Financial Services

Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL)

Chemicals

Aditya Birla Chemicals (Thailand) (ABCTL)

Fashion

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL)

Trading

Aditya Birla Global Trading

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Limited (ABHICL)

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited

Dining & Experiences

Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality  (ABNAH)

Renewables

Aditya Birla Renewables (ABRL)

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI)

Venture Capital

Aditya Birla Ventures

Carbon Black

Birla Carbon

Birla Cellulose

Paints

Birla Opus Paints

Cellulosic Fibre

Century Enka

Domsjö Fabriker (Domsjö)

Textiles

Grasim Industries Limited

Metals

Hindalco Industries Limited

Yarn

Indo Thai Synthetics Company Limited

Jewellery

Indriya

Novelis Inc

Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd (TAF)

Cement

UltraTech Cement Limited

Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL)

Telecom

Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi)

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33x in 30 years – A Trajectory for Good

From fibres that recycle textile waste to carbon black that is produced from used tyres, Aditya Birla Group is doing more than driving circularity, it is innovating and creating products that epitomise sustainability.&nbsp;The sustainable portfolio is growing in size and includes products such as RecyclamineTM, <a href="/businesses/brands/continua-scm/">ContinuaTM</a>, Regel, ABY Green Poly, Liva Reviva, <a href="/businesses/brands/birla-excel/">Birla Excel</a>, EcoEDGE and UltraTech EnviroPlus that set benchmarks in sustainability-first innovation.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>The Market for Sustainable Products</h3>For decades, sustainability in industry has been largely measured by what happened inside the factory: energy consumed, water saved, waste recycled and emissions reduced. That equation is changing. Sustainability is moving into the product proposition.The next frontier of sustainability is about showcasing the business value of what we make - turning waste into resources, circularity into products and environmental performance into competitive advantage.&nbsp;<ul><li>Customers want materials that can lower their environmental footprint.</li><li>Regulators are raising expectations around recycled content, resource efficiency and emissions.</li><li>Companies recognise that the materials they source can be as important to their sustainability ambitions as the processes they control. &nbsp;</li></ul>This is creating a new frontier of value, where sustainability is not merely an operational metric, but a product attribute and a source of growth.Aditya Birla Group is proactively responding to these changing dynamics by extending the material value chain, moving beyond conventional recycling and process circularity to create branded, patented, value-added sustainable materials and solutions. The ambition is clear: to make sustainability tangible in the products that reach customers.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>Regulation Is Raising the Bar</h3>The regulatory landscape is reinforcing this shift.<ul><li>In India, the Plastic Waste Management Rules and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework place obligations on producers, importers and brand owners for plastic packaging, while restrictions on identified single-use plastic items are encouraging alternatives and circular solutions.</li><li>India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme is also establishing the architecture for a national carbon market, creating economic incentives for improving emissions intensity and investing in decarbonisation.</li><li>Globally, the direction is similar. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency's sustainable procurement framework encourages federal buyers to consider environmental performance, including resource efficiency, safer materials and plastic reduction.</li><li>In Europe, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation is raising the bar further, with requirements covering durability, reparability, recyclability, recycled content, resource efficiency and carbon &amp; environmental footprints. &nbsp;</li></ul>The message is consistent: the environmental attributes of a product matter as much as its traditional performance attributes. For businesses, sustainability has to enter the laboratory and design studio to add value to intellectual capital, supply chain, customer proposition and the investor community.Here’s how Group businesses are delivering. &nbsp;<h3>Birla Cellulose: From Fibre to Circular Fashion</h3><a href="/businesses/companies/birla-cellulose/">Birla Cellulose</a>’s portfolio includes Liva Reviva, which uses recycled textile waste, while Birla Excel, Livaeco and other fibres have been designed to combine performance with stronger sustainability attributes. Birla Cellulose recently launched Liva Reviva M, India's first next-generation circular fibre made from recycled clothing – taking circularity from manufacturing waste towards the much larger challenge of post-consumer textile waste. The business has also advanced chemical recycling through its next-generation fibre portfolio. The opportunity is significant: not simply to manufacture fibre responsibly, but to help reshape the material flows of the fashion industry. &nbsp;<h3>Birla Carbon: Making Carbon Circular</h3><a href="/businesses/companies/birla-carbon/">Birla Carbon</a>'s Continua demonstrates how a difficult waste stream can become a valuable industrial input. The product uses end-of-life tyres to create circular carbon black alternatives, addressing tyre waste while reducing the carbon footprint associated with conventional carbon black production. The Group's sustainability reporting estimates approximately 0.73 tonnes of CO₂ reduction per tonne through circular production. The larger idea is powerful: a used tyre is no longer landfill, it can become the starting material for the next product.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>Hindalco: Engineering Circularity</h3>Aluminium's inherent recyclability gives <a href="/businesses/companies/hindalco-industries-limited/">Hindalco</a> and <a href="/businesses/companies/novelis-inc/">Novelis</a> a strong platform for circular innovation. Recycling aluminium can deliver up to 74% lower CO₂ emissions compared with primary aluminium. Hindalco's EcoEDGE C portfolio of ingots and foil brings recycled content and circularity into aluminium and copper products. In addition, Hindalco has enabled the use of bauxite residue as inputs into cement and road construction — finding new value in materials that were once considered waste. &nbsp;<h3>Ultratech: Decarbonising Construction</h3>Few industries have a greater role in the low-carbon transition than construction. <a href="/businesses/companies/ultratech-cement-limited/">UltraTech</a> is embedding sustainability directly into its ready mix concrete solutions. UltraTech’s EnviroPlus range of concrete solutions offers 30-50% reduction in embodied CO2 to the construction sector. The business has also crossed 1GW of captive renewable energy capacity, strengthening the role of clean energy in its manufacturing footprint. &nbsp;<h3>Products That Turn Waste Into Value</h3>The philosophy is visible across Aditya Birla Group.<ul><li><a href="/businesses/companies/thai-acrylic-fibre-co-ltd-taf/">Thai Acrylic Fibre</a>'s Regel contains at least 50% recycled content.</li><li><a href="/businesses/companies/aditya-birla-yarns/">Aditya Birla Yarn</a>'s ABY Green Poly converts waste PET bottles into recycled polyester yarn while using less energy than conventional polyester.</li><li>Aditya Birla Advanced Materials' Recyclamine offers recyclable epoxy to the composite sector. &nbsp;</li></ul>What connects these businesses is the idea that sustainability creates the greatest value when it solves a customer problem. A recycled fibre has greater impact when it delivers the performance customers expect. Low-carbon aluminium matters when it meets demanding specifications. Circular carbon black becomes commercially powerful when manufacturers can incorporate it without compromising performance. Sustainable concrete becomes transformative when it can be deployed at scale.At Aditya Birla Group, sustainability and innovation converge to create business value as much as environment impact; they also help demonstrate the outcomes of being ‘A Force for Good’.

