CKA Birla Group

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CKA Birla Group
FormerlyCK Birla Group
Company type Private
Industry Conglomerate
Founded1862;163 years ago (1862) [1]
FounderSeth Shiv Narayan Birla
HeadquartersBirla Tower, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi, India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
 C. K. Birla (Chairman)
Amita Birla (Co-chairman)
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$3 billion [2]  (2024)
Owner C. K. Birla, Amita Birla [3]
Number of employees
35,000+ [2]
Subsidiaries
Website ckabirlagroup.com

CKA Birla Group (previously CK Birla Group) [4] is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in New Delhi. The group has been historically led by industrialists Braj Mohan Birla and Ganga Prasad Birla. [5] It has a presence in technology, automotive, home and building, healthcare, and education sectors, [6] with entities such as Orient Electric, BirlaNu (formerly HIL Limited), National Engineering Industries (manufacturer of NBC Bearings), Birlasoft, GMMCO, and Orient Paper & Industries. [6] The group is currently headed by its chairman, C. K. Birla, and co-chairman Amita Birla, both of whom are members of the Birla family. [7] [8]

Contents

In 2023, CKA Birla Group was listed among the International Sponsors of War by the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention due to its business with Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [9] [10]

History

CKA Birla Group was founded by Seth Shiv Narayan Birla in 1862. In 1939, the group established Orient Paper in Brajarajnagar, Odisha, which went on to become India's largest paper company. In 1946, National Engineering Industries (NEI) was founded, followed by the acquisition of Neosym, previously known as Indian Smelting & Refining Company, in 1947.

In 1948, Braj Mohan Birla started the operations of Hindustan Motors, an automotive company that he founded in West Bengal. [11] Known for producing the Ambassador car, widely used as a taxicab and government limousine, Hindustan Motors held the position of India's largest car manufacturer until the rise of Maruti Udyog. [12] [13]

Under Ganga Prasad Birla's leadership, the group ventured into project management by acquiring the three-million-tonne Ajaokuta steel project from the Nigerian government, which was facing operational challenges at the time. It undertook the modernization of integrated steel plants owned by the state-operated Steel Authority of India Limited in Durgapur and Rourkela. [14] [15]

Subsequent acquisitions included Orient Fans (1954) and HIL (1956). [1] In the 1990s, the C K Birla Group had a 50:50 joint venture with General Motors, which ended in 1999 when GM acquired 86%, and Holden took 14% of the Indian production facilities. [16]

It expanded in cement (Orient Cement, 1982) [17] and information technology (Birlasoft, 1995). [18] Institutions like Birla Science Centre and BM Birla Heart Research Centre were founded in 1985 and 1989, respectively. [15] AVTEC, an automotive component manufacturer, was formed in 2005. [19] The group acquired Switzerland-based ASSAG in 2013 [20] and EnablePath in 2014 by Birlasoft. [18]

CKA Birla Group's subsidiary HIL acquired Germany-based Parador Holdings GmbH, a building material maker, for $96.5 million in July 2018. [21] In January 2020, National Engineering Industries (NEI), through its European subsidiary, acquired Slovakia-based Kinex Bearings. [22] During the same month, it sold the thermal insulation business of Hyderabad Industries Limited to the French company Imerys SA for US$11.26 million (₹80 crore). [23] In July 2022, HIL acquired Odisha-based building material-maker Fast Build Blocks for ₹65 crore. [24]

Companies

Birlasoft

In 1995, the CKA Birla Group started its information technology company Birlasoft. [18] In 2019, Birlasoft and KPIT Technologies underwent a merger and demerger. The IT services arm of KPIT Technologies merged with Birlasoft in January 2019. Birlasoft operates in IT services, while KPIT Technologies focuses on automotive engineering. [25] [26]

BirlaNu (formerly HIL Limited)

HIL Limited (now BirlaNu), formerly Hyderabad Industries Limited, is the owner of brands such as Charminar (asbestos based cement sheets), Birla Aerocon (AAC Blocks), and Charminar Fortune (Asbestos free roofing sheets). [27] The company operates in the construction materials, machinery, industrial supplies, components, and logistics network domains. [28] [29] HIL Limited operates in India and Germany. BirlaNu (HIL Limited) has been at the centre of many controversies [30] [31] [32] [33] over the years related to its use of asbestos in its key offering - Charminar. Despite the known ill effects and carcinogenic properties of asbestos, Asbestos sheets are still the largest offering of the organisation.

