial interests in industries where they have traditionally had a presence and other related industries. Aditya Khanna's business interests include mining through the company Ethiopotash, and real estate fund management through the firm Etonhurst Investment Advisors.

Navin Khanna Navin Khanna (born 1 April 1962) is an Indian businessman and former polo player. Khanna's business interests are in the commodities, alcohol, food and drinks industries. In his business career, he has facilitated the import of commodities to In ...

, the eldest son of Vipin Khanna, has business interests in the commodities, alcohol,

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

and drinks industries. The eldest child of Vinod Khanna, Sundeep Khanna, has business interests in agriculture, power, utilities, cooling, real estate, hospitality, and consultancy. Vinod Khanna's younger son, Rajesh Khanna, has business interests in

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

concessions and commodities trading. Rahul Khanna, the son of Navin Khanna, has business interests in the hospitality industry in London, England. Adhiraj Khanna and Suryaveer Khanna, the sons of Arvind Khanna, have business interests in the defence, aerospace and asset management industries. Some members of the family have also expanded their business interests into adjacent industries. Sundeep Khanna has expanded into the

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

industry. Vinita Singh (née Khanna), the daughter of Vipin Khanna, expanded into the cybersecurity industry. Adhiraj Khanna and Suryaveer Khanna have expanded into the

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

and

wealth management Wealth management (WM) or wealth management advisory (WMA) is an investment advisory service that provides financial management and wealth advisory services to a wide array of clients ranging from affluent to high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high- ...

industries. Beginning in the 2020s, members of the Khanna family started more entrepreneurial ventures and began

venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...

investing. Aditya Khanna co-founded Bharat Supply, originally founded as Faarms, a logistics technology,

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manageme ...

and financial technology company focused on rural India. Rohan Khanna, the elder son of Sundeep Khanna, has founded various companies and startups. Shivin Khanna, the son of Rajesh Khanna, has founded a financial technology company and has been an investor in the

craft beer Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

company

Bira 91 Bira 91 is an Indian craft beer brand manufactured by B9 Beverages Pvt. Ltd., launched in 2015. The company's first brewery unit was located in Flanders region of Belgium where a craft distillery was used to contract manufacture the beer with i ...

. Rajeshwari Kumari, the daughter of Vinita Singh, founded her own luxury Indian designer brand.

Politics and politically related activities

BJP politician Arvind Khanna with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Patiala

Various members of the Khanna family have been involved in politics and other politically related activities. In the 1990s, Arvind Khanna entered Indian politics. Arvind Khanna has held various elected and political party positions, and has had considerable political influence because of his vast personal wealth. Vipin Khanna served as the Honorary Consul of the

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

in New Delhi from 1996 to 2005. Vinod Khanna was the Honorary Consul of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay in India, was the founding Chairman of the Indo-

Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...

Friendship Association, and was the Chairman of the Indo-Kenya Friendship Association. Vinod Khanna also assisted in establishing the first land

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...

between India and Bangladesh at the Petropole- Benapole Border Crossing in the 1970s, and in the 1990s, he facilitated the first-ever trade of Indian agricultural commodities with the

Government of Bangladesh The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার — ) is the central executive government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Con ...

Political offices held

** General Secretary of the

Shiromani Akali Dal The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (translation: ''Supreme Akali Party'') is a centre-right sikh-centric state political party in Punjab, India. The party is the second-oldest in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are many ...

's youth wing. ** President of the Punjab Youth Congress. **

Member of legislative assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...

(MLA) from

Sangrur Sangrur is a city in Sangrur district of the Indian state of Punjab, India. It is the headquarters of Sangrur District. Geography Sangrur is located at . It has an average elevation of 237 metres (778 feet). Climate Health s ...

, 2002 – 2007. ** MLA from

Dhuri Dhuri is a city in Sangrur District in the state of Punjab, India. The neighbouring towns of Dhuri are Sangrur, Malerkotla, Nabha, and Barnala. Demographics As of 2011 Indian Census, Dhuri city had a total population of 55,225 of which 29,231 wer ...

, 2012 – 2014. **

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (or Punjab PCC), formerly known as the Punjab Provincial Congress Committee in colonial India, is the affiliate of the Indian National Congress in the state of Punjab. On 9 April 2022, Amrinder Singh Raja Warri ...

(PPCC) treasurer. ** General Secretary of the PPCC. ** Member of the

All India Congress Committee The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is the presidium or the central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress. It is composed of members elected from state-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousan ...

. ** Vice-President of

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

(BJP),

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

(2022–present).

Familial political and diplomatic relations

Members of the Khanna family are related to prominent individuals and families in politics and diplomacy. Ravi Khanna's wife, Amrit Kumari Khanna, and Vipin Khanna's wife, Naginder Kumari Khanna, were daughters of

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Bhupinder Singh of

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...

, who was a member of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

's Imperial War Cabinet during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, served as Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes from 1926 to 1931, represented India at the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

, and was considered the leader of the

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...

. Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna were the paternal aunts of Amarinder Singh, the former Chief Minister of Punjab. They were also sisters of

Yadavindra Singh Maharaja Sir Yadavindra Singh () was the 9th and last ruling Maharaja of Patiala from 1938 to 1971. He was also an Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1934. Early life and family Born at Patiala City in Patiala State, within the ...

, the last

Maharaja of Patiala The Maharaja of Patiala was a maharaja in India and the ruler of the princely state of Patiala, a state in British India. The first Maharaja of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh (1695–1765). Yadavindra Singh became the maharaja on 23 March 1938. H ...

, who later served as the Indian Ambassador to Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Nations. Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna were sisters-in-law of

Romesh Bhandari Romesh Bhandari (29 March 1928 – 7 September 2013) was an Indian Foreign Secretary, former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and former governor of Tripura, Goa and Uttar Pradesh. Career Bhandari was born in Lahore, p ...

, former

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is the constitutional head of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The post was first established in September 1966, when The Delhi Administration Act, 1966 came into effect. Thus the former Delhi Legislativ ...

and former

Governor of Uttar Pradesh The following is the list of governors of Uttar Pradesh. The list also includes governors of the United Provinces of pre-independent India as well as Independent India from 15 August 1947 to 25 January 1950. The province was renamed Uttar Prade ...

, and sisters-in-law of

Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo Maharaja Sir Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo KCIE (31 March 1912 – 23 February 1975) was an Indian politician and the last ruler of the princely state of Patna in Odisha before Indian independence in 1947. He was the President of the Ganatantra P ...

, former Chief Minister of Odisha and the last ruling Maharaja of

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

Sports and sports administration

Some members of the Khanna family, and their close and extended relatives, have been involved in

s. In professional sports, Navin Khanna is a former professional

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

player who played a significant role in growing polo in India through financial contributions; Arvind Khanna is a former

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

er who also helped other professional golfers financially; and Rajeshwari Kumari is an

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

-level

trap shooter A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

and won a silver medal in the

2022 Asian Games The 2022 Asian Games (), officially known as the 19th Asian Games (), also known as Hangzhou 2022, ( zh, c=杭州2022, p=Hángzhōu Èr líng èr èr), will be a multi-sport event celebrated in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Hangzhou will be the t ...

. Vinita Singh's husband and Rajeshwari Kumari's father

Randhir Singh Randhir Singh may refer to: * Randhir Singh of Kapurthala (1831–1870), ruler of the Indian princely state of Kapurthala * Randhir Singh of Bharatpur (died 1823), ruler of the Indian princely state of Bharatpur * Randhir Singh (Sikh) (1878–1961) ...

, is also a former Olympic-level shooter. The family has also been involved in the

sports industry Sport industry is an industry in which people, activities, business, and organizations are involved in producing, facilitating, promoting, or organizing any activity, experience, or business enterprise focused on sports. It is the market in which ...

. From 1997 to 2006, Arvind Khanna's Tiger Corporation joint venture company, Tiger Sports Marketing managed the Indian Golf Tour. In 2006, Tiger Sports Marketing established the first

Professional Golf Tour of India The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India, is a professional golf tour for men based in India. The tour was formed in 2006, as the successor to the Indian ...

. Navin Khanna owned a polo team. Aditya Khanna was a co-founder of

Punjab Kings Punjab Kings (PBKS) are a franchise cricket team based in Mohali, Punjab, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Established in 2008 as the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), the franchise is jointly owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zin ...

, which was known at the time as Kings XI Punjab, an Indian Premier League

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

team founded in 2008, and Arvind Khanna was also a co-owner of the team. Randhir and Vinita Singh with Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan

Members of the family, along with their close and extended relatives, have held positions in

. Arvind Khanna served as the president of the Professional Golfers Association of India, president of the

Fencing Association of India The Fencing Association of India (FAI) is the governing body for the sport of fencing in India and is recognized by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as one of its National Sports Association members. It is affiliated to the Asian Fencing Co ...

, and as the Secretary-General of the Punjab Olympic Association. Vinita Singh's husband, Randhir Singh, has been a member of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

, is serving as the Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia, and has also held other positions in sports administration. Through their wives, Ravi Khanna, who was married to Amrit Kumari Khanna, and Vipin Khanna, who was married to Naginder Kumari Khanna, were sons-in-law of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, one of the co-founders of the

Board of Control for Cricket in India The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at Cricket centre, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The BCCI is the richest governing body of cricket in the world ...

(BCCI), the national governing body of

cricket in India Cricket has been the most popular sport in India in modern era since the British Raj, and is played almost everywhere in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the governing body of Indian cricket and conduct all dome ...

Philanthropy and social work

Various members of the Khanna family have been involved in philanthropy and social work. Arvind Khanna founded the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Umeed Foundation in 1997. The Umeed (which translates to hope in Hindi) Foundation is one of Punjab's largest NGOs and is involved in

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

, employment generation, and social and economic

empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...

initiatives. Rajesh Khanna, his wife, Priya Khanna (née Mehra), and their son, Shivin Khanna, serve on the board of the Mehra Foundation. The foundation was founded by Priya Khanna's grandfather, Ram Gopal Mehra, in 1968. The Mehra Foundation is involved in healthcare, education,

academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

, and scholarship initiatives. Aditya Khanna is involved with a broad spectrum of Indian and global NGOs, and is on the

advisory board An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to th ...

of the United Nations’ UNAIDS Health Innovation Exchange. Sundeep Khanna is a member of

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

and served as the President of the Rotary Club of Delhi Garden City.