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When Sustainability Is the Product

Sustainability

From industrial operations and financial services to customer engagement and brand communication, Aditya Birla Group is embedding artificial intelligence into its businesses, turning technological possibilities into practical applications and measurable outcomes.The real test of artificial intelligence is unfolding far from the technology laboratories where it was conceived. It is taking place on factory floors, in lending decisions, across customer interactions and in the everyday processes that determine how efficiently businesses operate.For large conglomerates, the question has evolved from whether to adopt AI to where it can create the greatest value. The answer increasingly lies in applying intelligence to specific business challenges, often ones that have existed for decades.At Aditya Birla Group, this approach is taking shape across a diverse portfolio of businesses. From metals and cement to paints, financial services and digital commerce, AI is finding applications in operational efficiency, risk assessment, customer engagement and content creation. The breadth of these initiatives offers an insight into how the conglomerate is building technological capabilities around the distinct needs of its businesses. &nbsp;<h3>Bringing Intelligence to Industrial Operations</h3>A cement kiln is an unusually complex environment for intelligent automation. Temperature fluctuations, fuel composition and numerous operating variables influence both production efficiency and clinker quality. Managing these factors requires constant monitoring and precise adjustments.At <a href="/businesses/companies/ultratech-cement-limited/">UltraTech Cement</a>, AI is helping make this process more predictable. An AI-driven system monitors over 100 kiln parameters, combining self-learning models with computer vision to analyse alternative fuels and optimise operating conditions.The technology supports greater utilisation of alternative fuels and raw materials while maintaining process stability and production quality. It also contributes to better energy efficiency and resource utilisation, important considerations in an industry where production costs and environmental performance are closely linked.For <a href="/businesses/companies/hindalco-industries-limited/">Hindalco Industries</a>, AI offers opportunities across similarly demanding industrial processes. Applications involving predictive maintenance, process optimisation and computer vision can help manufacturers identify equipment abnormalities, improve quality assessment and make better use of operational data. Such capabilities are particularly relevant to metals manufacturing, where process consistency, equipment reliability and energy efficiency are critical to competitiveness.The significance of these applications extends beyond automation. Industrial operations generate vast quantities of data, much of which can now be analysed to identify patterns, anticipate deviations and inform decisions before problems become costly. &nbsp;<h3>Understanding Customers, Strengthening Commerce</h3>The opportunity takes a different form in businesses with extensive distribution networks and complex customer relationships.For <a href="/businesses/companies/birla-opus-paints/">Birla Opus</a>, the Group’s paints business and a subsidiary of <a href="/businesses/companies/grasim-industries-limited/">Grasim Industries</a>, contractors play an important role in the customer ecosystem. The business has been working on AI-based contractor analytics and engagement initiatives to better understand interactions and strengthen its connections with this influential community.In B2B commerce, Birla Pivot is bringing AI-led intelligence into procurement and commercial workflows. For businesses operating across fragmented supply chains, such applications offer opportunities to simplify transactions, improve decision-making and create more responsive purchasing experiences.These developments reflect an important shift in how customer intelligence is being used. Rather than treating information as a record of past transactions, businesses can increasingly draw on it to anticipate requirements, personalise engagement and improve commercial effectiveness. &nbsp;<h3>When Ai Begins to Influence the Bottom Line</h3>At <a href="/businesses/companies/aditya-birla-capital-limited-abcl/">Aditya Birla Capital</a>, the financial business of the Group, the impact of AI is becoming increasingly measurable. Across its financial services businesses, AI applications are supporting credit assessment, underwriting, claims processing, customer servicing and sales. The technology is being integrated into processes where speed, accuracy and the ability to interpret large volumes of information directly influence business performance.In housing finance, FinTellect uses AI to support the preparation of credit-assessment memoranda, while other applications help identify discrepancies in documentation. AI-powered tools are also assisting lending teams in evaluating applications and accelerating credit