Aditya Vikram Birla

Born On: November 14, 1943 Born In: Kolkata, West Bengal Died On: October 1, 1995 Career: Industrialist Nationality: Indian

The grandson of the legendary G.D. Birla, Aditya Vikram Birla was one of the most inspirational and outstanding industrialists that India has ever had. His innovative ideas and marvelous abilities helped India to expand trade to foreign countries, thereby leaving an indelible mark on the corporate landscape. He was one of the first Indian industrialists to set up the largest multinational empire, thereby creating Indias first truly global corporation. Apart from carrying forward his grandfathers legacy, he introduced the concept of sustainable livelihood, wherein he taught people to work and feed themselves and their families for lifetime rather than simply living on the food given. With this, he not only gained name and fame amongst the masses but also set an example for other businessmen to learn from him. With his magnificent and phenomenal efforts to develop his business across India and overseas, he became the new face of Indian business - professional, modern, and forward looking.

The roots of the Aditya Birla Group date back to the 19th century in the picturesque town of Pilani, set amidst the Rajasthan desert. It was here that Seth Shiv Narayan Birla started trading in cotton, laying the foundation for the House of Birlas. Through India's arduous times of the 1850s, the Birla business expanded rapidly. In the early part of the 20th century, our Group's founding father, Ghanshyamdas Birla, set up industries in critical sectors such as textiles and fibre, aluminium, cement and chemicals. As a close confidante of Mahatma Gandhi, he played an active role in the Indian freedom struggle. He represented India at the first and second round-table conference in London, along with Gandhiji. It was at "Birla House" in Delhi that the luminaries of the Indian freedom struggle often met to plot the downfall of the British Raj. Ghanshyamdas Birla found no contradiction in pursuing business goals with the dedication of a saint, emerging as one of the foremost industrialists of pre-independence India. The principles by which he lived were soaked up by his grandson, Aditya Vikram Birla, our Group's legendary leader.

Aditya Vikram Birla: putting India on the world map

A formidable force in Indian industry, Mr. Aditya Birla dared to dream of setting up a global business empire at the age of 24. He was the first to put Indian business on the world map, as far back as 1969, long before globalisation became a buzzword in India. In the then vibrant and free market South East Asian countries, he ventured to set up world-class production bases. He had foreseen the winds of change and staked the future of his business on a competitive, free market driven economy order. He put Indian business on the globe, 22 years before economic liberalisation was formally introduced by the former Prime Minister, Mr. Narasimha Rao and the former Union Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He set up 19 companies outside India, in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt. Interestingly, for Mr. Aditya Birla, globalisation meant more than just geographic reach. He believed that a business could be global even whilst being based in India. Therefore, back in his home-territory, he drove single-mindedly to put together the building blocks to make our Indian business a global force. Under his stewardship, his companies rose to be the world's largest producer of viscose staple fibre, the largest refiner of palm oil, the third-largest producer of insulators and the sixth-largest producer of carbon black. In India, they attained the status of the largest single producer of viscose filament yarn, apart from being a producer of cement, grey cement and rayon grade pulp. The Group is also the largest producer of aluminium in the private sector, the lowest first cost producers in the world and the only producer of linen in the textile industry in India. At the time of his untimely demise in 1995, the Group's revenues crossed Rs.8,000 crore globally, with assets of over Rs.9,000 crore, comprising of 55 benchmark quality plants, an employee strength of 75,000 and a shareholder community of 600,000. Most importantly, his companies earned respect and admiration of the people, as one of India's finest business houses, and the first Indian international Group globally. Through this outstanding record of enterprise, he helped create enormous wealth for the nation, and respect for Indian entrepreneurship in South East Asia. In his time, his success was unmatched by any other industrialist in India. That India attains respectable rank among the developed nations, was a dream he forever cherished. He was proud of India and took equal pride in being an Indian. Early Life Aditya Vikram Birla was born to the industrialist Basant Kumar Birla and Sarala Birla in Kolkata in West Bengal. He was the grandson of the legendary G.D. Birla, a prominent industrialist and founder of the vast Birla industrial empire. The latter had good terms with Mahatma Gandhi and began his fortune with building the popular Ambassador car and aluminum prospecting. Aditya received his formal education from Kolkata and graduated in science from St. Xaviers College. He then went to United States to pursue higher studies in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Career Life After Aditya completed his degree course in chemical engineering, he returned to India and was handed over a part of Birla Company to run. Not to be satisfied with just that, he started his own textile business with Eastern Spinning Mills that became an instant hit in Kolkata. With this, he put

