Aditya Vikram Birla

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Aditya Vikram Birla

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Aditya Vikram Birla

Born

November 14, 1943 Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Died

October 1, 1995 (aged 51) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Nationality

Indian

Ethnicity

Marwari

Alma mater

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Occupation

Former Chairman of Aditya Birla Group

Religion

Hindu

Spouse(s)

Rajashri Birla

Children

Kumar Mangalam (son) Vasavadatta (daughter)

Aditya Vikram Birla (14 November 1943 1 October 1995), was an Indian industrialist. Born into one of the largest business families of India, Birla oversaw the diversification of his group into textiles, petrochemicals and telecommunications. He was one of the first Indian industrialists to expand abroad, setting up plants in South

east Asia, the Philippines and Egypt, among other places. His unexpected death at the age of 52 left his young son in charge of his group of companies and also much doubt about whether it would survive him. These doubts however proved unfounded as his company has enjoyed success and so has his legacy of philanthropic activities.
Contents
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1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Legacy 4 Biography 5 Notes and references 6 External links

Early life and education[edit source | editbeta]

Birla was born on 14 November 1943 in Kolkata to industrialist Basant Kumar [1] and Sarala Birla.[2] His grandfather Ghanshyam Das Birla was an associate of Mahatma Gandhi and had built his fortune on aluminium prospecting and as the manufacturer of the Ambassador car.[1] After college in Kolkata, he earned a degree in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1] He was married to Rajashri and had a daughter Vasavadatta and a sonKumar Mangalam,[1] who now heads the Aditya Birla Group.[3] In 1993, Birla was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His wife and son took on many of the responsibilities of the group [4] (There were rumors that he suffered a slipped disc in 1995, but it wasn't true.) He was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for treatment for prostate cancer. After four months of struggle he died on 1 October 1995.[1] Aditya Vikram Birla, the chairman of the $2.3-billion Birla Group and an advocate of expanding Indian economic activity abroad, died Sunday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore of complications arising from pneumonia, according to his business associates.[5] Mr. Birla, who was 51 and widely regarded as one of India's most successful businessmen, was admitted to the hospital about four months ago for treatment of a slipped disc. His associates said he had contracted pneumonia in the hospital.[5] Indian Prime Minister (then Finance Minister) Manmohan Singh called Mr. Birla "among the best and brightest citizens of India."[5]

Career[edit source | editbeta]

After returning to India in 1965, Birla struck out on his own in textiles. His Eastern Spinning Mills in Kolkata quickly became a success, putting the group's sinking rayon and textile business back on track. He was then placed in charge of the corporation's expansion into the oil sector. It was also the time that Indira Gandhi was consolidating her hold on the Congress Party with a series of populist moves-nationalizing banks and enacting draconian controls on private investment. This greatly dampened his attempt to expand, to build world size-plants, to bring in world-class technology, or even modernize old plants. Having turned around Indian rayon, he now hungered after bigger challenges. His thoughts tuned eastward. In 1969, Birla set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd, the group's first overseas company. In 1973, he established P.T. Elegant Textiles to manufacture spun yarn. It marked the group's first venture in Indonesia. In 1974 Thai Rayon, the Group's Viscose Rayon Staple Fibre business was incorporated in Thailand. In 1975 The Indo Phil Group of companies, the first Indo-Filipino joint venture commenced production of spun yarn. In 1977 Pan Century Edible Oils was incorporated in Malaysia, going on to become the world's largest single-location palm oil refinery. In 1978 Thai Carbon Black, the Group's first carbon black company was incorporated in Thailand. In 1982 P.T Indo Bharat Rayon was established, the first producer of Viscose Staple Fibre in Indonesia. All these ventures not only put the Birla group on world map but also carved a niche for corporate India. Under his leadership the companies became the largest producer of Viscose staple fibre and refiner of palm oil. Ghanshyam Das Birla died in 1983, bequeathing most of his companies to his grandson Aditya. With Aditya Vikram Birla as the chairman, the Birla group of companies saw success in the expansion of Hindustan Gas and in the conversion of the sick company Indo-Gulf Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd, which was suffering from a liquidity crisis, into a blue-chip company.