decisions.Insurance presents another significant opportunity. AI-enabled voice bots are being deployed for customer engagement and policy renewals, while intelligent processing systems support underwriting and claims decisions.The business outcomes illustrate the scale of the opportunity. Aditya Birla Capital has reported improvements of 20 to 30 per cent in underwriting productivity and 10 to 15 per cent in sales productivity. AI-powered voice bots have supported the collection of ₹1,432 crore in renewal premiums.The company is also exploring the next phase of intelligent automation through agentic AI, where interconnected systems can execute more complex workflows. Its white paper, Agentic AI for Bharat's BFSI: A Practitioner's View, examines the potential of this technology to reshape financial services through more intelligent and personalised interactions.These developments provide evidence of AI progressing from individual experiments towards broader operational integration. &nbsp;<h3>Scaling Creativity With Generative Ai</h3>The Group's approach to AI is also changing the economics of brand communication.When Ultravolt, Aditya Birla Group's wires and cables brand, was preparing for launch, the marketing challenge was considerable. Building a new brand required product imagery, campaign visuals, regional adaptations and a consistent stream of communications across multiple channels.ABG MarTech, a centralised generative AI-powered platform developed by the Group IT team at Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited (ABMCPL), helped accelerate this process.Powered by Google's Gemini models, the platform enables businesses to generate and customise brand-specific images, videos and campaigns within an enterprise-grade framework designed around governance, privacy and security.For Ultravolt, it supported the creation of hundreds of website and campaign visuals. The ability to develop creative assets quickly and adapt them for different markets improved the speed and cost-effectiveness of content production.The platform is has gained a strong traction across Group businesses too. Between March and August 2026, the platform generated over 25,000 creatives and 300 videos, with more than 10 new features introduced. Now, more than 10 brands are being onboarded, including brands of Aditya Birla Capital, UltraTech and Grasim.The next stage of development brings agentic AI into marketing workflows, with specialised agents for creative generation, decision-making, validation and personalised activation. AI-assisted analytics and social listening capabilities are also helping connect consumer insights with campaign development. &nbsp;<h3>Making Corporate Information Conversational</h3>Another application addresses a challenge familiar to large, diversified conglomerate: making reliable information readily accessible.With businesses operating across industries and geographies, Aditya Birla Group has an extensive body of corporate information spanning its companies, operations, leadership, products and initiatives. Finding the right information quickly can be challenging for audiences seeking to understand the organisation.To address this, the Group has introduced SERA, a generative AI-powered conversational assistant designed specifically for corporate communication and factual information dissemination.Available on Aditya Birla Group website, SERA enables users to ask questions about the Group and its businesses and receive relevant, verified information through a conversational interface.Its importance lies in how it changes the information experience. Users can engage with a natural-language interface rather than relying entirely on conventional website navigation or searching through multiple pages.SERA demonstrates how generative AI can be applied to corporate communication, making institutional knowledge more accessible while placing an emphasis on factual accuracy and consistency.For an organisation of Aditya Birla Group's scale, such applications offer a way to improve information discovery and strengthen engagement with stakeholders. &nbsp;<h3>The Advantage of Intelligence at Scale</h3>The range of AI initiatives across Aditya Birla Group reveals an emerging pattern. The most promising applications are those connected to clearly defined business problems.In manufacturing, AI is being directed towards process efficiency, reliability and resource optimisation. In financial services, it is improving productivity and supporting faster, more informed decisions. In commerce and customer engagement, it is helping businesses understand and respond to market needs. In marketing and corporate communication, generative AI is changing how content and information are created, managed and accessed.As generative and agentic AI mature, the competitive advantage will increasingly depend on the quality of implementation, the reliability of information, the integration of technology into existing workflows and the ability to measure its contribution.The next chapter will be determined by how effectively these capabilities are scaled, and how consistently they translate into better business outcomes.&nbsp;

