Who is Kumar Mangalam Birla? Billionaire industrial takes hot seat on KBC 17

Indian billionaire industrial Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairperson of the Aditya Birla Group, made his television debut on Amitabh Bachchan’s quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati 17 on December 29. The episode, aired on Sony Entertainment, offered viewers a rare glimpse into the more personal side of the otherwise low-profile business leader, who heads one of India’s largest conglomerates. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.(Reuters) Who is Kumar Mangalam Birla?Birla is the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, a diversified multinational group with interests spanning cement, metals and mining, telecommunications, financial services, textiles, retail, real estate and jewellery. Over the last three decades at the helm, he has been credited with accelerating the group’s growth, strengthening meritocracy and enhancing stakeholder value. Birla also serves as the Chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani and is the former chairman of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. In 2023, he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour. A Chartered Accountant training, Birla also holds an MBA from the London Business School. He chairs the boards of key group companies in India and abroad, including Hindalco Industries, Grasim Industries, UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, Aditya Birla Capital, Novelis Inc., Birla Carbon, Aditya Birla Chemicals, Domsjö Fabriker and Terrace Bay Pulp Mill. What is Kumar Mangalam Birla’s net worth?According to a report Bloomberg, Birla took charge of the group in 1995 at the age of 28, following the death of his father, Aditya Vikram Birla. Early in his tenure, he travelled extensively across the group’s factories and offices, overhauled financial practices, hired leaders from multinational backgrounds and introduced a retirement age of 60. He led major expansion initiatives, helping build UltraTech Cement into India’s largest producer of the material. Under his leadership, the group also entered new areas such as telecom and organised retail. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Birla’s net worth currently stands at $22.9 billion.