Birla family

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"Birlas" redirects here. For other uses, see Birlas (disambiguation).
Birla Family
Current regionOperating out of
Yashovardhan Birla
  • Aryaman Birla
  • Ananya Birla

    • The Birla family is a family connected with the industrial and social history of India.[1][2][3]

    Foundations

    The Birla family's origins lie with the

    BITS, Pilani
    .

    Shiv Narayan Birla

    In Pilani, during the early 19th century lived Seth Shobharam, grandson of Seth Bhudharmal, a local tradesman of modest means.[6][7] It was his son, Seth Shiv Narayana (1840–1909), who first ventured outside Pilani. At this time, Ahmedabad was the railhead that served trade from a large region of northwest India. Goods (mainly cotton) would be brought from the hinterland to the city and sent from there by train to Bombay for export to England and other countries. Several cotton -inning units were also set up in Ahmedabad,to clean the cotton before shipment to England. Shiv Narayana Birla was one of the early Indian traders to participate in this cotton trade. Later, Britain vigorously fostered the trade of opium with China and developed the cultivation of poppy in India. The Ratlam-Mandsaur region (not far from Ahmedabad) became prime poppy cropland due to the suitable soil and climate. Shiv Narayan Birla and his adopted son, Baldeo Das Birla, made an enormous fortune by trading opium with China, and this formed the basis of the family's fortune.[7] With growing wealth and increasing confidence, Shiv Narayana Birla moved up the value chain and began chartering cargo ships in partnership with other Marwadi tradesmen to trade opium with China, thus by-passing British middlemen. To facilitate this, he moved to Bombay in 1863.

    Baldeo Das Birla

    Shiv Narayan Birla had one overwhelming sorrow in his life: he had no children. By the early 1880s, Shiv Narayan (Narain) had passed on the baton of his business interests to his adopted son, Baldev Das Birla, established Shivnarayan Baldevdas, a trading house based in Bombay. His son, Baldev Das Birla moved to Calcutta set up Baldevdas Jugalkishor in 1887. Baldeo Das was succeeded by four sons 

    Ghanshyam Das and Braj Mohan.[9][10][11]

    Baldev Das was awarded the Raibahadur title in 1917. In 1920 he retired from business and started living in Banaras pursuing religious studies. In 1925 he was awarded the title of "Raja" by the government of Bihar and Orissa.

    D.Litt.
    by Banaras Hindu University.

    Ghanshyamdas Birla

    Ghanshyamdas Birla laid the foundation of his industrial empire by establishing GM Birla Company, trading in

    Hindalco (Hindustan Alum Company 1958) among others. He also generously led the grant on the request of Vallabhbhai Patel to lay the foundation of Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya in Anand, Gujarat
    .

    Baldeo Das, as well as his sons, were among the key supporters of the

    Harijans
    were welcomed in this temple.

    In the few decades before India's independence, Indian merchants, including the Birlas, made successful attempts to enter and acquire industries in India which were once dominated by

    Swadeshi
    movement.

    The Birlas remained close to some of the leaders of India, like

    Sardar Patel after India's independence.[17] When E. M. S. Namboodiripad became the chief minister of Kerala (1957–59), as a result of the first elected Marxist government anywhere, the Birlas were invited to establish a pulp factory there.[18]

    In the recent past, the Birlas, as well as several other Indian industrialists, have expanded overseas. [19]

    Family Tree

    A simplified family tree is given below. It does not include daughters[20] or children who are young (or who died young). Lakshmi Nivas Birla was technically adopted by his uncle Jugal Kishor Birla. As has been noted in the press, some of the branches have been more successful than others.[21] The GD-Basant Kumar-Aditya Vikarm-Kumar Mangalam Birla branch has performed the best, with a group turnover of ₹29,000 Crore in 2004. At the other end is Yashovardhan Birla, who has struggled.[22]

    Family of Birla family
    Shiv Narain Birla
    Baldeo Das Birla
    Ghanshyam Das Birla
    		Brij Mohan
    Birla
    Gajanan
    Krishna Kumar
    Birla
    		Basant Kumar
    Birla    		Sarala BirlaGanga Prasad Birla
    AshokSudarshan Kumar
    Birla    		Shobhana BhartiaAditya Vikram BirlaRajashree BirlaC. K. Birla
    Yashovardhan
    Birla
    		SidharthKumar Mangalam BirlaAvani BirlaAvanti Birla
    Vedant BirlaAryaman BirlaAnanya Birla

    Philanthropy

    Gandhi inaugurating the Laxminarayan Temple
    , Delhi, 1938, with the Birla family (Jugalkishor, Rameshwardas, Ghanshyamdas in black caps, Baldevdas in turban
    Birla Brothers' of Pilani, who established 'BITS, Pilani' also got constructed a Dam in the year 1944 or Vikrami Samvat 2000 on 'Dhosi Hill' to store rainy water for bathing of 'Pilgrims'

    Birla philanthropy began in the 1880s, when the Birla family donated over 100,000 rupees for setting up goshalas (shelters for the protection of cows) in Kolkata. By early 1900, the Birla family began to support education, influenced by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. They supported educational charities in Kolkata and in Mumbai teaming up with

    Birla Temple
    ) in several major Indian cities.

