Kumar Mangalam Birla | The success story of an Indian billionaire

Kumar Mangalam Birla is an Indian industrialist and the chairman of of the Aditya Birla Group. It is one of the largest conglomerates in India. After the death of his father Aditya Vikram Birla, Kumar took over as chairman of the Aditya Birla Group at just the age of 28. Under his leadership, Aditya Birla Group became the third-largest business group in India. Today, his net worth is estimated at around US $16.7 billion. Here’s his success story.

Early life

Kumar Mangalam Birla was born on 14 June 1967 in Kolkata. Kumar is a fourth-generation member of the Birla family. He completed his high school at Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. After high school, Kumar obtained a bachelor’s degree from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics of the University of Mumbai. Later, he studied at the London Business School and received a degree in MBA from the University of London in 1992. He is also an honorary fellow at LBS. In addition, he is also a chartered accountant from ICAI. 

Birla’s career

In 1995, Kumar’s father Aditya Vikram Birla passed away due to prostate cancer. At the tender age of 28, Kumar Mangalam Birla took over the position of chairman. In an interview, he said, “It left me with no choice but to grow up fast.” He further said, “It was a huge learning by itself. It taught me about the impermanence of life, to be resilient, and to also appreciate the value of family and close friends that saw us through this very difficult phase.” 

During his tenure as the chairman of Aditya Birla Group, the group’s annual turnover is US$48.3 billion, almost 20 times more than what it was when he took over. In addition, today Aditya Birla Group is a multinational conglomerate operating in 36 countries, with over 120,000 employees. It is spread across diverse sectors that include textiles, cement, metals, chemicals, retail, and telecommunications. Kumar is also the chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science and the chairman of the IIT, Delhi, and IIM, Ahmedabad. 

Lessons we can learn

Due to his father’s death, Kumar Mangalam Birla had to take over his company at a very young age. But, with hard work, passion, and determination, he began making major changes and took ABG to new heights. He once said, “Well, I think the golden rule I can think of is the fact that you must follow your passion and do something that’s close to your heart. And I think that that’s very important, well, to be successful and to be happy.” To succeed, you need to believe in yourself and keep following your dreams.

Also read: RH Macy | Success story of the founder of one the most popular stores