Kumar Mangalam Birla
Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

Kumar Mangalam Birla is Chairman of the US $ 28 billion Aditya Birla Group, India’s first truly multinational corporation. An iconic figure, Birla holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional Boards. He is a Director of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India and Chairman of the Staff Sub-Committee of the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India. He serves on The Prime Minister of India’s Advisory Council on Trade and Industry. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trade constituted by the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, also Chairman of the Ministry of Company Affairs’ Advisory Committee.

Additionally, Birla is on the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); the Apex Advisory Council of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, New Delhi and the Advisory Council for the Centre for Corporate Governance. He served as the Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India’s Committee on Corporate Governance, and as Chairman of SEBI’s Committee on Insider Trading. He authored the nation’s First Report on Corporate Governance.

On the Academic front, Birla is the Chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani. He is also a Director on the G D Birla Medical Research & Education Foundation. Additionally, he on the Asian Regional Advisory Board of the London Business School which provides counsel on the School’s strategy and curriculum. He is an “Honorary Fellow” of the London Business School (LBS), a title conferred upon him by the Governing Board of the LBS.

Several accolades have been showered on Birla such as The Asia Pacific Global HR Excellence – “Exemplary Leader” Award and NDTV’s “Global Indian Leader of the Year”, and “The Most Socially Responsible Leader” by Outlook Business magazine – all in 2007. Earlier, The Lakshmipat Singhania – IIM, Lucknow National Leadership Award – 2006, Business Leader, was conferred on Birla by the Indian Prime Minister. Birla also has been named the World Economic Forum’s “Young Global Leader“, “The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, The Economic Times – “Business Leader of the Year”, Business India’s “Business Man of the Year”, Business Today’s “Young Super Performer in the CEO Category”, NITIE’s “Business Visionary”, and the Bombay Management Association’s “The Management Man of the Year”.

In recognition of his exemplary contribution to Indian business, The Banaras Hindu University awarded the D Litt (Honoris Causa) Degree to him. The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) was bestowed on Birla in recognition of his invaluable contribution in the field of Business Administration by the G D Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar. For the development of technology and also for the involvement in the field of industries in bringing the country at par with other countries in the field of Industries, the SRM University in Tamil Nadu conferred the Degree of Doctor of Literature. To salute his entrepreneurial excellence and exemplary contribution to Indian business, the All India Management Association conferred its “Honorary Fellowship” on him. Likewise, The National HRD Network named him “The Outstanding Business Man of the Year”. A Chartered Accountant, Birla earned an MBA from the London Business School, where he is also an Honorary Fellow.