All eyes on Birla scions

17 February 2023, Mumbai

Ananya and Aryaman are on the board of Aditya Birla.

They are the children of Kumar Mangalam Birla and it is a sign the reins of the storied group which traces its antecedents back to 1857 will stay in the hands of a Birla scion.

In 1977 Aditya Vikram Birla became the company’s chairman and in 1995 following his sudden and tragic death Kumar Mangalam Birla, then just 28, replaced him as chairman. Tutored perhaps by the tragic death of his father when he was just 51, Kumar Birla clearly wants his own children to be put through the paces in preparation of future roles.

Traditionally, women in the group haven’t got directly involved with the family business. But that was in the past. Ananya has already proved her metier as an entrepreneur and, as the eldest, may well be put in charge of a business once she has had sufficient exposure.

What the group needs now from the two inheritors is the energy and dynamism of youth, along with a more native understanding of the changing marketplace. They are expected to bring insights into new-age businesses and consumer behavior into the group. As of now the Birla conglomerate relies heavily on textiles, cement and aluminum, which in turn has kept its market cap much lower than that of its peers.

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