- KM Birla says globalization is about smart planning, not just expanding.
- Aditya Birla Group grew globally by securing resources and stable markets.
- He stresses blending cultures and building leaders for lasting success.
At BT MindRush 2025, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, shared how Indian companies can go global the right way. In his keynote, he said globalization isn’t just about getting bigger—it’s a two-way street of careful strategy. Drawing from 40 years of experience, he explained how his group’s moves, like buying Canada’s Novelis in 2007, aimed to lock in raw materials, strengthen their business, and tap into steadier, high-profit markets. For Birla, it’s about “sanity over vanity”—purpose matters more than size.
Birla traced his group’s global journey back to Thailand in 1969, long before “globalization” was a buzzword in India. From there, they expanded to Canada, Australia, and more, with each step planned to fit their goals. The Novelis deal, for example, wasn’t just about scale—it moved Hindalco into a smoother part of the aluminium business, cutting risks and boosting profits. He also highlighted a new $4 billion project in Alabama for aluminium rolling and recycling, showing how every market plays a key role in their global setup.
Success, Birla said, comes from mixing respect with discipline. When merging businesses, he didn’t rush changes—even small things like email names took time to blend cultures right. By keeping experienced leaders and moving talent across 41 countries, he built a strong, united team. He also sees India’s rise on the world stage as a big win—once overlooked, Indian companies now get top value globally, boosting innovation and influence. For Birla, globalization done right can help India shine by 2047, as PM Modi envisions.
