DR ISSAC JOHN PATTANIPARAMBIL

'CELEBRATED JOURNALIST AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST'

Dr. Issac John Pattaniparambil is an Indian journalist and media personality in the Middle East mainstream media. He is the Managing Editor of Khaleej Times and has been an active journalist for over four decades. Apart from journalism, Dr. Issac has also made notable contributions in various fields, including social, humanitarian, cultural, arts, literature, astrology, and business.

Early Life and Education:
Born into a well-known household, Pattaniparambil in Kayamkulam, Kerala, Dr. Issac obtained a post-graduate degree in English Literature and later pursued a post-graduate diploma course in journalism from the Institute of Journalism, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala, India. He also holds a Doctorate in Business Management from Azteca University, with his dissertation titled “The Role of Media in Galvanizing the all-round economic growth of the UAE.”

Personal Life:
Dr. Issac is married to Esther and has two children, Dhanya and Dipin, and four grandchildren — Jayden Prince, Abigail Prince, Eliza Dipin, and Zach Dipin. He is passionate about both Astrology and Vastu. He has been seriously pursuing them as hobbies for the past 20 years.

Career:
Dr. Issac’s career journey began in the late 1970s as he embarked on his pursuit of higher education to qualify for the Indian Administrative Services. He kick-started his professional journey as a lecturer at Shankar’s College in Trivandrum while also holding down a job in the Kerala Government Secretariat. However, his dreams of furthering his education in the United States were put on hold as his student visa application got rejected. Determined to explore other options, Issac John landed a job at Gulf News in Dubai in 1980, where he started his illustrious career as a sub-editor trainee. By 1986, he was promoted to the position of Chief Sub-Editor, where he was responsible for editing the fastest-growing daily in the Middle East. At Gulf News, he became a versatile writer, covering politics, business, sports, and social and cultural events. He was instrumental in bringing out the UAE’s first full-page opinion article on the first Gulf War in 1991.

Dr. Issac’s career continued to soar as he went on to become the Dubai Bureau Chief at Emirates News in April 1991. He served in that position for over a year before moving on to Khaleej Times in June 1992, where he held various positions, including Business Correspondent, Chief Reporter, Deputy Business Editor, Associate Editor, and Editorial Director. Currently, as Managing Editor of Khaleej Times, he is responsible for assigning reporters to cover events while also writing analytical reports and in-depth articles, mostly on business-related topics.

As his career progressed, Dr. Issac John became a regular contributor to India’s largest regional language daily, Malayala Manorama. Additionally, he served as a consultant editor for the Gulf’s first and only Who’s Who published from Bahrain. He also headed the jury that selected outstanding NRIs in the Gulf for Achievers published from the UAE. In more than four decades of journalistic career in the UAE, Dr. Issac has worked for nine years with the Gulf News, two years with Emirates News (Abu Dhabi), one year with a business magazine UAE Digest, and 32 years with Khaleej Times.

Social Activism and Contributions:

Dr. Issac has set a distinctive track record with his exemplary services and contributions in a variety of other fields social, humanitarian, cultural, arts, literature, astrology and business. (www.issacjohn.com). He is a highly accomplished individual with a plethora of achievements and contributions to various organizations. He is the Global Advisory Board Chair of the World Malayalee Council and a supporter of various organizations. Dr. Issac has been nominated as a Member of the Loka Kerala Sabha for three terms in a row and is serving his third two-year term as a Lok Kerala Sabha Member. He has been a strong advocate for the causes of non-resident investors and entrepreneurs in Kerala.

Moreover, Dr. Issac is the Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Arts and Leadership Academy (GALA), a non-profit organization devoted to fostering, assisting, and sustaining excellence in literature, music, sports, and art. Under the GALA banner, he held several prestigious award events and shows to honour and reward eminent writers and artistes from India and the Arab world. Additionally, he is the President of Kala Bhavan Global, which he co-founded in 1998 along with the legendary priest Fr. Abel to promote traditional art forms of India among children of the Indian community in the Gulf.

Dr. Issac is also the Director of the US-based International Institute for Scientific and Academic Collaboration (IISAC), which is a non-profit organisation registered in New Jersey, the United States, for promoting cultural understanding, international education, faculty-led programmes, experiential learning, youth enrichment activities, and international research for moulding a generation of students who will thrive in the liberalized 21st-century global society. He is also the Chief Patron of the All-Kerala Colleges Alumni Forum (ACKAF), which is an apex body of more than 165 college alumni groups in the UAE.