Orient Electric

Orient Electric, previously known as Calcutta Electrical Manufacturing Company, was acquired by Orient Paper in 1954. [1] The company operates in two segments, Electrical Consumer Durables (ECD) and Lighting and Switchgear. [34] It is one of the largest manufacturers of fans in India. [35] [36] The company operates manufacturing facilities in Faridabad, Haryana, Noida, Hyderabad and Kolkata, and has a presence in the North and Western markets in India. [37] [38]

CK Birla Healthcare

The company operates two CK Birla Hospital locations in Delhi NCR, one in Punjabi Bagh [39] and the other in Gurugram. [40] The company operates fertility clinics under the name Birla Fertility & IVF, specializing in in-vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, and fertility testing. [41]

GMMCO Limited

GMMCO was established in 1967 through the acquisition of Blackwood Hodge Equipment, the then distributor of Terex products, by the CKA Birla Group. It is primarily engaged in the sale and overall support of construction machines, mining equipment, and engine power systems for industrial, governmental, marine, coal mining and oil and gas applications. [42] [43] In 1986, it became the Indian dealer for the American heavy-duty machinery manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. [42] It is headquartered in Chennai and has offices, workshops and repair facilities in 14 Indian states. In January 2014, it acquired Bucyrus India, a division of Caterpillar Inc., for an undisclosed sum. GMMCO has also partnered with companies such as Perkins, JLG and Schneider Electric. [44] [45] It has also partnered with German company Hauhinco to form Gmmco Technology Services (GTS) in 2022, which focusses on mining planning and engineering solutions. [46]

National Engineering Industries

National Engineering Industries (NEI) was founded in 1946 [47] and is engaged in the manufacturing of bearings for the automotive, railway, industrial, and aerospace industries. [22] It sells bearings under the brand name NBC Bearings and exports them to over 20 countries, including the United States, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and Australia. [48] In January 2020, NEI completed the acquisition of Kinex Bearings, a Slovakia-based company. [22]

The company has a rubber division called NEI Rubber, which operates under the National Engineering Industries. [49]

Orient Cement

Orient Cement has manufacturing facilities in Devapur (Telangana), Yadgir (Karnataka), and Nashirabad (Maharashtra). [50] With a total cement production capacity of 3.4 million tpa, the company markets its products under the brands Orient, Majbooti, and Birla Excel. [51] Founded in 1979, Orient Cement was originally part of Orient Paper & Industries. It commenced cement production in 1982 at Devapur in the Adilabad district of Telangana. [52] In 2024, the CKA Birla Group sold Orient Cement to Ambuja Cements. [53]

Orient Paper & Industries

Orient Paper & Industries is a manufacturer of writing, printing, industrial, and specialty papers. [54] The company was incorporated in 1939. It started as a paper maker and later expanded into cement and fans. [55] [56] In 2011, Orient Paper spun off its cement business, resulting in the establishment of Orient Cement. [57] Subsequently, in 2016, the company demerged its electrical appliances division, resulting in the establishment of Orient Electric. [58]

Avtec

Founded in 2005, [19] Avtec is a manufacturer of powertrain and precision-engineered products, supplying high-precision components to automotive, off-highway, agriculture, and railway industries. Its manufacturing units are situated in Hosur, Chennai, and Pithampur in India. [59]

Neosym Industry

Neosym Industry Limited is a metal manufacturing company established in 1932 as The Indian Smelting and Refining Company Limited. It was acquired by the CKA Birla Group in 1947. [1] It produces grey and SG iron castings for automotive, agriculture, earthmoving, and engineering industries. Its manufacturing unit, located in Pune, India, has a production capacity of 70,800 metric tons per annum. [60]

Philanthropy

The CKA Birla Group engaged in philanthropic activities in science, technology, art, culture, and heritage preservation, and development of rural and underprivileged communities in India. [7]

The company runs various hospital trusts, including the B.M. Birla Heart Research Centre (Specialty hospital) and the Calcutta Medical Research Institute in Kolkata (Multispeciality hospital), [61] [62] Rukmani Birla Hospital in Jaipur, [63] and education institutes like BIT Mesra in Ranchi, Rukmani Birla Modern High School in Jaipur, and Modern High School for Girls and Modern High School International in Kolkata. [64] [15] [65]

It has set up institutions like the G P Birla Archaeological Astronomical and Scientific Research Institute (GPBAASRI), BM Birla Science Centre, B. M. Birla Science Museum in Hyderabad, Birla Institute of Scientific Research and BM Birla Planetarium in Jaipur. Ganga Prasad Birla constructed temples in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Amlai, and Bhopal, and contributed to the restoration of historically and religiously significant sites. The Birla temples in Brajarajnagar, Odisha were founded by Braj Mohan Birla. [7] [15] [66]