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The Intelligence Advantage: How Aditya Birla Group is putting AI to work

Innovation

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL), a part of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL), is a collaboration between Aditya Birla Group and Momentum Group Ltd of South Africa. ABCL holds a 45.89% stake while Momentum Group Ltd holds 44.08% in ABHICL.<o:p></o:p>ABHICL commenced its operations in October 2016 and is engaged in the business of health insurance. The company’s current product portfolio includes unique offerings including chronic care and incentivized wellness.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>Covering over 22 million lives, ABHICL has a nationwide distribution presence in over 5,000 cities through branches and partner offices, 19 bancassurance partners and over 140,000 direct selling agents.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>ABHICL has scaled and diversified digitally enabled distribution, and bancassurance available through more than 29000+ branches &amp; over 60 digital partners, covering customers across the country through multiple contextual byte-sized and contextual products.<o:p></o:p>Mr. Mayank Bathwal is the Chief Executive Officer of Aditya Birla Health Insurance.<o:p></o:p>

Health insurance has always shown great value when people fall ill. However, a gamification approach is now enabling the industry to play a proactive role in encouraging policyholders to live health.For most people, health insurance is something they buy as a financial safety net -- pay a premium today so that if illness or hospitalisation strikes tomorrow, the cost does not have to be borne entirely out of pocket. The insurance sits quietly in the background until illness or hospitalisation calls it into action.But what if an insurance service provider does more than just pay the bills during a health emergency? What if it could help policyholders stay healthier in the first place?This idea is now driving gamification in the health insurance sector across the world. And <a href="/businesses/companies/aditya-birla-health-insurance-limited-abhicl/">Aditya Birla Health Insurance</a> (ABHI) has been driving this innovation in India through an interactive app called Activ Health that incentivises healthy behaviour.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>The Appeal of Gamification</h3>Research shows that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440231218834">gamification enhances health literacy among younger adults</a>, supporting better decision-making regarding insurance coverage and preventive behaviors. It also enables insurance companies to encourage healthier lifestyles among policyholders, potentially improving health outcomes and reducing claim costs. Global consultancy EY notes that gamification is “proving to be a successful way to reach younger generations of consumers” with whom insurers are keen to develop stronger relationships. According to EY, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/703460228/ey-gamification-brochure-digital-final">gamification in the insurance sector</a> has emerged as an effective means to engage customers, establish or strengthen brands, educate and train customers and staff, and motivate people to act.In the Indian context, gamification can be an important means to address the gap in health insurance. India carries one of the world’s largest burdens of non-communicable diseases. An ICMR-INDIAB study estimated that 11.4% Indians were living with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(23)00119-5/fulltext">diabetes and 35.5% with hypertension</a>, alongside widespread obesity and other metabolic risk factors.<a href="#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""> </a>However, financial protection against healthcare costs remains limited: Insurance penetration across the country stood at just 3.7 percent of the GDP in 2024–25.Indian insurers today are addressing a younger population entering its most economically productive years, alongside a growing burden of chronic disease and rising healthcare costs. With the audience in mind, ABHI is seeking to promote preventive healthcare and reduce the burden by gamifying its health insurance products.It also offers a wellness component in its policy, which encourages users to move beyond the traditional ‘buy and forget’ approach of most other insurance products available in the market. Instead, ABHI incentivises physical activity as part of everyday behaviour through gamification.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>Making Healthy Living a Part of the Daily Routine</h3>How does it work? Consider the example of Rohan and Meera (a representational case study). Last year, the Bengaluru-based couple, newly married and in their late 20s, wanted to purchase a health insurance policy to meet the needs of their growing family. While comparing policies, Meera came across ABHI’s policy called Activ One MAX. It offered something she had not expected from an insurance policy: rewards for following a healthy routine daily.That was the hook. The policy didn’t merely promise support during medical emergencies. It made the insurer a part of the policyholder’s everyday behavior. ABHI’s interactive app Activ Health engages with customers in a gamified manner as soon as they register their policy on the app.For example, policyholders are assigned a HealthyHeart Score following a health assessment at a verified fitness centre. The app can be linked to the user’s existing fitness tracker, allowing users to monitor their physical activity and earn rewards for what ABHI refers to as ‘Active Dayz.’The targets are simple: walk 10,000 steps, burn 300 calories in a fitness session or go to a network gym. These are not drastic lifestyle changes; they are small, trackable actions that are easy to postpone unless there is an incentive to keep going.That incentive is HealthReturns. Users who record enough Active Dayz can earn scores that may be used towards future premiums or eligible health-related expenses. Under ABHI’s current offering, users can even get up to 100% off an eligible premium, subject to policy terms. This is where ABHI’s gamification model becomes more than a digital insurance product. It gives the customer a target, progress to track and a reward that feels real.There’s a clear case to be made for health positive lifestyles. A new research study by Aditya Birla Health Insurance, titled ‘Unlocking Health Trajectories: Real-World Biometric Trends from Insured Indian Populations’, analysed biometric data from 2.1 million adult customers between December 2023 and December 2025. It found that 87% of policyholders either maintained or improved their health status through regular monitoring and preventive engagement. The analysis also found meaningful improvements across major chronic health indicators. Blood pressure improved in 32% of cases, diabetes control improved in 33%, BMI and obesity indicators improved in 34%, and cholesterol levels improved in 17% of policyholders.These findings offer an important proof point: when health goals are tracked, nudged and rewarded, health metrics improve.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>Keeping Customers Motivated Is Important</h3>Truth is, changing health behaviour is not simple. Anyone who has abandoned a New Year fitness resolution knows that motivation can fade quickly. A discount may push someone to begin, but it may not be enough to help them stay the course. Recognising this, ABHI provides eligible policyholders with wellness coaches who offer support on fitness, nutrition, weight management and addictions such as tobacco consumption. The gamification model is thus holistic with the app measuring the effort, HealthReturns rewarding it, and coaching enabling people to keep going.For couples like Rohan and Meera, this makes their health insurance policy feel less like a product locked away for emergencies. Their daily choices -- walking more, exercising regularly, tracking activity -- are part of a broader engagement with their service provider. At the end of the day, it’s about a healthier pathway for customers.

