why have the birlas stayed relevant and a force to reckon with in india inc. while their peers are fading away? sutanu guru traces the evolution of the family and the inheritor through triumph & tragedy
It was April, 1992 and Bombay was sweaty, humid and heady. The promoter of Sobhagya Advertising, Ravindra Singhvi wasn’t sweating; but he was nervous for sure. This reporter had flown down to Bombay for an exclusive interview with Aditya Birla, a man who wasn’t really excited at the prospect of answering questions from pesky journalists. Singhvi of Sobhagya came into the picture because his agency was handling the media for the maiden public issue of Mangalore Refineries & Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL), a joint venture through which Aditya Birla had clearly announced to the world that his group would try and become a major player in the oil and petroleum sector (Dhirubhai Ambani had already announced the formation of Reliance Petroleum). As we were ushered into his office in Nariman Point, Aditya Birla clearly looked uncomfortable and impatient and even told this reporter to get on with it. He was actually embarrassed when the photographer requested him to ‘pose’. Giving staccato answers, Aditya Birla kept insisting on how infrastructure will be a key area of investment for any serious business house in the country. He was also gracious enough to invite this reporter for a function at the nearby Oberoi in the evening to celebrate the marriage of his young son Kumarmangalam.
Later in the afternoon, this reporter met the then 72 year old B. K. Birla, father of Aditya Birla and grandfather of Kumarmangalam. He was even more brusque than his son; his words coming out forcefully in an utterly confident manner. Then, B. K. Birla had had predicted that the Birla business family will remain a force and power to reckon with in India Inc. well into the 21st century. And he thought the 25 year old grandson had a very cool and level head on his shoulders. The grandfather was as gracious as the father while inviting us to join the family function to celebrate the marriage of Kumarmangalam. For while, we did attend the function, to observe how painfully shy and reticent Kumarmangalam Birla appeared.
Nobody had an inkling of the momentous events, the triumphs, the failures and the tragedy that were about to unfold in the Birla family and India Inc.
It was April, 1992 and Bombay was sweaty, humid and heady. The promoter of Sobhagya Advertising, Ravindra Singhvi wasn’t sweating; but he was nervous for sure. This reporter had flown down to Bombay for an exclusive interview with Aditya Birla, a man who wasn’t really excited at the prospect of answering questions from pesky journalists. Singhvi of Sobhagya came into the picture because his agency was handling the media for the maiden public issue of Mangalore Refineries & Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL), a joint venture through which Aditya Birla had clearly announced to the world that his group would try and become a major player in the oil and petroleum sector (Dhirubhai Ambani had already announced the formation of Reliance Petroleum). As we were ushered into his office in Nariman Point, Aditya Birla clearly looked uncomfortable and impatient and even told this reporter to get on with it. He was actually embarrassed when the photographer requested him to ‘pose’. Giving staccato answers, Aditya Birla kept insisting on how infrastructure will be a key area of investment for any serious business house in the country. He was also gracious enough to invite this reporter for a function at the nearby Oberoi in the evening to celebrate the marriage of his young son Kumarmangalam.
Later in the afternoon, this reporter met the then 72 year old B. K. Birla, father of Aditya Birla and grandfather of Kumarmangalam. He was even more brusque than his son; his words coming out forcefully in an utterly confident manner. Then, B. K. Birla had had predicted that the Birla business family will remain a force and power to reckon with in India Inc. well into the 21st century. And he thought the 25 year old grandson had a very cool and level head on his shoulders. The grandfather was as gracious as the father while inviting us to join the family function to celebrate the marriage of Kumarmangalam. For while, we did attend the function, to observe how painfully shy and reticent Kumarmangalam Birla appeared.
Nobody had an inkling of the momentous events, the triumphs, the failures and the tragedy that were about to unfold in the Birla family and India Inc.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
