Sunil Kant Munjal conferred Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite
The award was presented in recognition of Mr Munjal’s outstanding contribution to India’s civil society through his lifelong commitment to education, innovation, and the democratisation of culture, as well as his dedication to fostering deep and lasting ties between France and India.
The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Thierry Mathou, today conferred the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) on Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprise and Founder of the Serendipity Arts Foundation.
One of France’s most distinguished honours, the award was presented in recognition of Mr Munjal’s outstanding contribution to India’s civil society through his lifelong commitment to education, innovation, and the democratisation of culture, as well as his dedication to fostering deep and lasting ties between France and India.
As Founder and Patron of the Serendipity Arts Foundation and the Serendipity Arts Festival, Mr Munjal has placed culture and creativity at the heart of social transformation. Over the past decade, the festival in Goa has become one of India’s most dynamic cultural platforms, celebrated for its interdisciplinary approach, inclusivity, and support to emerging artists. Through these initiatives, Mr Munjal has been identified as a true passeur — the French word for “bridge-builder” — linking heritage and innovation, India and the world, and ensuring that access to culture becomes a right for all.
Presenting the award, Ambassador Thierry Mathou said: “Through his vision, generosity, and deep sense of civic responsibility, Mr Munjal has redefined what cultural leadership means in India today. His initiatives — from Serendipity Arts to The Brij — perfectly illustrate the idea of culture for all, as a living space for creativity, innovation, and social cohesion. This vision resonates strongly with France’s own strategy of promoting the cultural and creative industries as drivers of inclusion and growth. We look forward to continuing building with him the bridges of tomorrow between France and India.”
Accepting the honour, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal said: “This honour is deeply personal — because it celebrates not just the work we do at the Serendipity Arts Foundation, but the invisible bridges built between France and India through art, conversation, and shared curiosity. France has taught us that style is substance; India has taught us that soul is substance. Together, they remind us that culture is humanity’s most beautiful common language.”
About Mr Sunil Kant Munjal
Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal is Chairman of The Hero Enterprise, a diversified group active in insurance distribution, steel manufacturing, education, and investment. A former Joint Managing Director of Hero MotoCorp, he has been a key architect of India’s economic and industrial modernisation. He serves on the boards of India’s leading educational institutions — IIM Ahmedabad, ISB, SRCC, and has helmed the governing body of The Doon School — and is deeply engaged in philanthropy, skill development, and healthcare.
In 2014, he founded the Serendipity Arts Foundation, whose mission is to make art accessible to all and to promote interdisciplinary creativity. He is currently developing The Brij, a major cultural centre in New Delhi that will host exhibitions, residencies, and training programmes for the next generation of cultural professionals.
The partnership between France and the Serendipity Arts Foundation has flourished under his leadership. Serendipity was among the first partners of Villa Swagatam, France’s artist and writer residency programme in India, inaugurated in 2023. The Foundation has also partnered with Les Rencontres d’Arles to institute the Serendipity Arles Grant, now entering its third edition, which supports South Asian photographers and visual artists. Several French institutions — including the Jeu de Paume, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), and leading choreographic companies, such as (La)Horde/Ballet national de Marseille and Compagnie Käfig with Pixel, have presented their work at the festival, further deepening Indo-French cultural dialogue.
Building on this strong foundation, the Embassy of France in India and the Serendipity Arts Foundation are now working to strengthen their collaboration through The Brij. This ambitious project will embody a shared vision of culture as both a space for innovation and a tool for inclusion.
About the Ordre national du Mérite
The French government distinction, Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit), was instituted in 1963 by General Charles de Gaulle. It is awarded for distinguished services rendered in public, civil, military posts, or a private profession.
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