Furthermore, Dr. Issac is the patron of Abhaya, a charity organisation that takes care of the destitute and underprivileged in Kayamkulam, Kerala, and the Pravasi Welfare Association of Kayamkulam NRIs in the UAE. He is also the Honorary Adviser to the Esteem Group of Companies, Dubai, and the Patron of alumni of Milad-e-Sherif Memorial College, Dubai.

 

Dr. Issac’s rich journalistic track record and extensive media network helped him win a new global responsibility in May 2012 when he was nominated as the Chairman of the Global Media Council of the UN-accredited Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) bringing together journalists of Indian origin across the globe. Later, as GOPIO’s Global Ambassador, his role was to help leverage the financial and professional resources of PIOs for their benefit and India.

As the Global Ambassador of GOPIO and former Chairman of GOPIO Media Council, Dr. Issac is engaged in strengthening the network of the organisation across the globe while seeking to reposition the forum as a think-tank and a mutual engagement platform between the NRIs and the Government of India.

Dr. Issac’s contributions towards fostering economic and cultural ties between India and Gulf countries are remarkable. He has done exclusive interviews with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Presidents Pratibha Patel, Abdul Kalam, and Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress Party, on the eve of their visits to the UAE. He interviewed Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airline Group and Dubai Airports, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in 1992 at the construction site of Dubai Creek Golf Club, HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence. He had covered HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s first visit to India, and also HE Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak’s visit to India. He has interacted with several other heads of state including US President Bill Clinton, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, Prime Minister of various countries, including Australia, Trinidad, Nepal, and Chief Ministers of various Indian states.

Dr. Issac has also interviewed and interacted with several world leaders and personalities including presidents of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, senior statesmen, top diplomats, Federal cabinet ministers, governors, and politicians and state ministers. He has interviewed scores of leading businessmen including M.A. Yusuff Ali, Sunny Varkey, Ravi Pillai, Shamsudheen bin Mohideen Mammu Haji, Chairman of Regency Group; all four Hinduja brothers, Anil Agarwal, founder and chairman of Vedanta Group; Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro; Michael Dell, CEO of Dell;  N.R. Narayana Murthy, chairman emeritus of Infosys, Dr. Azad Moopen, chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, Rizwan Sajan, chairman of Danube Group; PNC Menon, chairman of Sobha Group; Mohamed Alabbar, founder and chairman of Emaar; Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of DP World; Ahmed Sultan bin Sulayem, executive chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre; Colm McLoughlin, Dubai Duty-Free’s executive vice chairman and CEO; ambassadors of various nations, Dr. Roy CJ, chairman of Confident Group, Hussain Sajwani, CEO of Damac Properties; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, chairman of Nakheel; Joy Alukkas, chairman of Alukkas; M.P. Ahammed, chairman of Malabar Gold and Jewellery Group; Tawhid Abdullah, chairman of Dubai Jewellery Group; Babu John, chairman of Sky Jewellery; TS Kalyanraman, managing director of Kalyan Jewellers; John Scully, CEO of Apple.; BR Shetty, former chairman of NMC Healthcare Group and UAE Exchange; George Muthoot, chairman of Muthoot Group, Gokulam Gopalan, chairman of Gokulam Group.  Dr. Isaac has interviewed many more business and other leaders, and the list is endless.

Achievements

Dr. Issac has been in the UAE’s mainstream journalism for more than 40 years and has been a veteran of many breaking news stories. He played a key role along with the International Institute for Scientific and Academic Collaboration in bringing out the landmark 1,600-page reference book “An Introduction to Kerala Studies.”

Dr. Issac has held many positions of leadership in various organizations. He was the President of Fatima Mata National College Alumni, the UAE (2000-2001). He was the Global Chairman of the World Malayalee Council (2012-2015 & 2016-2018) and the Global President of the World Malayalee Council (2015-2016).

As a well-respected figure in both print and visual media, Dr. Issac presented a memento to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview in New Delhi. Dr. Issac’s extensive work includes his popular television series, ‘Symphony Global Indian’, which profiles highly successful global business tycoons on Amrita TV and E-Vision channels. He is also a frequent commentator on regional social and economic issues on Indian television and radio. He has made his mark as a prolific writer, economic analyst, political and business commentator, and television host in both English and Malayalam media. His insightful analysis of global and regional business and economic issues and trends has resulted in more than 13,500 by-lined published articles.