Other involvements and activities

Members of the Khanna family, across multiple generations, have also gained prominence in various other fields and activities. Ravi Khanna, the eldest son of Shanti Lal Khanna, was a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. Other fields and activities that family members have been involved in include art and law.

Familial relations

The Khanna family is related to other notable families. Vinod Khanna's wife, Nirmal Kumari Khanna, was the daughter of Trilok Nath Shankardass and a member of the Shankardass family, which was a notable Kenyan Indian business family from

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, Kenya. Adhiraj Khanna married Tanya Chadha Khanna, the younger daughter of liquor industrialist and philanthropist Raju Chadha, the niece of industrialist and noted liquor baron Ponty Chadha, and a member of the Chadha family.

Selected lineage and historical relatives

The Khanna family is also related to additional historical and former Indian royal families and dynasties. The sisters Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna, former princesses of the historical Patiala royal family and the wives of Vipin Khanna and Ravi Khanna, respectively, were direct descendants of

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Ala Singh, the 18th-century founder and first ruler of Patiala, and members of the

Phulkian dynasty The Phulkian (or Phoolkian) Maharajas were Jat-Sikh rulers and aristocrats in the Punjab region of India. They governed the states of Faridkot, Jind, Nabha, Malaudh and Patiala, allying themselves with the British Raj as per the Cis-Sutlej t ...

. Both sisters held princely titles in India until their abolition in 1971 through the 26th Amendment to the

Constitution of India The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...

. Both sisters' lineage extended further back, and they were direct descendants of

Rawal Rawal (also spelled Raval) or Raol originally is a regional variation of the Hindi princely ruler title Raja/Radjah (literally "king") used in some princely states in Rajputana and Western India (notably Gujarat), and is now also used as a caste ...

Jaisal Singh, the early medieval 12th-century founder and ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer. Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna's lineage was also ancient, tracing back even further to their direct ancestor, Rao Bhatti, a 3rd-century Classical period Indian monarch, who was the common ancestor of the Bhati Rajput

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

. Members of the Khanna family who are direct descendants of the sisters Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna and their respective husbands, Vipin Khanna and Ravi Khanna, trace their direct lineage to these historical figures. Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna's brother-in-law, through their other sister, Shailendra Kumari, was Himmat Singh, a member of the Rathore dynasty. Further former and historical royal families and dynasties that the Khanna family is related to through the siblings of Naginder Kumari Khanna and Amrit Kumari Khanna include the

House of Holkar The Holkars (pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank of subahdar under Peshwa Baji Rao I. When the Maratha Confederacy began to weaken due to internal clash ...

, the Bijawar royal family, and the Maihar royal family.

Members and descendants

Notable members and descendants

Notable members and descendants of the Khanna family include: *

(born 8 December 1971) *

(born 29 May 1967) *

(born 1 April 1962) * Rajeshwari Kumari (born 10 December 1991) * Shanti Lal Khanna (d. c. 1980s) * Vinod Khanna (born 24 July 1934) *

(14 December 1930 – 7 November 2019)

Notable marriages into the family

Notable individuals and members of notable families who have married into the Khanna family include: * Adhiraj Khanna (born 19 December 1993) married Tanya Chadha Khanna (born 19 May 1994). Tanya Chadha Khanna is the younger daughter of liquor industrialist and philanthropist Raju Chadha, and a member of the Chadha family. * Rajesh Khanna (born 14 August 1967) married Priya Khanna (née Mehra; born 20 September 1968), a philanthropist and a prominent

art restorer The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including Collection (artwork), artworks, Architectural conservation, architecture, Archae ...

. Priya Khanna is the daughter of businessman and philanthropist Lalit Mehra. * Ravi Khanna married Amrit Kumari Khanna, the daughter of

Bhupinder Singh of

and a member of the

. Amrit Kumari Khanna held the title of princess until princely titles were abolished in India in 1971 through the 26th Amendment to the

. * Shanti Lal Khanna married Vidya Khanna, the daughter of Bhagat Ram Sahni, who founded the

Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...

movement in

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

and was awarded the Rai Sahib

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

during the British Raj. * Vinita Singh (née Khanna; born 14 January 1960) married

(born 18 October 1946), an influential sports administrator and former Olympic-level shooter. * Vinod Khanna married Nirmal Kumari Khanna (1938–2018), the daughter of Trilok Nath Shankardass and a member of the Shankardass family, which was a Kenyan Indian business family from

, Kenya. * Vipin Khanna married Naginder Kumari Khanna (1937–2012), the daughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and a member of the Phulkian dynasty. Naginder Kumari Khanna held the title of princess until princely titles were abolished in India in 1971 through the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khanna family Khanna family Indian families Business families of India Banking families Political families of India Indian sports families Punjabi families