the companys sinking rayon and textile business back on track. This was, however, just the beginning as he showed immense interest and paved the group towards success with every assignment handed over. Adityas next challenge was the expansion of the groups oil sector which again was a victorious attempt. However, with Indira Gandhis socialist ideas of preventing foreign trade, importing world-class technology, and expansion of old plants, Aditya concentrated on Indian rayon with accepting bigger challenges of taking it worldwide. Instead of moving towards the West, Aditya focused on the east and set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd. in Thailand in 1969, thereby launching the groups first overseas company. Flourishing Years After the flying success of Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd., Aditya established P.T. Elegant Textiles for manufacturing spun yarn in Indonesia in 1973. This was the companys first venture there. In 1974, he incorporated the groups Viscose Rayon Staple Fiber as Thai Rayon in Thailand. In the following year in 1975, the first Indo-Filipino joint venture producing spun yarn was established with The Indo Phil Group of Companies in The Philippines. Over the next few years, Aditya launched several more companies and joint ventures throughout the Southeast. He established Pan Century Edible Oils in Malaysia in 1977, which later became the worlds largest single-location palm oil refinery. In 1978, he launched the groups first carbon black company, Thai Carbon Black in Thailand and in 1982, P.T. Indo Bharat Rayon in Indonesia. These were just some efforts that transformed the Birla Group into a blooming blue-chip company and one of Indias largest business conglomerates. Aditya, himself became one of Indias foremost businessmen. With immense profits from overseas joint industrial ventures, Birla Group became the largest multinational company set up by a resident Indian industrialist. By the 1980s, Aditya had established 19 companies in South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Contribution to India It was under the dynamic and influential leadership of Aditya Birla that the company was able to intensify and firm its presence in the core sectors. Even before the word globalization was included in Indias dictionary, Aditya set up a global business empire, thereby placing India on the world map in 1969. Under his guidance, the companies were making immense profits in key sectors of textiles, cement, aluminum, chemicals, fertilizers, fiber, financial services, sponge iron, software, and petro-refinery. Aditya is said to be highly responsible for building and improving the countrys commodity business. With the marvelous success of his Grasim, Hindalco, Indian Rayon, and Indo Gulf Fertilizers, he helped several companies prosper. Though his companies had over 70,000 employees, Aditya was actually generating indirect employment for more than 2 lakh people. Such was the contribution and prosperity brought to India that Aditya helped in earning respect for the Made in India quality stamp. Besides giving name to one of the largest industrial empires in India, Aditya Birla served as the director of Reserve Bank of India, Air India, and The India Fund. He had been a member of the Economic and Trade Mission to Japan led by late L.K. Jha in 1985. Further, he even served as a member of the Trade Mission led by the Indian Finance Minister in 1992. He was appointed as a director on the boards of Industrial Credit and Industrial Corporation, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd., and Bajaj Auto amongst other organizations. Personal Life Aditya Vikram Birla was married to Rajshree. The couple had two kids, daughter Vasavadatta (married to Kushagra Nayan Bajaj), and son Kumar Mangalam (current head of the Aditya Birla

Group). Death Aditya Birla was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993, thereby transferring the responsibilities of the group to wife and son. He was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, United States for treatment and died after four months of struggle on October 1, 1995, at the age of 51, leaving the entire Birla Empire under the charge of his young son Kumar Mangalam. Honors & Awards Outstanding Young Person Award by Bombay Metropolitan Jaycees, 1978 Outstanding Citizen Award by North Bombay Jaycees, 1984 Man of the Year Award by Amravathi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, 1985 Giant Internationals Award in the filed of Business & Industry, 1986 Business Leadership Award by Madras Management Association, 1990 Businessman of the Year Award by Business India, 1990 Management Man of the Year Award by Bombay Management Association, 1992 Rashtra Bhushan Award by FIE Foundation, 1992 Platinum Jubilee Rotary Award for contribution to industry by Rotary Club of Calcutta, 1994 Vocational Excellence Award by Rotary International, January 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Association of Industries, January 1996 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Phenomenal Growth of the Indian Cement Industry by All India Management Association, September 1996 Melvin Jones Fellow Award for Dedicated Humanitarian Services by Lions Club International Foundation Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Timeline 1943: Born in Kolkata, West Bengal 1965: Completed chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and returned to India 1965: Started Eastern Spinning Mills in Kolkata 1969: Set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd. in Thailand 1973: Established P.T. Elegant Textiles in Indonesia 1974: Incorporated Thai Rayon in Thailand 1975: Launched The Indo Phil Group of companies in Philippines 1977: Set up the worlds largest single-location palm oil refinery, Pan Century Edible Oils in Malaysia 1978: Established Thai Carbon Black in Thailand 1982: P.T. Indo Bharat Rayon launched in Indonesia 1985: Conferred upon the Man of the Year Award by Amravathi Chamber of Commerce & Industry 1990: Awarded Businessman of the Year Award by Business India 1995: Died on October 1 from prostate cancer in Baltimore, USA, aged 51 1996: Bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Association of Industries