Dr. Issac is a multi-talented individual who has also made his debut as a film actor through two award-winning films, "Netaji" and "Appuvinte Sathyanweshanam (Appu in Search of Truth)." Through his work in both print and digital media, he has always been at the forefront of promoting Indian interests by projecting the nation in his tireless efforts that have had a positive impact on the lives of Indian expatriates and businessmen in the Gulf. He has been instrumental in influencing Arab and foreign media to bring to the attention of Arab governments and authorities the harsh challenges faced by the expatriate Indian community, particularly low-salary workers and housemaids.

As the Global Chairman of the World Malayalee Council (2012-2018) and Global Ambassador of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), he has championed the cause of blue-collar migrants and helped reform the sector by securing several pro-labour measures and rules to alleviate their plight and reduce labour rights violations. As the Global Chairman of the World Malayalee Council from 2012-2018, Dr. Issac was instrumental in preparing the Diaspora for the revolutionary transformation taking place as a result of quantum leaps in technology. He is also the founder and patron of several other NRI bodies.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, as the chief patron of the All Kerala Colleges Alumni Forum (AKCAF), Dr. Issac played a key role in organising several free chartered flights from the UAE to repatriate hundreds of people who lost their jobs to India, and several blood donation drives and several relief mission for Covid-19 victims by facilitating the delivery of free food, medicine and quarantine services. Issac has organised several youth festivals literary seminars and awards events to promote Indian culture and arts.

Dr. Issac’s contributions extend beyond media and into social welfare measures. He led a team of reporters and photographers in prompting the attention of authorities in India and the UAE towards solving the problems and challenges faced by the working labour class during the General Amnesty declared in the UAE in the 1990s and 2000.
Dr. Issac’s efforts have also impacted the youth. He launched the annual Inter-School Youth Festival in the UAE in 2001 as president of ACKAF, which provided a platform for children to demonstrate their talents in traditional Indian arts and culture. In 2001, GALA in cooperation with ACKAF instituted the largest prize money for literary eminence in Malayalam.
His dedication to promoting Indian interests and improving the lives of Indian expatriates is highly commendable. The UAE delegation, which included Dr. Issac, Global Chairman of the World Malayalee Council, presented the Chief Minister with a replica of the champion’s trophy won by Kerala Kings, a testament to Dr. Issac’s commitment to promoting positive relationships between India and the Gulf.

Dr. Issac has to his credit more than 55 national, regional and international awards. He has an impressive record of receiving numerous awards for his contributions in various fields. He was recognized with the Pan Arab Media Quality Award, DSS Award for Best Creative Writing, and GOPIO Media Community Service Award. In 2019, he achieved two Guinness Book of Records accolades within two months. Furthermore, he received three awards from the Kerala Chief Minister in a row, including the Kairali TV Excellence in Journalism Award in October and the Loka Media Award instituted by Loka Madhyama Sabha in December. The UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry awarded him the Award of Appreciation, and he was recognized with the Best Media Personality Award. He was also honoured with the KC Varghese Foundation Media Award, the Elemec Award for Best Journalist, and the Pravasi Ratna Award for Journalism. His two films, ‘Netaji’ and ‘Appuvinte Sathyanweshanam (Appu in Search of truth)’,’ also earned him awards. He was also awarded by the International Institute for Scientific and Academic Collaboration. Other awards include the Award for Excellence in International Business Journalism; the Award for Services to the Community; The Malaysian Business Media Award; the Asian Achiever Award; The SNC Roots India Award; the Award of Appreciation from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; The Malankara Syrian Church Illustrious Son Accolade and The Excellence in Global Business Journalism Award from World Malayalee Council in Cologne.

Dr. Issac served as a consultant editor for the Gulf’s first and only Who’s Who published from Bahrain. He worked alongside the International Institute for Scientific and Academic Collaboration to bring out the landmark 1,600-page reference book “An Introduction to Kerala Studies.”

Contact:

Dr. ISAAC JOHN
MANAGING EDITOR
KHALEEJ TIMES
P.O. Box: 11243, Dubai.

M:+971 50 6259941
E: isacjohn@gmail.com
issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com