In April 2020, CK Birla Group and its promoters jointly committed ₹35 crores to support the Government of India's COVID-19 efforts, directing ₹25 crores to the PM CARES Fund and allocating the remaining funds for state government initiatives in equipment procurement. [67]

Awards

In 2006, the Government of India conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor, upon Ganga Prasad Birla, the company's former chairman, in recognition of his contributions to social work. [15] [68]

Controversies

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Our Journey CK Birla Group". Ckbirlagroup.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 Talukdar, Prashun (31 July 2024). "Birlasoft shares fall 5% today after Q1 FY25 results; check key details". Business Today. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "Birla Family Tree: The journey of the Birla legacy from Shiv Narain Birla to Ananya and Vedant Birla". The Financial Express. 1 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "CK Birla Group rebrands as The CKA Birla Group". The Hindu. 5 May 2025.
  5. ↑ Edgar Thorpe (September 2011). The Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2011. Pearson Education. ISBN   978-81-317-5640-9.
  6. 1 2 "Group Profile". CK Birla Group. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 D. K. Taknet (2016). The Marwari Heritage. IntegralDMS. p. 409. ISBN   9781942322061.
  8. ↑ Aneja, Tanya (10 March 2023). "Nykaa, Westlife Foodworld, Biocon: Should you invest in stocks of these 7 women-led companies". Business Today.
  9. ↑ Shcherbak, Alla, ed. (19 May 2023). "Ukraine declares India's firm Birla Group international sponsor of war". The New Voice of Ukraine . Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  10. 1 2 "CK Birla Group - International sponsor of war | War and Sanctions". 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  11. ↑ Dutt, Ishita Ayan (11 June 2014). "What next for CK Birla after Hindustan Motors?". Business Standard.
  12. ↑ Sen, Sunny (15 February 2017). "Can Peugeot bring back life to CK Birla Group's Hindustan Motors?". Hindustan Times.
  13. ↑ "Hindustan Motors domestic sales dip 20.8% in Oct". Business Standard. 5 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "GP Birla dies at 87". Business Standard. 21 January 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "GP Birla dies at 87". Rediff.com . 8 March 2010.
  16. ↑ Louis F. Fourie (2016). "On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3". Friesen Press. p. 1130. ISBN   978-1-4602-9690-5.
  17. ↑ "Orient Cement looks at acquisitions". Deccan Herald. 17 May 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Gupta, Bhawan (13 January 2014). "Birlasoft acquires US-based CRM solutions provider EnablePath". VCCircle.
  19. 1 2 "HM hives off auto parts biz into JV". The Times of India . 20 February 2005.
  20. ↑ "Avtec ties up with Switzerland's Assag". The Economic Times. 27 June 2012.
  21. ↑ Mamgain, Pramugdha (13 July 2018). "CK Birla unit acquires Parador". DealStreetAsia. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 "CK Birla group firm NEI acquires Slovakia-based Kinex Bearings". The Economic Times. 15 January 2020.
  23. ↑ Kapur, Narinder (17 January 2020). "France's Imerys To Buy CK Birla Group Firm's Thermal Insulation Unit". VCCircle.
  24. ↑ "CK Birla group arm HIL buys Fast Build Blocks for Rs 65 cr". The Times of India . 29 July 2022.
  25. ↑ Alawadhi, Neha (25 August 2019). "Birlasoft working on stabilising structure after merger with KPIT". Business Standard.
  26. ↑ Mendonca, Jochelle (30 January 2018). "KPIT, Birlasoft to merge and split into two publicly-traded companies". The Economic Times.
  27. ↑ Das, Vipul (17 June 2022). "This CK Birla Group of stock fixes record date for the purpose of 450% dividend". Livemint.
  28. ↑ Kumar, V. Rishi (10 August 2021). "HIL eyes $1b revenues as it transforms to an integrated green building materials company". The Hindu Business Line.
  29. ↑ "HIL pins hope on Parador acquisition, domestic expansions to increase revenue". CNBC TV18. 25 March 2019.
  30. ↑ "In Jharkhand's Asbestos Clean-up, Victim Compensation Remains Elusive | NewsClick". NewsClick. 12 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  31. ↑ Daigle, byKaty. "Abandoned asbestos mines still a hazard in India". medicalxpress.com. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  32. ↑ Gupta, Alok (13 March 2014). "Hill of death". Down To Earth. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  33. ↑ "Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers". Online Athens. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  34. ↑ "Orient Electric expects good growth from fans, coolers as summer approaches". Business Standard. 1 March 2023.
