‘India’s story is firm, it’s time to lead capital forward’: Kumar Mangalam Birla at ET Awards

Remaining competitive at a global stage entails investing rather than waiting it out in an uncertain, unstable and unorthodox world, Kumar Mangalam Birla said, accepting the ET Business Leader of the Year award. "I think this (award) is as much for the work that needs to be done. There's much more to do, to imagine, to build, to transform, and a lot more fun to be had," said the Aditya Birla Group chairman, who won the award for the third time.

India and North America will be the two key regions for the conglomerate, Birla said, adding that the India story remains firm. "I do think that all of us must lead our capital forward," he said.



Kumar Mangalam Birla is the sixth generation of the Birla family in business, having taken over the reins of the group nearly three decades ago at the age of under 30 years. The group recently crossed $100 billion in market capitalisation.

"How does one judge a company? Do the criteria depend solely on its profitability, its production figures, market share and product ratings? Or is there some other aspect one must consider as well," Birla said, reading from a letter written by his great grandfather GD Birla in 1973 to shareholders of Grasim Industries. "We have always believed that what really matters is how much the company cares. Not just its own employees, but also the members of the community it lives in," he said, quoting the letter.


A "symbiotic" relationship between legacy and purpose creates enduring institutions, and purpose remains a powerful driver, said Birla, now 57 years old. Thanking his team and his management cadre, Birla said: "I don't for a minute forget that I stand here because of them. I look taller because of them."

Birla dedicated the award to his mother Rajashree Birla. "My mother has been my conscience keeper. She has been my rock of Gibraltar. I've done some crazy things and she has supported me through it all," he said.