    The institutions founded by the Birlas include:

    Traditions

    In a letter, Ghanshaym Das offered this advice to Aditya (his grandson) when he was studying at MIT:

    “eat only vegetarian food, never drink alcohol or smoke, keep early hours, marry young, switch-off lights when leaving the room, cultivate regular habits, go for a walk everyday, keep in touch with the family, and above all, don’t be extravagant.”[27]

    GD Birla instructed his son Basant Kumar to 'never utilize wealth only for fun and frolic,' to 'spend the bare minimum on yourself,' and to deride 'worldly pleasures.'[14]

    This advice symbolized the ethic of the rising Marwari community, with restraint and austerity its defining attributes.[28]

    Family ties

    Although the Birlas are perceived as a single entity, the different branches of the family are now financially independent.[29][30] However they have continued to maintain family relationships that go back to the times when "Birla Brothers" were an actual entity and Raja Baldevdas was still alive.

    GD Birla's both wives died early because of tuberculosis (He remarried after the death of his first wife), a common affliction at that time. The families of his brothers

    Brij Mohan and Rameshwar Das Birla helped in raising his children. When Yash Birla's parents died in a plane crash, Priyamvada Birla, ("Badi Ma") helped take care of him.[31]

    It is reported that Kumar Mangalam Birla had dipped into his own resources to help his beleaguered relative Yash with his financial issues with creditors in order to preserve the family name.[32]

    "Tata-Birla" word pair

    For many decades the extreme wealth in India was associated with the Tatas and Birlas. The words Tata-Birla were often used together.[33] They were distantly followed by Dalmias (Dalmia-Sahu Jain group) for some time,[34] however Tatas and Birlas have been able to sustain themselves as among the most prominent industrialists in India (for 1939-1997 data see[35]) while others have declined.[36][37]

    A plan for development of India was developed by a group of industrialists in 1944, which was termed the Tata-Birla plan or the Bombay Plan,[38] which is said to have served as a blueprint for India's first five-year plan.

    References

    1. ^ "Aditya Birla Group | Home". Archived from the original on 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
    2. ^ "CK Birla Group - Birla Companies - Family - US$1.6 billion diversified conglomerate that has a history of enduring relationships with renowned global companies". www.ckbirlagroup.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    3. ^ D'Souza, Dev Chatterjee & Sharleen (17 February 2014). "Yash Birla's business comes under stress". Business Standard India. Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Business Standard.
    4. ISBN 978-0-22688-568-1
      .
    5. ^ House of history The Birla haveli in Pilani offers a glimpse into the beginnings of India's premier business family, Prakash Bhandari Business Standard, February 27, 2016
    6. ^ Maheshwari Jati Ka Itihas, Maheshwari History Office, Bhanpura, Birla, June 1940, p. 183–190
    7. ^
      ISBN 9788184758511
      . Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Google Books.
    8. ^ "The story of the Birla empire by Talveen Singh- Part I". Aditya Birla Group. 31 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via YouTube.
    9. ^ The Birla Family Crisis - Case Studies, Case Study in Business, Management|Case Studies Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
    10. ^ "Battle for Billions: Birlas vs Lodhas". Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    11. ^ "What keeps the Marwaris thriving? - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    12. ^ Industrial Entrepreneurship of Shekhawati Marwaris, D. K. Taknet, Kumar Prakashan, Jaipur, 1987, p. 41
    13. ISBN 9780894104152
      . Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Google Books.
    14. ^ a b "'Family' spirit and frugality help the Birlas keep pace with changing times". The Economic Times. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    15. ^ Business Legends, Gita Piramal, Penguin UK, Dec 1, 2010
    16. ^ Matthews, Herbert L. (2 January 1943). "British Investors See Peril in India – Managing Agents Fear Loss of Immense Profits on Half of Country's Industries – Natives Seek Business – Huge Sterling Credits Already Available to Buy Out the Foreign Companies". New York Times. p. 5. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    17. ^ Debajyoti Burman, Mystery of Birla House, Jugabani Hahitya Chakara, 3rd reprint 1951, P. 111
    18. ^ Phrases And Facts: About Kerala, Partha Choudhuri, Liberation, Vol. II, No. 3 (January 1969).
    19. ^ Piramal, Gita (October 1999). "A crisis of leadership". Family Business, a symposium on the role of the family in Indian business. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    20. ^ Battle for Billions: Birlas vs Lodhas, Shafi Rahman, India Today, February 25, 2012
    21. ^ Birlas heave sigh of relief, but are in battle gear, Shankkar Aiyar, India Today, August 2, 2004
    22. ^ Yashovardhan Birla named 'wilful defaulter", TOI, June 19, 2019
    23. ^ Birla, Rajashree (3 October 2014). "Rajashree Birla - Giving is in fact living". Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2016-08-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    25. ^ "Birla Global University - Top University in BBSR, Odisha". www.bgu.ac.in. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    26. ^ "Govind Mishra gets Saraswati Samman 2013 for novel 'Dhool Paudhon Par'". Daily News & Analysis. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
    27. ^ India's Industrialists, Volume 1, Margaret Herdeck, Gita Piramal, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1985 p. 97
    28. ^ "Marwari ethic and the spirit of Capitalism - Gurcharan Das". gurcharandas.org. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    29. ^ cakml. "The Hindu Business Line : 'Mahatma was witness to Birla clan partition'". www.thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    30. ^ "After months of tension, Birlas part ways amicably". Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    31. ^ Srinivasan, Madhumitha (5 April 2014). "Yash gets candid". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    32. ^ "Family Values". November 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    33. ^ Capitalists of the world, unite! Mathrubhumi, October 9, 2008 Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
    34. ^ "World Marxist Review". Progress Books. 9 July 1970. Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Google Books.
    35. ISBN 9780226536835
      . Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Google Books.
    36. ^ The Curse of too-many Sons, Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, Times of India, Nov 9, 1997
    37. ^ "The Rise, Fall & Rise Of Indian Business Families". www.businessandeconomy.org. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    38. ISBN 9780670084906
      . Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via Google Books.
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