In 2006 Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. Lord Bilimoria holds a number of public appointments, including President of the UK-India Business Council, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, Deputy President of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Chancellor of Thames Valley University, one of Britain's largest universities.
He has also served as Chairman of the Government's National Employment Panel, and was Chairman of the Panel's Small and Medium Enterprise Board from 2001 to 2005. Lord Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, and Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, which remains one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK. In 2004 he was awarded the Commander of the British Empire, and last year he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India.