Lord of the Links

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall?
Who's the biggest Birla of 'em all?

Kumarmangalam Birla, or course! you daft!

Critics would say that the inheritance is majorly responsible in it, but the dexterity and vision with which he has managed his (father's) empire since then would should prove a worthy answer.

After inheriting, there were the usual problems - top management, loyal to his father, would who think of him always as a child, and the lower level employees whose morale was sagging. Kumar's arrival marked a shake-up in the top management, and AV Birla group pitching itself as a commodities giant, building huge capacities and becoming a globally conspicuous player [Grasim!]

Apart from that, he invested in new high-growth business, such as textiles, telecom and ITeS. Over the ten years he has been there AV Birla group's turnover has doubled from Rs. 15000 crore to Rs. 30000 crores.

Way to go, Kumar!