The Birlas’ history is intertwined with that of Indian independence. Ganshyam Das Birla, Kumar Mangalam Birla’s grandfather, was a close friend and patron of Mahatma Gandhi and his industrial interests helped to bankroll the freedom movement. Gandhi. pictured at the Birla family home in Delhi, was shot dead in the grounds of the property in 1948.
After growing rich in the jute and cotton trades, the Calcutta-based Birlas branched out into other sectors, including making the Hindustan Ambassador car. The conglomerate is named after Kumar’s father, Aditya, who led its first push overseas, entering Thailand, Egypt and Malaysia in the 1960s and 1970s.
Although Kumar Birla says that he considers Calcutta his home, much of the family was forced to quit for Mumbai because of a Maoist insurgency in the 1970s, which prompted fears that industrialists could be kidnapped or killed.
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