Aditya Birla Group

Aditya Birla Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai, India. The group's business interests include metals, cement, fashion and retail, financial services, renewables, fibre, textiles, chemicals, real estate, trading, mining, and entertainment. The group has a presence in 36 nations and a combined annual revenue of US$75 billion, over 50% of which is derived from its overseas operations.

Aditya Birla Group has seven companies that are listed publicly, and their total market capitalisation as of March 2024 is over $100 billion. Notable group companies include UltraTech Cement, Hindalco, Novelis, Grasim, Aditya Birla Capital, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail and Vodafone Idea.

History
The group's origins are associated with three individuals: Ghanshyam Das Birla (G.D. Birla), Aditya Birla and Kumar Mangalam Birla.

Ghanshyam Das Birla (1894–1983) Born into a business family, G.D. Birla began his career in the family's trading business. He expanded into various industries like jute, cotton, and textiles. G.D. Birla established multiple manufacturing businesses that laid the foundation for the Aditya Birla Group. He was recognized for his charitable acts and his connection with Mahatma Gandhi.

Aditya Vikram Birla (1943–1995), the grandson of G.D. Birla, grew the group's operations. At 24, Aditya Birla began establishing businesses abroad. In 1969, he founded 19 companies in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Egypt. Under his leadership, the group diversified into multiple sectors such as metals, cement, textiles, and telecom.

Kumar Mangalam Birla (1967-current), became the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group in 1995, succeeding his late father Aditya Vikram Birla when he was just 28 years old. Under his leadership, the group's annual turnover grew from $2 billion in 1995 to $60 billion in 2022.

Timeline

 * 1969: At the age of 24, Aditya Birla assumed control of the group. He set up 19 companies outside India, in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Egypt.
 * 1996: The group's revenue was $2 billion.
 * 2007: The group made a major move into the metals industry with the acquisition of Novelis, a producer of flat-rolled aluminium products, for $6.1 billion.
 * 2008: The group ventured into the telecom sector through the acquisition of Spice Communications for $1.8 billion.
 * 2010: Aditya Birla Group's cement arm, UltraTech Cement, acquired the Dubai-based ETA Star Cement Company for an enterprise value of $380 million. This acquisition helped the group become the third-largest cement producer globally (excluding China).
 * 2011: The group diversified into the pulp and fibre industry with the acquisition of Domsjö Fabriker for $340 million.
 * 2012: The group expanded the fashion and retail segment with the acquisition of Pantaloons, a branded apparel company, for $437 million.
 * 2014: The group acquired Jaypee Cement for $634 million.
 * 2016: The group acquired Jaiprakash Associates for $2.3 billion.
 * 2018: The group acquired Binani Cement for $1.1 billion.
 * 2019: The group acquired Century Cement for $1.2 billion. Group company ABFRL announced strategic partnership with designer brand Shantanu and Nikhil.
 * 2020: The group purchased the aluminium company Aleris for $2.8 billion.
 * 2021: Grasim entered the paints business. ABFRL announced strategic partnerships with designer brands Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi.
 * 2022: The group's revenue reached $60 billion. The group also launched TMRW, a D2C retail platform, and Grasim's B2B e-commerce venture in the building materials segment. ABFRL announced a partnership with designer Masaba Gupta to build a lifestyle portfolio under brand Masaba.
 * 2024: The group revenue reached US$75 billion.

Areas of operation
The Aditya Birla Group operates across 36 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Metal: In 2007, Hindalco acquired Atlanta-based aluminum manufacturer Novelis Inc. for $6 billion. This made Hindalco the world's largest aluminum rolling company and a major producer of primary aluminum in Asia. Its subsidiary, Birla Copper, operates Asia's largest single-site copper smelter.

Cement: The group is the third-largest cement producer globally (excluding China) and the largest in India. It operates under the brand name UltraTech Cement.

Textiles: Aditya Birla Textiles consists of Textiles (linen and wool), acrylic fiber, and overseas spinning sectors, with manufacturing units across five countries. Its acrylic fibre business has a capacity of about 125,000 tonnes.

Carbon Black: Birla Carbon produces and supplies carbon black additives for tires, plastics, paints, and electronics. It has manufacturing units in Marietta and Taloja.

Chemicals: Established in 1984, Aditya Birla Chemicals produces chlor-alkali and caustic soda, with 8 units in India and 1 in Thailand.

Financial Services: Aditya Birla Capital manages around Rs. 3.6 trillion AUM and has a lending book of about Rs. 943 billion as of 31 March 2023, through its subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Fashion and Retail: A fashion and lifestyle company headquartered in India, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL) was renamed from Pantaloons in 2015 after Aditya Birla Nuvo acquired major stakes in 2012.

Insulators: Aditya Birla Insulators is India's largest and the world's third-largest insulator manufacturer.

Renewables: Aditya Birla Renewables is a joint venture between Birla Group and Abraaj, with Birla holding 51% and Abraaj 49%. It operates 2.3 GW renewable capacity in 9 Indian states and announced 4.5 GW by FY2026 through utility and commercial projects.

Mining: The group has mineral resource operations through its subsidiary Essel Mining Industries Ltd.

Telecom: The group has a presence in the telecom sector through its joint venture, Vodafone Idea.

Besides these sectors, the group has also ventured into paints, e-commerce for building materials, and DTC retail via TMRW.

Philanthropy
The Aditya Birla Group's welfare-driven activities are overseen by the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, which is chaired by Rajashree Birla. The group's corporate social responsibility initiatives focus on healthcare, education, sustainable livelihood programs, infrastructure development, and social reforms through model villages.

The group implemented programs in partnership with NGOs and government agencies, including the Aditya Birla Public Health Initiative, and Project Unnati.

Healthcare
The group operates 24 hospitals and runs 6,000 medical camps in India.

Other contributions
Kumar Mangalam Birla and his family ranked fourth on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List in 2021 and 2022, donating INR 377 crore and INR 242 crore respectively. The Aditya Birla Group donated INR 500 crore to the PM CARES Fund in 2020. In 2019, Kumar Mangalam Birla created a £15mn scholarship program at the London Business School in memory of his grandfather, Basant Kumar Birla.

Government schemes
The group accesses government schemes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Swachh Bharat Mission, National Rural Drinking Water Program, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Renewable Energy Development Program, Integrated Child Development Services, National TB Elimination Program and Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana.