Raj Kanwar has been a journalist, public relations/advertising professional and a businessman at different stages in his eventful career-span of 60 years.
He voluntarily retired in 2000 as the chairman of SK Oilfield Equipment Co. Pvt. Ltd., a family-owned business, to return to his first love of reading and writing. His columns in Garhwal Post and the Himachal Times were hugely popular. He also wrote for a year a weekly column called MY TOWN for Hindustan Times. He has also done freelance writing for some national English dailies.
In September 2004, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. had commissioned Kanwar to write its history of fifty years. The book published by ONGC under the title UPSTREAM INDIA was formally released by Petroleum minister, Murli Deora on 14 August 2006 at a special Golden Jubilee function at Dehra Dun. He was also a co-contributor to an anthology on Dehra Dun titled “ONCE UPON A TIME IN DOON” edited by Ruskin Bond and published by Rupa & Co.
An Alumnus of DAV (PG) College Dehra Dun, Kanwar was also President of its Students Union in 1952-53. Kanwar was also the President of the Doon Club in the year 1991. He is the only person who has been both the President of DAV (PG) College Students Union as also President of Dehra Dun Club Ltd. He is also founder president of DAV (PG) College Alumni Association. He was also instrumental in establishing Doon Citizens Council in 1994.
In his second innings as a journalist, he has been as active as ever. In fact, Kanwar has achieved greater fame now as an international journalist. He is India Correspondent of Indo American News, a Houston based publication. He is also Contributing Editor for South Asia of WORLD OIL – the largest selling and oldest journal in the world. He has now in his twilight years has launched an ambitious project in this unique web portal www.datelinedehradun.com which, he says, will be his legacy to the people of Dehra Dun. Kanwar says that this website will be his legacy to the people of Dehra Dun, the city that he loves immensely.
Kanwar, and Amber, his wife of forty-seven years, live in Dehra Dun. Of their three children, two live in the USA, and the third, a son, is based at Mumbai, running the family business.