Sanmar Chairman Vijay Sankar Elected FICCI President as Chamber Marks 100th Year

Vijay Sankar, chairman of The Sanmar Group, has been named President‑Elect of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the 2026‑27 term, coinciding with the chamber’s centenary year. The decision was taken at a meeting of FICCI’s National Executive Committee on Thursday. Sankar, who is now senior vice‑president of FICCI, will take over from current president Anant Goenka after the annual general meeting and convention in New Delhi on November 18‑19. His appointment brings a Chennai‑based industrialist back to the top of the organisation after more than twenty years; the previous Tamil‑Nadu leader was A. C. Muthiah, who served as president in 2002‑03. Founded in 1927, FICCI is one of India’s oldest and largest business bodies. The Sanmar Group, headquartered in Chennai, operates in chemicals, speciality chemicals, engineering, steel foundries and shipping, with plants in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal, Puducherry. Apart from heading Sanmar, Sankar chairs Chemplast Sanmar Ltd and sits as an independent director on the boards of TVS Motor Company Ltd and Larsen & Toubro Ltd. He is a chartered accountant, holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and serves as Denmark’s honorary consul‑general in Chennai.

Context

The change reflects FICCI’s tradition of rotating leadership among major industry houses, and highlights the growing influence of South‑Indian firms in national policy dialogues.