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Game It! How ABHI Rewards Healthy Living

Founded by Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla, Aditya Birla Ventures is the venture capital arm of Aditya Birla Group.It invests in new-age high growth businesses across a diverse sectors — Consumer-tech, Health-tech, Deep-tech, Fin-tech, Enterprise-tech (including SaaS), Consumer brands, etc. Apart from financial investment, it aspires to open Aditya Birla Group’s global eco-system, wealth of experience and industry relationships for the growth of its portfolio companies.Some high growth companies in the portfolio include Finbox - digital credit infrastructure company; Eka.Care - &nbsp;leading health-tech company; Giva - fine silver jewellery brand; Digantara - Space situational awareness solutions company; Mokobara - &nbsp;new age travel lifestyle brand; Uptime AI – AI enabled predictive maintenance company; Pixxel - space tech company leveraging hyperspectral imagery, amongst others. It has also invested in FirstClub, a 'Quality first' Q-commerce platform, offering curated premium and mass premium products.The company has been expanding its portfolio with several new investments. In 2025, it invested in Stable Money, a wealth-tech platform catering to the financial aspirations of 'Middle India' by offering fixed-income investment products.&nbsp; ABV was accorded prestigious ‘New Fund Entry – Outstanding Achievement of the Year’ award in 2023 by Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), apex industry body for PE-VC in India.