Legacy[edit source | editbeta]

The Aditya Birla Group had instituted the Aditya Birla Scholarships in memory of Aditya Vikram Birla, to recognise and award fresh talent and potential future leaders from prestigious institutes in India. Every year more than 40 scholars from among six Indian Institutes of Management, seven Indian Institutes of Technology and Birla Institute of Technology and Science receive this scholarship. From the 2012-13 year onwards, this scholarship was extended to 4 law campuses as well. Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in Pimpri-Chinchwad has been named after him. Awards like Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar and Kalakiran Puraskars for excellence in theatre and performing arts are given every year, were instituted in 1996 by the Sangeet Kala

Kendra (SKK), which was founded in 1973 by Aditya Vikram Birla to encourage and nurture performing arts.[6] A special commemorative stamp has been released by government of India in the name of Aditya vikram birla on january 14, 2013, honouring him as "India's first global industrialist".[7]

JRD tatat
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (29 July 1904 29 November 1993) was a French-born Indian aviator and business magnate. He became India's first licensed pilot. In 1983, he was awarded the [1] French Legion of Honour and, in 1992, India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Contents
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1 Early life 2 Career

o o

2.1 Awards and honors 2.2 Death

3 References 4 External links 5 See also

Early life[edit source | editbeta]

J. R. D. Tata was born in Paris, France, the second child of Parsi father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and [2] his French wife, Suzanne "Sooni" Brire. His father was a first cousin of Jamsetji Tata, a pioneer industrialist in India.He had one elder sister Sylla, another younger sister Rodabeh two younger brother Darab and Jimmy Tata.As his mother was French, he spent much of his childhood in France and as a [citation needed] result, French was his first language. Tata also served in the French Foreign Legion. He attended the Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay. When his father joined the Tata company he moved the whole family to London. During this time, J.R.D's mother died.His mother died at an early age of 43 while she died his father was in India and rest of them were in France.After his mother's death Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata decided to move his family to India and sent J.R.D to England for higher studies in October 1923.He entered into Crammer and was interested to study Engineering at Cambridge. Just when crammer course was ending and he was looking to enter Cambridge a law was passed in France to draft into army for two years, all french boys at age of 20.As a citizen of France J.R.D had to enlist in the army for atleast 1 year.In between the crammer and time in the army he spent brief spell at home in Bombay. After entering into French Army he was posted into the regiment called Le Saphis(The Sepoys). Soon the Colonel of the regiment found that there was a Squadron who could not only read and

write French and English but also could type so he assigned him as a secretary in his office. He was once again transferred to more luxurious office of a colonel.After 12 month period of conscription in French Army he wanted to proceed to Cambridge for further education. But his father decided to bring him back to India and he joined Tata.

[3]

Career[edit source | editbeta]

J. R. D. Tata was inspired early by aviation pioneer Louis Blriot, and took to flying. On February 10, [4] 1929 Tata obtained the first pilot licence issued in India. He later came to be known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946, now India's national airline.He and Nevill Vintcent worked together in building Tata Airlines. They were also friends. He joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925. In 1938, at the age of 34, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons making him the head of the largest industrial group in India. He took over as Chairman of Tata Sons from his uncle Nowroji Saklatwala. For decades, he directed the huge Tata Group of companies, with major interests in Steel, Engineering, Power, Chemicals and Hospitality. He was famous for succeeding in business while maintaining high ethical standards - refusing to bribe politicians or use the black market. Under his chairmanship, the assets of the Tata Group grew from US$100 million to over US$5 billion. He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and half a century later on July 26, 1988, when he left, Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest. He was the trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932 for over half a century. Under his guidance, this Trust established Asia's first cancer hospital, the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment, in Bombay in 1941. It also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, 1936), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR, 1945), and the National Center for Performing Arts. In 1945, he founded Tata Motors. In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline. In 1953, the Indian Government appointed JRD Tata as Chairman of Air India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines - a position he retained for 25 years. For his crowning achievements in aviation, he was bestowed with the title of Honorary Air Commodore of India. JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1956, he initiated a program of closer 'employee association with management' to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and espoused the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes,which were later, adopted as statutory requirements in India. He was also a founding member of the first Governing Body of NCAER, the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi,Indias first independent economic policy institute established in 1956. In 1968, he founded Tata Consultancy Services. In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice: a worker being deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. This made the company financially liable to the worker for any mishap on the way to and from work. In 1987, he founded Titan Industries. Jamshedpur was also selected as a UN Global Compact City because of the quality of life, conditions of sanitation, roads and [5] welfare that were offered by Tata Steel.

Awards and honors[edit source | editbeta]

JRD Tata received a number of awards. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1955 . He also received the Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavors, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy.

Death[edit source | editbeta]

JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on November 29, 1993 at the age of 89. On his death, the Indian Parliament was adjourned in his memoryan honor not usually given to persons who are not Members of Parliament. He is buried in the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.