Sanjay Dhar can be best described as a man who is always on the lookout for some new idea or venture that can combine entertainment with knowledge.
A Bombayite (or Mumbaikar – he is comfortable with both) through and through, Sanjay’s relationship with the wonders of Indian cuisine started early – he hails from a Kashmiri Pandit family (those who have had the pleasure of savouring authentic Kashmiri cuisine will know what it means) – and with the added benefit of his mom being a fabulous cook. Further, being able to taste a veritable variety of cuisines from his friends’ lunchboxes to the street food and restaurants of Mumbai (which even in those days was a true food capital of India) – a deep rooted respect for the flavours of food grew in him.
However, as is often the case, he had to pursue the regular science – engineering route on the path to a stable career and while the passion for food stayed and grew, it could never be a part of his professional journey.
A long journey of 25 years followed – which helped him gain experience and cross-industry expertise in entrepreneurship, international business development, business strategy, management and partnership building in the fields of media, education, global events, entertainment (TV and Films), publishing and licensing. The highlight of his journey was the opportunity of working with top global brands like Turner International, CNN, HBO, Cartoon Network and National Geographic.
To put it in business terminology, Sanjay possesses multi-million-dollar program management and sales track record of securing new business and managing partnerships with global private, government and non-profit powerhouses in the Travel and Hospitality Sector, Consumer goods, Banks and Financial services, and other major industry sectors.
During these years, Sanjay had the opportunity to travel to many places in Europe, USA, Canada and Asia – and on each of his travels experiencing the local food and flavours was a must in his itinerary (travel and food are his top 2 passions, he calls himself a global foodie-citizen). With every journey, the strong connection between a country and its food was reinforced in his mind, and the desire to create a content platform that combined the best of food and travel took root and started to grow.
In the summer of 2019, Sanjay decided to finally ‘do something’ about this growing desire – and came up with the idea of a media brand built around the concept of creating a community of foodies – people who love food, bond over it, work with it, and care about it. And thus, The Foodie Network was born. Sanjay has built a team of mentors and columnists that have spent their entire working lives in the world of food and travel, to bring you an experience that will transport you into a world of scenic beauty and gastronomic delights that will leave you asking for more.
Sanjay has been navigating the stormy waters of the Indian media and entertainment industry for nearly 3 decades, and has worked with some of the leading Indian and international media brands in this time. His travels to various international destinations for work and leisure has led him to appreciate the connection between food and travel, and he likes to share his experiences through his articles on Travel and Food Network. He lives in Mumbai, but considers himself a global foodie-citizen.