The $72-billion Aditya Birla Group has long shaped the country’s industrial landscape and created global impact in sectors ranging from cement and aluminium to financial services and fashion. Over decades, Group companies have anticipated technological and consumer shifts, seeded new markets and products, and created sustainable businesses that have tracked India’s economic rise.Aditya Birla Ventures, the Group’s venture capital company founded by Aryaman Vikram Birla, is expanding this legacy by investing in the new-age businesses of tomorrow, offering both capital and access to the Group’s vast global ecosystem. Since its inception in late 2021, Aditya Birla Ventures has provided early and mid-growth stage funding to nearly a dozen startups with a focus on the consumer tech, deep tech, fintech and enterprise tech sectors, among others.Over the last year, Aditya Birla Ventures has stepped up the momentum by investing in three new companies:<ul style="list-style-type:disc;" type="disc"><li>California-headquartered enterprise GenAI startup Articul8</li><li>Quality-first quick commerce platform FirstClub Technology that recently featured on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbesindia.com/article/news/india-leads-with-19-companies-in-forbes-asia-100-to-watch-list-2026/2997426/1">Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2026</a> list, and</li><li>Stable Money, India’s first digital platform dedicated to fixed income investments &nbsp;</li></ul>The three start-ups are carving out new market niches and addressing new business and consumer demands. In keeping with ABV’s investment strategy, all three are also backed by outstanding founders. &nbsp;<h3>The Edge of AI</h3>Take Santa Clara-based Articul8, which was spun out of Intel in early 2024 by founder and CEO Arun K Subramaniyan. An aerospace engineer who started his career designing jet engines before changing his flight path to computing, Subramaniyan was responsible for building Amazon’s high-performance computing business. He then moved to Intel to build its AI Supercomputer and full software stack, delivering a domain-specific GenAI model to a customer a month before ChatGPT was even launched. That success proved the need for GenAI platforms purpose-built for complex industrial and regulated sectors, leading to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pulse2.com/articul8-profile-arun-subramaniyan-interview/">the birth of Articul8 in January 2024</a>.Articul8 develops specialised GenAI systems comprising domain-specific models, software applications and AI agents that are tailored for regulated industries where data accuracy, auditability and control are critical. These include sectors like energy, manufacturing, aerospace, financial services and semiconductors. Its systems are designed for hybrid and on-premises environments, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/07/intel-spin-off-articul8-is-halfway-to-70m-ai-funding-round-at-500m-valuation/">its customers include Amazon Web Services, Intel, Hitachi Energy and Franklin Templeton</a>. “We’re not just building GenAI — we’re building GenAI that enterprises can trust,” Subramaniyan has stated in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pulse2.com/articul8-profile-arun-subramaniyan-interview/">one media interview</a>.The opportunity is huge. As Aryaman Vikram Birla stated after <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ai/ai-insights/aditya-birla-ventures-backs-ai-startup-articul8-in-70m-funding-round/articleshow/126409445.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">ABV’s participation in Articul8’s Series B funding</a> round in January 2026: “Generative AI is rapidly becoming a strategic necessity for businesses. Articul8’s platform helps companies worldwide build and deploy AI applications efficiently, unlocking value from their proprietary data. We have strong belief in the founding team, and this investment aligns with our goal to support outstanding founders building global businesses of tomorrow.” &nbsp;<h3>Fintech Frontiers</h3>Meanwhile, with Stable Money, Aditya Birla Ventures has reinforced its commitment to back fintech innovation and financial inclusion. Stable Money was founded in 2022 by Saurabh Jain and Harish Reddy as a safety-first wealth platform that makes investing in fixed income instruments simple, transparent and accessible to everyone.Both Jain and Reddy are graduates from IIT Bombay. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurabhjain1099/details/experience/">Jain</a> has worked in various startups including Swiggy. He was also MD &amp; CEO of Navi Mutual Fund, where he helped build the business from scratch. