[1] Parmeshwar was born into a Sikh family on 16 July 1945, the daughter of an army officer.

[5] Frequently described as one of India's leading socialites and philanthropists,[6][7][8][9] she was a close friend of the former cricketer and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, a relationship that often attracted media attention.

[10] She focused her influence on health issues, and was one of the earliest champions of AIDS and HIV awareness in India.

[11] She partnered with actor Richard Gere in 2004 to launch the Heroes Project, an anti-AIDS campaign, with strong support from both the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative.

Parmeshwar Godrej died on 10 October 2016 at Breach Candy Hospital at age 71 due to a degenerative lung disease.