kumar mangalam birla is worth about $13.2 billion right now. that is roughly ₹1.1 lakh crore. he runs the aditya birla group. his great-grandfather started it back in the 1800s. today it makes over $72 billion in revenue. it has operations in 40 countries and employs more than 187,000 people.
the 160-year legacy
the birla empire started in the 19th century. gd birla began trading jute in mumbai and calcutta. in 1919 he entered jute mill manufacturing. in 1921 he founded jiyajeerao cotton mills with the maharajah of gwalior. that was the group’s entry into manufacturing.
after independence gd birla was among india’s top industrialists. he ran grasim and started hindalco in 1958. the group grew through the 20th century.
kumar mangalam took over in 1995. he was only 28. his father aditya vikram birla had just passed away. he had studied at london business school. he knew the business world but he was young.
he did not try to change everything overnight. he kept the core businesses running. cement. metals. textiles. then he expanded slowly.
in 2007 he bought novelis. a canadian aluminium company. that cost $6 billion. it was the biggest acquisition the group had ever done. today more than half of the group’s revenue comes from outside india.
cement: ultratech leads the way
the group’s cement business ultratech is india’s largest. in the last quarter it made ₹25,467 crore in sales. profit was a record ₹5,688 crore. that business funds a lot of the group’s growth.
metals: hindalco’s strong performance
hindalco is the metals arm. it had its best quarter ever recently. revenue was ₹78,133 crore. profit rose 10%. the american subsidiary novelis had some problems at its oswego plant. but the indian side did well.
financial services: aditya birla capital grows
aditya birla capital handles financial services. its loan book grew 32% to ₹2,07,368 crore. the asset management and insurance businesses also grew. this arm is becoming a bigger part of the group’s profits.
telecom: vodafone idea stabilises
vodafone idea is the telecom business. it has struggled for years. but recently revenue grew 2.9% to ₹11,332 crore. profit was ₹4,889 crore. still not great but stable. kumar mangalam stepped down as chairman of vodafone idea in 2021. the group still owns a stake.
retail and fashion: aditya birla fashion and retail
aditya birla fashion and retail runs pantaloons and other brands. revenue grew 16% in the last quarter. the company added over 300 stores in the last year. it now has 3,348 stores across 4.9 million square feet.
succession and leadership
kumar mangalam is 57 now. he is married to neerja. they have three children. ananya is a singer and entrepreneur. aryaman used to play cricket. advaitesha is the youngest.
in 2025 ananya and aryaman joined the hindalco board. that is a sign the next generation is being prepared.
the family donated ₹440 crore last year. mostly to healthcare. over five years they have given ₹1,936 crore.
what investors can learn
do not rush. he took over young but did not try to prove himself immediately. he kept the core strong. then he expanded.
he bought big when the time was right. he brought his children into the business slowly. wealth that lasts generations is built this way. slow. steady. patient.
frequently asked questions
1. what makes ultratech cement different from other cement companies?
ultratech is india’s largest cement company. in the last quarter, its revenue was ₹25,467 crore. profit was a record ₹5,688 crore. that scale gives it pricing power and the ability to fund expansion across india. most competitors cannot match that size.
2. how did hindalco perform in the last quarter?
hindalco reported its best quarter ever. consolidated revenue was ₹78,133 crore. ebitda grew 9% to ₹11,197 crore. profit rose 10% to ₹5,796 crore. its american subsidiary novelis had operational problems at the oswego plant. but the indian aluminium business performed strongly.
3. what is aditya birla capital and why does it matter?
aditya birla capital is the group’s financial services arm. it handles lending, asset management, life insurance, and health insurance. its loan book reached ₹2,07,368 crore, up 32% year-on-year. the businesses under it manage assets worth ₹5,91,343 crore. financial services is now a major profit contributor for the group.
4. how is vodafone idea performing now?
vodafone idea has struggled for years. but recent numbers show stability. revenue grew 2.9% to ₹11,332 crore. ebitda rose 4.9% to ₹4,889 crore. the company is not thriving. but it is not collapsing either. kumar mangalam stepped down as chairman in 2021. the group still holds a stake.
