Highest French Distinction “Knight of the Legion of Honour” conferred on Pramod Kapoor

New Delhi, 12 March 2016

On behalf of the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr François Richier, Ambassador of France to India, conferred the highest French civilian distinction, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), on distinguished publisher Pramod Kapoor on Saturday, 12th March 2016.

This honour comes in recognition of Mr Pramod Kapoor’s lifelong commitment to producing books that have changed the landscape of Indian publishing and to promoting India’s tangible and intangible heritage here and abroad. Under his leadership, Roli Books’ association with the French publishing industry has also been remarkable.

Pramod Kapoor was born in 1953 in Calcutta and studied at Benaras Hindu University. Although a management graduate, Kapoor was and still is a connoisseur of images. In 1978, he founded Roli Books, a name that has become synonymous with lavish, beautifully crafted books on Indian art, photography, history and world cuisines.

Over the course of his illustrious career, he has conceived and produced award-winning books that have changed the landscape of Indian publishing. From the seminal Made for Maharajas to the internationally acclaimed New Delhi: the Making of a Capital, or his latest work as an author,

Gandhi: an Illustrated Biography, he has always endeavoured to weave compelling narratives through visual storytelling.

Apart from South Asia, Roli has also collaborated with several leading publishers of the world and produced books in languages as diverse as French, German, Italian, Swedish, Hebrew, Spanish, etc. But Roli’s close association with the French publishing industry is especially notable. For over three decades, Kapoor has worked with publishers such as Hachette, Citadelles et Mazenod, Editions de la Martiniere, etc., and organized exhibitions and book launches in some of the most prestigious venues in Paris. He has also published several French authors and photographers.

In 2014, for an exhibition supported by the Embassy of France to commemorate the participation of Indian soldiers in World War I, Kapoor facilitated a special French Gallery where the items used by Indian soldiers were displayed for the first time.

Pramod Kapoor is a member of the prestigious international group of art and illustrated book publishers Motovun Group, based in Munich, Germany. He is also a life member of INTACH as well as India International Center, FICCI, NGMA advisory board and Association of Publishers and Distributors in India.