Syeda Bilgrami Imam

Biography

Imam was born into a Muslim family in 1941 at Hyderabad, India. Her father was a magistrate of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. At the age of 15, her family relocated to Mumbai. She completed Honours degree (B.A (Hons.)) in English literature from the Elphinstone College, standing first in the Bombay University. Soon after her graduation she was appointed the "Fellow of English Literature" at Bombay University, where she taught B.A (Honours) for two years. Being more creative, she went on to become a full-fledged professional in advertising and led the creative crew for the New York based JWT and Contract, a subsidiary of WPP plc in various cities across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Syeda was Executive Creative Director (Central Asia) at J. Walter Thompson India’s largest agency by far - for whom she also helped build India’s first successful second agency, Contract India. She represented India at the "International fora on creativity", and at the "U.S Muslim World Conference" held at Doha.

Syeda Imam's outstanding career in the private sector took her as Member, National Commission for Minorities, Government of India and thereafter for another 3 years to the Ministry of External Affairs as Member Haj Committee of India. This enabled her to work in the area of Education and Social Harmony in a variety of ways in many States and at the national level - which she continues to do. Imam is also a well-known writer. Her book named The Untold Charminar—published by Penguin Books in 2008—deals with the culture of Hyderabad. Historian William Dalrymple, Indian filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Nagesh Kukunoor were other contributors.

She now is Consultant, Creative Communications in Marketing, Advertising, Education, Social Welfare, Communal Harmony, Nation-building.

As of 2012, Imam resides in New Delhi.

Other work

As a writer, Syeda Imam's books have been sought and published by Penguin ('The Untold Charminar'Writings on Hyderabad) and Macmillan ('The Making of Advertising' Gleanings from Subhas Ghosal') and 'The Positive Side' and 'Epiphany' for Roli Books, for whom she is currently completing another book of monographs. Imam founded the RUMI Foundation, based out of Delhi and is also the advisor of NIIT University located in Neemrana, Rajasthan.

Honours and recognitions

Imam has received many awards for both her literary contributions as well as social activities. Many of her works fetched her top honours at film festivals such as the Cannes and New York. As an advertising professional, she is a recipient of national and international awards including the "Indira Super Achiever Award" presented by the Institute of Change Management, Pune. The Chishti India Harmony Award 2016 is Syeda's most recent honour.

Directorships

A Trustee of the Ananta Aspen Centre,Syeda Imam is Director on the Board of *Bharti Foundation *World Health Partners and *Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation  and * the Indian School. She is Member of *The Women’s Empowerment Committee, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and Director of Centre for Dialogue & Reconciliation Asia, and on the Advisory Board of TALF, The Asian Lenses Forum and NU, NIIT University, Neemrana and of Kama Ayurveda.She is the Founder Director of RUMI Foundation.Earlier for six years of Welham Girl's School and Blind Relief Association/Durgabai Deshmukh College.