India Inc's most powerful CEOs 2012: Kumar Mangalam Birla ranks 3rd in the list

25 May 2012
Corporate Dossier
The Economic Times

The EconomicTimes, in partnership with IMRB International, conducted a comprehensivesurvey to ascertain the 'Most Powerful CEOs of India'. Mr. KumarMangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, ranks third in the'most powerful CEOs' list of 2012. Excerpts from the report:

Kumar Mangalam Birla
Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

Rank: 3

Theatre of operations:
At 43, the Chairman of the $35 billion Aditya Birla Group, has hishands full with a business that traverses almost every sector fromretail to financial services and brands such as Hindalco, UltratechCement and Idea Cellular in his quiver

First steps: Scion of the Birla family, he took over as Chairman of the group after the sudden demise of his father, Aditya Birla, in 1995

Bugbear: TelecomRegulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations on the auctionof 2G radio waves. He holds that at the base price recommended by TRAI,it did not make sense for anyone to participate in the bids

Bragging rights: At 28, he became the youngest Indian to chair a multi-billion dollarconglomerate and has successfully steered the highly diversified AVBirla ship through thick and thin

Power buddies: Ratan Tata, Sanjeev Goenka

Famous quote: "Tough times don't last, tough people do"

Preferred gulp: Diet Coke

Little known fact: He learnt how to shoot with a rifle three years ago and is now shooting with the camera

When not working: Family and movies