India-born businessman nominated to Canadian Senate

Bal Krishna
Toronto, Jan 31 (PTI) For the first time, an India-born
businessman has been nominated to the Canadian Senate by Prime
Minister Stephen Harper.
73-year-old Vim Kochhar is expected to take the oath of
office next week.
Kochhar is among five outstanding Canadians who have been
nominated to the Senate by Harper, whose Conservatives party
is now closer to taking back control of the Upper House with
the new appointments.
The government is still three seats shy of absolute
control of the 105-member Senate.
Born in India, Kochhar received his engineering degree at
the University of Texas and migrated to Canada in 1967,
becoming a Canadian citizen in 1974.
Kochhar is the President and founder of the Vimal Group
of Companies in Toronto.
Working for InterContinental Hotels and Howard Johnson
Hotels, he was responsible for project management of major
hotels around the world.
For the past 30 years, Kochhar has played an active role
in the community by creating the Canadian Foundation for
Physically Disabled Persons.
He is currently serving as Board Member for the Canadian
Museum for Human Rights and as Chair of the Canadian
Paralympic Foundation. PTI