France bestows Kiran Nadar with its highest civilian award

Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar has been conferred with “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain.  The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Ms. Nadar’s outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.

Ms. Kiran Nadar, chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) is also a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation and has played a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperation. She has established collaborations with leading French museums such as Musée Guimet in Paris and Musée des Arts Asiatiques in Nice. In 2022, KNMA joined hands with the Alkazi Foundation and the French Institute in India to create ‘Converges’, the largest exhibition of original pictures from French photographers ever shown in India. This exhibition was brought to India as part of “Bonjour India 2022”, a six-month cultural festival organised by France across India as a present for India’s 75th Independence anniversary.

In a statement issued on the occasion Ms Nadar said, “It is an absolute privilege for me to be conferred ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur’ and I am deeply grateful to the French Government for this great honour. KNMA has a longstanding relationship with France in the cultural space. Our partnership with France has been instrumental in bringing together diverse perspectives and promoting cultural exchange,” said Ms. Nadar in a statement.

“It is my privilege to confer the Légion d’Honneur on Kiran Nadar on behalf of the President of the French Republic. Through this award, France recognises her pivotal role in India’s cultural landscape and her outstanding contribution to the dialogue between French and Indian cultures. We deeply believe in bringing French and Indian artists closer together, and are honoured to be able to count on Nadar’s vision to advance this goal,” said the French Ambassador.

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