Santsingh Chatwal

Sant Singh Chatwal, an Indian-American Business Tycoon, settled in USA is one of the most familiar names among the Sikh entrepreneurs. He was born in 1946 in Punjab and obtained the US citizenship in 1994. He has established his hotel business there and presently is the owner the Bomaby Palace chain of restaurant and Hampshire hotels and resorts. His restaurants are not only in USA, but are also there in London, Montreal, Toronto, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Budapest, Kuala Lumpur. Similarly his hotel chain is one of the biggest with the largest numbers of rooms in the whole world an outstanding entrepreneur as he is, he manages his affairs sitting in a posh top floor of his 45 storeys high rise in Manhattan, where he runs a French and Italian Restaurant. Why he is one of the most famous hoteliers in the world has been discussed many a times in electronic and print media.

One of the reasons is that he takes care of the taste of the respective customers. In November 2013, the economic time named him among the top most powerful, influential and contemporary Sikhs in the world. He was in controversy when between 1992 and 1994, some cases were registered against him and enquires were the made by the CBI. Again, in America, he was questioned for political funding in favour of Clintons for which he had also admitted the violation. However, all these controversies did not come in his way to distinguished himself in the hospitality business all over the world. That is why, he was honoured by the National Jews outreach programme in New York in 2001. Indian Government also honoured him with Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2005 and then with the second highest honour of Padma Vibhushan in 2015. The Indian Government had clarified that he deserved all these honour because he has proved that starting from scratch, how can one rise to the heights and emerge among of the top people in the world. As per the latest information, the Dream Hotel Group of S. Chatwal wants to have more hotels in west Asia and Asia including India. In India, the hotel will be setup in cities like Jaipur and Goa. In West Asia, places like Doha, Dubai, Turkey and China may also emerge as potential markets for setting up hotels. In USA also, where there are 12 hotels at present, there is a plan to add more in places like Nashville, Dallas, Palm springs, Time square and No Iceland city. According to S. Chatwal by 2021, they should have between 75 and 100 hotels. As in the business world, S. Chatwal with his charming personality in Sikhi form and with his nice behavior and pleasing habits, has raised the status of the Sikhs in the eyes of the world, he has been honoured by various Sikh organization in India and abroad including the honour he got in 1999 at the time of 300th Year Celebration of the Creation of Khalsa. According to Indian Express he was an Air Force pilot in India who migrated to USA in 1980s and started the Bombay Palace chain of restaurants. Chatwal is a Trustee of the William J. Clinton Foundation, a Charitable foundation organized by President Clinton focusing on global issues of health security, economic empowerment (HIV/ AIDS Initiative; Clinton Global Initiative, Urban Enterprise Initiative, Healthier Generation, etc.) He was the only Indian from the United States who was honoured by the Govt. of Punjab (India) in April 1999 with the “Order of Khalsa” for his outstanding service to the community. Chatwal has devoted resources to worthy political causes, working very closely with the Democratic Party, in particular with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator John Kerry, Senatory Charles Schumer, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Joseph Crowley.