2020 – The Year That Was - Aditya Birla Group

We strengthened our global standing

Hindalco-Novelis acquired Aleris

Hindalco Industries completed the acquisition of US-based Aleris Corporation. Hindalco-Novelis is now one of the world's largest aluminium companies, with 49 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Asia.

We created products that put customers' safety first

Antimicrobial fibre

Liva, Grasim's fluid fashion brand, produced a special fibre with antimicrobial properties that inhibits microbes (bacteria and viruses) on apparels and home textiles and kills upto 99% of them.

Surface sanitiser

In a record 15 days, Aditya Birla Chemicals (Thai Peroxide) launched a hydrogen peroxide-based surface sanitiser that kills bacteria and viruses within 30 seconds, faster than other products in the market.

Masks

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd converted manufacturing facilities to produce face masks under fashion brands Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England. The masks filter up to 95% of bacteria.

Waterproof putty

Birla White, UltraTech's white cement brand, launched new variants of breakthrough products – industry’s first scented putty in rose and lemon fragrance and Wallseal Waterproof Putty, a durable white cement-based putty with 2X water resistance.

We harnessed digital technologies to meet new customer and business needs

Artificial Intelligence

Aditya Birla Capital launched Google Assistant for service requests in the mutual funds, life insurance and housing finance businesses during the lockdown. It also implemented a machine learning-based voice bot for insurance policy renewal and servicing customers, and enabled contactless digital onboarding.

NDC^TM rubber masterbatch

Birla Carbon along with GranBio Technologies introduced their patent-pending NDC™ rubber masterbatch for more environment friendly tyres. It incorporates sustainable, bio-derived nanocellulose into commercial rubber compounds to improve tyre rolling resistance and fuel economy.

HeiQ Viroblock® fabric technology

Peter England collaborated with Switzerland based HeiQ, a global leader in textile innovation, to bring the unique HeiQ Viroblock®️ fabric technology to India. This technology makes the fabric resistant to viruses and bacteria.

VEDA

The Group Data and Analytics cell launched a refreshed version of VEDA (Video Enabled Decision and Alerts) for contact-free temperature monitoring, face mask detection and adherence to social distancing norms to ensure a safe working environment during the pandemic.

We were recognised among the world's best

Forbes World's Best Employers 2020

We are anchored by a workforce of 120,000 people belonging to 42 nationalities and 36 different countries. They take us forward and higher every day, making us who we are. Being among Forbes World's Best Employers 2020 is a recognition that makes us proud and inspired.

Partnerships helped us create new opportunities

Hindalco and Hindustan Copper

Hindalco signed an MoU with Hindustan Copper for the long-term purchase of copper concentrate. This unique public-private partnership (PPP) is a major step towards import substitution and aligns with the movement towards *AatmaNirbhar Bharat*.

Grasim and Lubrizol

Grasim tied up with Lubrizol Advanced Materials to manufacture chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) resin in India. This special polymer material will be manufactured at Grasim's Chlor-alkali unit at Vilayat to take advantage of captive chlorine integration.

Novelis and Nestle Nespresso

Novelis partnered with Nespresso to launch the first coffee capsule made of 80% recycled aluminium, minimising waste and energy, and making coffee drinking more sustainable.

Hindalco and UltraTech

In a circular economy initiative, Hindalco tied up with UltraTech to supply 1.2 million tonnes of red mud (a by-product of the aluminium manufacturing process) as a replacement of mined material to 14 UltraTech plants. This move helped UltraTech replace up to 3% of clinker raw mix volume and made Hindalco the world's 1st company to achieve a global benchmark – 100% per cent red mud utilisation in 3 refineries.

Birla Carbon and CHASM Advanced Materials

Birla Carbon partnered CHASM Advanced Materials Inc to commercialise novel nanomaterials to benefit various market segments such as high-performance tyres, conductive plastics, novel coatings, and next-generation batteries.

Our sustainability journey won us global recognition

Hindalco – the world's most sustainable aluminium company

Hindalco recognised as the world's most sustainable aluminium company according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2020. Grasim Industries, UltraTech Cement and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd also witnessed an improvement in their rankings.

Birla Cellulose ranked No. 1 in Canopy's Hot Button Report 2020

Birla Cellulose, Grasim's VSF business, was ranked No.1 globally in Canopy's Hot Button Report 2020, which ranks global viscose producers on sustainable forestry practices/wood sourcing, next generation solutions in alternate feed stocks and supply chain traceability.

Grasim — one of India's Top 10 companies for Sustainability and CSR

ET and Futurescape 7th Responsible Business Rankings and the CSR Journal of India ranked Grasim among Top 10 Indian companies for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Birla Carbon bagged Gold level rating for sustainable practices

Birla Carbon was awarded a Gold rating for its sustainable practices, for the fourth consecutive year, by EcoVadis.

We will remember 2020 for other reasons as well

5 years of Liva

March 2020 marked five years since the launch of Liva, a new-age fluid fabric from Grasim, and a journey that included new product innovation, setting industry trends and market success.

15 years of Novelis

In 2006, the Group made an offer for Novelis, the world's largest aluminium rolling company. The landmark acquisition placed Hindalco on the global map as among the five biggest aluminium majors.

25 years of Grasim's listing on NSE

The Group's flagship company Grasim Industries completed 25 years of listing on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 10 May 2020. The leading global player in VSF, the largest cement and chemicals (Chlor-Alkali) player in India, among the India's top financial services player in India – it's no wonder Grasim's share has increased 17 times in value since its listing.