25 years of reforms: Aditya Birla group's international footprints made a beeline for success

What it was in 1991:
The Aditya Birla group was primarily a commodities player, spanning cement, aluminium and oil refining. With revenues of around $1.5 billion, it expanded to foreign shores as the licensing raj delayed building new business in India.

How liberalisation changed life:
The group included India’s largest cement maker, largest aluminium producer and third largest mobile telephony company, making it the third largest diversified conglomerate.

Also Read: One-stop guide to India's 25 years of reforms

What he went on to achieve:
The group chose M&As as a key strategy to purchase cement plants both in India and overseas, bought the world’s largest aluminium can maker Novelis and transformed itself from a commodities player to one with interests in mobile telephony, retail, apparel and financial services. It is now looking to diversify into defence.