A timeline of Aditya Birla Group’s success under K. M. Birla.
1995 saw K.M. Birla take over as the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group of Companies after the sudden demise of his father. At barely 28, he completely changed the face of the company.
In 1997, ‘Peter England’ was launched in India. It goes on to become the largest selling brand in the country.
A 1998 consolidation and acquisition process cement the Group’s leadership position in cement.
In 2000, the merger of Birla AT&T and Tata Cellular is completed.
The acquisition of major world rights for international apparel brands Louis Philippe, Allen Solly and Peter England, and the acquisition of Madura Garments along with selected overseas brand rights takes the Aditya Birla Group to the top of the league in the branded apparels sector.
In the same year, the Birla Sun Life Insurance Company was granted The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) registration.
In 2003, the Aditya Birla Group Board is reconstituted with K. M. Birla taking over as Chairman.
He was awarded ‘The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year-India’ award in 2005.
He became the director of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India in 2006.
In 2007, Hindalco bought North American aluminium product maker Novelis for $6 billion, making it the biggest acquisition ever done by the group. Hindalco becomes the world’s largest aluminium rolling company, along with one of the biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia and a leading copper producer in India.
In 2008, he becomes the Chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS).
In 2011, the group became the largest maker of carbon black globally after acquiring Georgia-based Columbian Chemicals.
In 2012, Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited (ABNL), largest manufacturer of linen fabric in India, took over Pantaloons business for Rs 1,600 crore. Pantaloons is voted as ‘India’s No. 1 Trusted Apparel Retailer for 2013’ in the Brand Equity Survey of The Economic Times.
Aditya Birla Group tops Nielsen’s Corporate Image Monitor 2012-13 and 2013-14 both. It measures the reputation of 40 leading corporates in the country across multiple sectors. The Group emerges ‘Best in Class’ across the six pillars of corporate image comprising product and service quality, vision and leadership, workplace management, financial performance, operating style and social responsibility.
The Liva brand is launched in 2015, an innovative concept that offers ‘Natural Fluid Fashion’.
2016 sees Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. sign international deals with global luxury brand ‘Ted Baker’ and British Designer Wear Brand ‘Simon Carter’. An MOU with ‘Forever 21’ for Indian Business is also signed.
Birla also becomes the chairman of the board of governors (BoG) of IIT Delhi and chairman of IIM Ahmedabad.
The merger of Idea Cellular with Vodafone’s subsidiary Vodafone India is announced in 2017.
This is completed in 2018, Merger creating India’s largest telecom service provider – Vodafone Idea Limited.