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harish-reddy-11a98b2a/">Reddy</a> has over 12 years of experience in the capital markets and hedge fund industry, including as portfolio manager at Besseggen Infotech, where he built the algorithmic trading business from scratch.The two believe that trust is the most important factor in investing. Hence, they decided to build a category-defining platform around the Indian investor’s long-held trust in bank fixed deposits as a secure instrument offering predictable returns while protecting their capital.“I realised that if you want financialisation, the route was not to get people directly into mutual funds or stocks. It is very important to honour the beliefs of the customer,” Jain stated <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://entrepreneur.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/stable-money-revolutionizes-investment-in-india-with-fixed-deposits/130279300">in one newspaper interview</a>.As Aryaman Birla stated after ABV participated in <a href="/media/stories/aditya-birla-ventures-bets-big-on-wealth-tech-with-investment-in-stable-money/">Stable Money’s $20 million Series B funding round in 2025</a>, “Tech-enabled investment solutions for retail investors are set to experience substantial growth. Stable Money, with its robust wealth-tech platform, is well-positioned to serve the evolving financial aspirations of the rising 'Middle India'.”<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://stablemoney.in/">Stable Money</a> has drawn over 6 million users in 3,500+ cities across India with its user-friendly interface, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://entrepreneur.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/stable-money-revolutionizes-investment-in-india-with-fixed-deposits/130279300">wide range of bank FDs and instant withdrawal facility</a>. Users can invest in FDs on Stable Money without opening a bank account. The platform also offers corporate bonds through its Stable Bonds platform and FD-backed credit cards. It is now <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yourstory.com/2026/02/stable-money-raises-25-million-in-pre-series-c-funding-led-by-peak-xv-partners">expanding its product portfolio and partner network</a> with banks and non-banks, and also strengthening its on-ground presence in key cities. &nbsp;<h3>Q Stands for Quick and Quality</h3>If Stable Money is carving out a niche in the world of investing, FirstClub is differentiating itself in the quick commerce space as a quality-first groceries retailer instead of banking on speed like other quick commerce players.Ayyappan R, a Flipkart veteran and former CEO of Cleartrip, traces FirstClub’s genesis to his habit of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.firstclub.site/about-us">reading product labels</a> and discovering that most products had a lot of preservatives. He launched FirstClub’s operations in Bengaluru in June 2025, and Aditya Birla Ventures participated in its Series A funding round three months later.“Quick commerce today is built for speed, not standards. At FirstClub, we’re changing that. Every product you see on our platform is tested, vetted and curated. Customers shouldn’t have to compromise between convenience and quality,” Ayyappan has stated in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yourstory.com/2025/09/firstclub-raises-23-mn-to-push-quality-first-quick-commerce-startup">one media interview</a>. This includes testing through third-party screenings and blind tastings.Ayyappan is banking on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ndtvprofit.com/markets/indias-consumption-shift-is-going-premium-investors-hunt-for-the-next-multibaggers-11940142">growing premiumisation of the Indian retail market</a> with consumers showing a greater willingness to spend on quality products across categories like food, clothing and automobiles. He has positioned First Club as a mass mid-premium retailer, targeting around 20 million-30 million households by offering quality groceries “minus 200+ harmful ingredients” (as its website states) at a fair price. For instance, it offers milk brands that are lab-tested and free from antibiotics and growth hormones, and vegetables that are packaged in sal leaves instead of plastic.The startup has completed 1 million orders in its first year of operations and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://entrackr.com/news/former-flipkart-executives-startup-firstclub-raises-55-mn-led-by-peak-xv-and-sofina-11999444">recently closed a Series B round of funding</a>. It is planning to expand its operations across geographies and add categories like beauty and personal care, home essentials and pet care. &nbsp;<h3>Future Ready</h3>As global businesses adopt GenAI, investors seek to financialise their savings, and consumers upgrade to premium products, Aditya Birla Ventures’ investee companies are ready to tap these opportunities and become the leading businesses of tomorrow.

