Lal came to England with his mother, Jai Kaur, to join his father in 1964. He later set up his own electronics business as well as other businesses. He married Vidya Wati in 1971 and the couple have three daughters and two sons.
Local Councillors of the West Midlands city council of England chose Councillor Indian-origin Chaman Lal to serve as Birmingham's first citizen, making
Councillor Chaman Lal has become the first ever British-Indian Sikh to take oath as Birmingham's Lord Mayor.Born in Pakhowal village of Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, Lal came to England in 1964 with his mother to join his father Sardar Harnam .