Aditya Vikram Birla, was an Indian industrialist. Born into one of the largest business families of India, he oversaw the diversification of his group into textiles, petrochemicals and telecommunications. He was one of the first Indian industrialists to expand abroad, setting up plants in South east Asia, the Philippines and Egypt. His net worth was estimated at £250 million by 1995. His death at the age of 51 left his young son Kumar Mangalam Birla in charge of his group of companies.
After returning to India in 1965, Birla struck out on his own in textiles. His Eastern Spinning Mills in Calcutta quickly became a success, putting the group's sinking rayon and textile business back on track. He was then placed in charge of the corporation's expansion into the oil sector. In 1969, Birla set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd, the group's first overseas company. In 1973, he established P.T. Elegant Textiles to manufacture spun yarn. It marked the group's first venture in Indonesia. In 1974 Thai Rayon, the Group's Viscose Rayon Staple Fibre business was incorporated in Thailand. In 1975 The Indo Phil Group of companies, the first Indo-Filipino joint venture commenced production of spun yarn. In 1977 Pan Century Edible Oils was incorporated in Malaysia, going on to become the world's largest single-location palm oil refinery. In 1978 Thai Carbon Black, was incorporated in Thailand. In 1982 P.T Indo Bharat Rayon was established, the first producer of Viscose Staple Fibre in Indonesia. All these ventures not only put the Birla group on the world map as the companies became the largest producer of Viscose staple fibre and refiner of palm oil. Ghanshyam Das Birla died in 1983, bequeathing most of his companies to his grandson Aditya. With Aditya Vikram Birla as the chairman, the Birla group of companies success expanded Hindustan Gas and rescued Indo-Gulf Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.
Death
In 1993, Birla was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His aged father and young son took over many of the responsibilities of the group. The best medical treatment for prostate cancer was arranged for Birla, and he availed of the cutting-edge facilities available at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He spent many months at that facility, and it was there that he died on 1 October 1995. He was survived by both his parents, his wife and both his children, as also by two sisters and a daughter-in-law. Former Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh called Mr. Birla "among the best and brightest citizens of India." While battling cancer and dealing with the torment of his devastated parents, Birla's great concern was in fact to see his daughter settled into a respectable family. Towards this end, he took recourse to a very old and deep friendship with the Bajaj family, the descendants of Jamnalal Bajaj, who had been a bosom friend of Ghanshyamdas Birla. Birla arranged for his daughter Vasavadatta to marry Kushagra Bajaj, son of Shishir Bajaj of the Bajaj family. He witnessed their engagement ceremony but not their wedding. The wedding could not be held immediately because the couple, both born in 1976, were still underage. Vasavadatta could marry at eighteen, but under the Indian law, Kushagra could not marry until he turned twenty-one. The couple were married in 1997, two years after Birla's demise.
