Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla appeared as a contestant on Amitabh Bachchan’s quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati 17 on Monday, walking away with Rs 12.5 lakh prize. However, it was the stories of the Aditya Birla Group chairperson that won over the audience. The tycoon appeared in a special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, flanked by his family, where he shared some interesting stories and anecdotes with Bachchan.
While talking to Big B, Birla revealed that his family has had a long-standing relationship with the Tata group. He also talked at length about his grandfather, father, and his family’s legacy in the Indian business space.
The bond with Ratan Tata
Kumar Mangalam Birla revealed that his grandfather, Basant Kumar Birla, was in fact close friends with JRD Tata. He said, “Amit ji, our family has always shared a very close relationship with the Tata family. JRD Tata and my grandfather were close friends. There was a time when the Birla family held more shares in some Tata companies than the Tatas themselves. That’s how strong the trust and bond between the two families was.”
He continued, “Ratan Tata and my father were good friends too. During my father’s last rites, he was with us, and he told me, ‘Always remember that you have a friend in me.’ He was a great humanitarian. His passing last year… we lost a true son of India. He was an incredible human being and led a very simple life. He never made anyone feel that he belonged to the Tata family.”
The condition Kumar Mangalam Birla put on him for joining family business
He recalled how his father put a condition before he could join the business. “I had thought that after graduation, I would go to Papa’s office and start working. Papa said you will have to first do CA (Chartered Accountancy). Now CA is a very difficult thing. At that time, I could see all my wishes flying out of the window. So I kept saying, I will do MBA, I won’t do CA.”
However, his father was having none of it. He said, “Papa said that if you don’t become a CA, then there is no work for you in this office. So I went to Dadaji (grandfather), and I was crying a bit, saying please save me. Dadaji said that I cannot help you in this, you have to do it. I asked Mummy, she said you will have to do it. Do it crying or do it smiling.”
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Kumar Mangalam Birla recalls father’s death at 27
He also recalled how he dealt with father Aditya Birla’s untimely death. “I was 27 years old when my father passed away. I couldn’t understand how to handle everything. At that time, I used to read the Hanuman Chalisa four times a day. I would write ‘Ram, Ram’ on the walls in many books. After he left, my grandfather supported me a lot. He always kept his hand on my head. But I didn’t like putting so much burden on him. But when my grandfather passed away, I opened his cupboard and saw that he lived a very simple life. I was very shocked seeing all that at that time.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla’s net worth
Founded by Seth Shiv Narayan Birla in the 19th century, the Birla group grew under the leadership of Aditya Kumar Birla and his son Kumar Mangalam. The group is a Fortune 500 entity, and its 2025 projections are around $65 billion. According to Forbes magazine, Kumar’s own net worth is around Rs 2130 crore, making him one of the biggest names in the Indian business landscape.
A chartered accountant by training, he serves as the Chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani. He is also the former chairman of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. he has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan.
Kumar Mangalam Birla’s family and children
He has three children, Ananya, Advaitesha, and Aryaman. Ananya is a businesswoman herself and an artist. She was enrolled in Oxford University but dropped out to follow her passion for music. This proved to be the right choice, as she soon became the first Indian to go Platinum with her song Living the Life, featuring Afrojack. She also started the company Svatantra Microfin, a microfinance venture that provides loans to women in rural areas. She later co-founded MPower, a platform for removing the stigma around mental health and illnesses. Her cosmetic venture came through Birla Cosmetics and is one of the fastest-growing brands in the space.
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Advaitesha started the platform Ujaas, which brings much-needed awareness to menstrual health and hygiene. Aryaman, on the other hand, is a budding cricketer who also manages the Aditya Birla Renewables branch for the group.
