Cobra Beer founder and prominent British-Indian businessman Lord Karan Bilimoria has long been recognised as a visionary entrepreneur, but few may know that his journey began in South Africa.
Born in Hyderabad, India in 1961, Bilimoria – B20 South Africa’s co-chair of the Digital Transformation Task Force alongside Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, Shameel Joosub and others – moved to the UK where he qualified as a chartered accountant.
In 1989, he started Cobra Beer and the beverage – positioned as pairing well with Indian
cuisine – revolutionised the UK’s beer market.
Bilimoria has been a vocal advocate for trade, education and multiculturalism and in 2006, he was appointed as a Life Peer, becoming the first Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords, where he champions small businesses, international trade and higher education. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including a CBE and multiple honorary doctorates. He is a Cambridge Law graduate, and also an alumnus of Harvard Business School and London Business School through executive education.
Bilimoria has a South African connection via his wife, Heather, a philanthropist who studied
at Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town.
Bilimoria has been Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom since January 2025.
As a first-time co-chair of the B20 Digital Transformation Task Force, what has been the most stark realisation of digital inclusivity in emerging nations?
The stark realisation for me is that digital inclusivity is not just about access to the internet – it is about meaningful participation. In emerging nations, small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and micro-enterprises are too often locked out by fragmented systems, legal barriers, and a lack of trust.
We need open and inter-operable digital public infrastructure, harmonised data and trusted digital identities to truly level the playing field. Without these foundations, technologies like artificial intelligence cannot deliver their full promise, and millions remain excluded from the benefits of global trade.
From your past experiences as an entrepreneur, what – specifically – do you take into your role as co-chair of the B20 task force?
As an entrepreneur, I’ve lived the daily challenges of building a business – dealing with costs, supply chains, regulation and risk. That experience taught me that reducing friction is the key to unlocking growth.
I bring that perspective to this role: digital infrastructure must simplify business, not complicate it. I also know the importance of resilience and transparency – you cannot build sustainable trade without both.
Above all, I bring the mindset that digital transformation must empower SMEs and communities, so innovation and prosperity are genuinely shared.
