1995–2015
In 1995, Birla took over the family business and consolidated all the group companies under the brand – Aditya Birla Group (ABG). [13] Birla acquired Indian Aluminum Company (INDAL) in 2000. [14] In 2003, Hindalco Industries acquired Nifty Copper Mines in Australia, while the Aditya Birla Group acquired the Mount Gordon Copper mines in Australia. [15] [16] In 2004, Birla acquired a majority stake in L&T Cement, which was later renamed UltraTech Cement. [17] In the same year, Hindalco Industries announced a merger with all the businesses of Indian Aluminium Company (Indal). [18]
In 2007, Hindalco acquired Atlanta-based Novelis Inc, which was the world's leading producer of aluminium rolled products. [19] In 2012, Birla's Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd acquired Future Group's Pantaloon Retail Limited in India. [20] In 2013, Aditya Birla Chemicals acquired the chlor-alkali and phosphoric acid divisions of Solaris Chemtech Industries in India. [21]
Birla's name surfaced in Indian coal allocation scandal, pertaining to the allocation of coal blocks between 2004 and 2009. [22] In 2014, CBI filed closure report against Birla. [23] Since 2015, the Aditya Birla Group consolidated its branded apparel business under its lifestyle retail firm Pantaloons Fashion and Retail India Ltd and renamed it as Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, creating India's largest branded clothing company by revenue and number of sales outlets. [24]
2016–present
By 2016, Birla launched a new logo for the Aditya Birla Group. [25] In June 2017, UltraTech Cement, chaired by Birla, completed the acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates' six cement plants along with five grinding units. [26] In the same year, Birla revived Applause Entertainment, a media, content and IP creation studio with a focus on creating premium digital drama series. [27]
In 2018, the Aditya Birla Group-owned Idea Cellular merged with Vodafone India to create India's then largest telecom service provider, Vodafone Idea. Also in 2018, UltraTech Cement acquired the cement business of Century Textiles, while Binani Cement became a wholly-owned subsidiary of UltraTech Cement. [28] [29] In 2018, Novelis entered into an agreement to acquire Aleris Corporation. The deal was closed for $2.8 billion in 2020. [30]
In 2021, Grasim Industries entered the paints business with an investment of ₹5,000 crore, paid over three years. [31] In August 2021, Birla stepped down as the non-executive chairman of Vodafone Idea. [32] [33]
Under Birla's chairmanship, UltraTech Cement announced plans to expand its grey cement production capacity to 200 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) with an investment of ₹32,400 crore. [34] In November 2023, he oversaw the acquisition of Kesoram Industries' cement assets for ₹7,600 crore. [35] By the end of 2023, UltraTech had increased its production capacity by 18.7 MTPA, with an additional 35.5 MTPA in a planned manner across 16 locations. [34] In April 2024, two new greenfield projects were commissioned, adding 5.4 MTPA in Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu. [36] By April 2024, UltraTech's total grey cement manufacturing capacity had reached 151.6 MTPA. [36]
In July 2024, Aditya Birla Group launched its jewellery brand Indriya with an investment of ₹5,000 crore. [37] [38]
Birla serves as the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group and the chancellor of BITS Pilani, overseeing its campuses in Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, and Dubai. [39]
He is also the chairman of the Governing Council of the BITS School of Management (BITSoM) and the Board of Governors of BITS Law School, Mumbai. Additionally, he is a director of the G. D. Birla Medical Research and Education Foundation. [40] [39]
