ANDY CHANDE
A Short Biography
Jayantilal
Keshavji Chande was born in Mombasa, Kenya, in 1929. He spent most of
his childhood at Bukene in Tanzania's Tabora Region, where he had his
primary education.
His
secondary education took him to St. Peter’s School in Panchgani, Satara
District in Maharashtra State of India. After excelling in his exams
and acquiring a new nickname (Andy) by which name he is known now, he
went for his higher education to Wadia College, University of Pune also
in India.
After
studies, he returned to Tanzania where he quickly mastered his father’s
grain milling and trading business and became his father’s and his
uncle’s right hand man.
However,
his interest in economics and politics of the Territory soon led him
into the National Assembly and Executive Council (Cabinet) from 1958
until December 1961 when Tanganyika gained its independence. And soon,
the ruling party offered him an electoral constituency. However, his
father’s death forced him to turn the offer down so that he could
concentrate on the family business.
In
1967, in the wake of the Arusha Declaration – Tanzania’s blueprint for
socialist development - the family business was, as many other
businesses then, nationalized by the Government.
While
many company owners moved out of the country to seek for other
pastures, Andy’s personality made him stay on. His expertise and
knowledge let President Nyerere appointing him as General Manager of
National Milling Corporation, which was a merger of Andy’s nationalized
company and eight other firms in the same line of business. Andy served
for five years as the CEO and later on as a member of its Board of
Directors.
Why
he stayed on when he had many other options baffles many but in his
autobiography, “A Knight in Africa: Journey from Bukene”, he explains
why.
“The
short apprenticeship back in Bukene had convinced me that my long-term
future lay not in Indian history in the motherland, but in commerce,
here in Tanganyika (now Tanzania).”
Years
later in 2005, when his autobiography was published, Andy had already
established himself, not only in Tanzania but the world over, as a
shrewd businessman and capable manager.
A
past President of the Association of the Chambers of Commerce and
Industries of Eastern Africa and of Tanganyika Association of Chambers
of Commerce Andy is a former member of the Council of the Federation of
Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce, London and of Commonwealth Producers’
Organization.
He
was Leader of the Tanganyika businessmen’s delegation to Sir Jeremy
Raisman’s Fiscal Commission in 1960 as well as a member of the East
African Metric Commission, an appointment jointly made by the Presidents
of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
He
was a member of the Bureau of East African Affairs in the Office of the
President of Tanzania and also served on the Industries and Mining
Committees of Tanzania’s Third and Fourth Five Year Development Plans.
Andy
has also been an advisor to the Ministerial Committee of the
Organization of African Unity dealing with the Arab league on the oil
crisis, was the Deputy Leader of Tanzania’s Delegation to the United
Nations Preparatory Committee for the Earth Summit, Nairobi, Geneva and
New York and was also elected to serve as the Coordinator between the
countries in G77 and China and G7 on fiscal environmental facility and
was a member of Tanzania’s delegation to the Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro led by the President Mwinyi in 1992. Andy has served as a member
of the Executive Council (cabinet) and of the National Assembly from
1958 to 1961.
Andy is a fellow of International Academy of Management, Institute of Directors and of Chartered Management InstituteEngland,
has an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from International
Management Centres, England, is a fellow of the World Business Academy
(only one from Africa and the Middle East) and has served on its Board
of Directors. He has also been a Consulting Fellow of the World
Innovation Foundation (International Multi-disciplinary Research Group),
and a member of the Conference Board, New York and of the Stanford
Research Institute, Menlo Park, California and Honorary Representative
of the Royal Commonwealth Society from 1963 to 2010. He is now a Vice
President of the Society.
In
August 2003, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II conferred on him a
Knighthood. In 2004 President of India also honoured him with a
prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award which is bestowed to persons
of Indian origin.
Charity
A
former World President of Round Table and Affiliated Youth
Organizations and a Past Governor of Rotary International he is a
recipient of Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and
Rotary International’s “Service Above Self” award which is the
Organization’s highest honour given to a Rotarian.
It
seems that every minute of Andy’s time is spent on developing,
implementing and managing one project or another. His dedication has
always been a reminder of one of his favourite phrases of all times. “I
don’t give or accept half measures.”
With
that philosophy embodied in mind, plus his belief, that ‘what could be
done today should be done today,’ it’s no wonder he was involved in so
many aspects of the country’s development.
He
has over the years been involved in many charitable and community
service activities. He is a founder of Tanzania’s Deaf Society and
School. A founder of International School of Tanganyika and of Shaaban
Robert Secondary School. He was associated with the establishing of
College of Business Education. He has also helped in bringing to
Tanzania International Medical Technological University (IMTU) of which
he is currently the Chancellor. He has led several charitable
organizations and has received several awards for his endless efforts.
Besides
his autobiography – A Knight in Africa – Journey from Bukene Andy has
published his speeches/articles on Freemasonry under the title Wither
Directing Your Course and his collected works on a variety of subjects
such as business, community service and social activities under the
title Transitions of a Life.