  35. ↑ "Orient Electricals is Orient Electric now; name change aimed at new business consolidation plan". The Economic Times. 16 April 2014.
  36. ↑ Kiran Bagade, Hrithik (16 December 2018). "Orient fans eyes 25% market share in South India". Deccan Herald.
  37. ↑ Babu, Gireesh (17 October 2016). "Orient Electric plans to set up manufacturing facility in South". Business Standard.
  38. ↑ Rakshit, Avishek (23 August 2018). "Orient Electric plans exports to US, Europe and other destinations". Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  39. ↑ Panda, Sushmita (9 February 2023). "Delhi's CK Birla Hospital introduces fully active robot for minimally invasive knee replacement surgery". The Financial Express.
  40. ↑ "सी के बिड़ला हास्पिटल फार वुमेन की 1,000 करोड़ रुपये के निवेश से 14 नये अस्पताल खोलने की योजना" (in Hindi). Navbharat Times. 11 August 2019.
  41. ↑ Das, Sohini (28 October 2022). "CK Birla Group eyes over 100 fertility clinics in three to four years". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023.
  42. 1 2 "Partners in Success". Construction World. 1 April 201.
  43. ↑ "Gmmco Sells and Supports Cat 320D "One Machine. Endless Possibilities"". NBM&CW.com. July 2013.
  44. ↑ "Powering India's Growth with Cat Equipments - About Gmmco". www.gmmco.in. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  45. ↑ Verma, Anuradha (7 January 2014). "CK Birla Group firm acquires a part of Caterpillar's mining product distribution business". VCCircle.
  46. ↑ "Gmmco | CKA Birla Group". www.ckabirlagroup.com. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  47. ↑ "NBC breakthrough in fuel efficient bearings". Motown India. 16 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014.
  48. ↑ kapur, Narinder (16 January 2020). "CK Birla Group firm National Engineering strikes twin acquisitions". VCCircle.
  49. ↑ "Corporate Briefs 11-05-2005". Telegraph India. 5 November 2005.
  50. ↑ "CK Birla Group to expand ops in Telangana". Business Standard. 20 July 2014.
  51. ↑ "Orient Cement". Industry Report. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  52. ↑ Fatima, Masrath (8 May 2023). "Telangana: Foundation laid for expansion of Orient cement company in Mancherial". Siasat.
  53. ↑ www.ETRealty.com. "CCI approves Ambuja Cements' acquisition of Orient Cement - ET RealEstate". ETRealty.com. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  54. ↑ Das, Vipul (18 May 2023). "Birla group stock Orient Paper hit fresh 52-week-high after Q4 revenue up 35%". Livemint.
  55. ↑ Jauharri, Ujjval (16 March 2018). "Triple play will fan Orient's growth". DNA India.
  56. ↑ "Orient to expand paper capacity, sell cement biz". The Economic Times. 9 December 2003.
  57. ↑ Narayanan, R Y (27 July 2011). "Orient Paper to demerge cement biz". The Hindu Business Line.
  58. ↑ "Orient Paper to demerge electrical appliances division". Livemint. 22 September 2016.
  59. ↑ Singh Dhanjal, Swaraj; Balakrishnan, Reghu (19 April 2018). "Warburg set to exit Avtec, sell 30% stake to CK Birla Group". Livemint.
  60. ↑ "Neosym Industry Limited" (PDF). Careratings. 5 April 2018.
  61. ↑ Ukil, Amit (18 December 2005). "Speciality clinics for trade hub". Telegraph India.
  62. ↑ Majumder, Sampurna (15 December 2019). "Hospital chain on expansion spree". The Times of India .
  63. ↑ "CK Birla group up Rs 270 crore investment in healthcare". The Economic Times. 22 June 2014.
  64. ↑ "The CK Birla Group". BIT Mesra. 2023.
  65. ↑ "CK Birla Group Trusts".
  66. ↑ Marta Kudelska; Dorota Kamińska-Jones; Agnieszka Staszczyk (30 November 2019). The Temple Road Towards a Great India Birla Mandirs as a Strategy for Reconstructing Nation and Tradition. Jagiellonian University Press. p. 75. ISBN   9788323399865.
  67. ↑ "CK Birla Group commits Rs 35 crore to PM-CARES Fund". The Economic Times. 4 April 2020.
  68. ↑ "Simple man with a sharp mind". Telegraph India. 3 July 2010.
  69. ↑ Padmanabhan, Keshav (22 May 2023). "'War sponsors': Indian entity among 26 blacklisted by Ukraine for 'abetting Russian aggression'". ThePrint.
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