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Aditya Birla Ventures Supports New-Age Businesses 

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Everyone’s heard of March 8th and Women’s Day: it’s a date to celebrate the women in our lives and commemorate those who fought for gender equality and women’s rights. But far beyond the corporate offices and urban communities where women have made significant strides lies a different reality.Rural women, who contribute to almost half of the world’s food production, have far less access to land, resources, education or technology as compared to their male counterparts. To promote awareness about their plight, the United Nations commemorated October 15th as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/rural-women-day">International Day of Rural Women</a>. &nbsp;<h3>A Force for Equal Opportunity</h3>The day holds greater relevance in an agrarian economy like India, where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.niti.gov.in/rural-women-key-new-indias-agrarian-revolution">80% of rural women are employed in farming or allied livelihoods</a> and constitute 60% of the country’s agricultural workforce. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/LabourMinistry/status/2082759119254229249?lang=ar">Empowering rural women to achieve their fullest potential</a> -- through social, economic and health reforms – is a strong pathway to holistic development of the entire nation.With this social need in mind, Aditya Birla Group actively works towards the upliftment of women, under the guidance of Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, chaired by Mrs. Rajashree Birla.Here’s a quick look at select <a href="/community/">women empowerment initiatives</a> that have had impact:<ul><li>50,000 women are empowered through 5,000 Self Help Groups (SHGs) each year</li><li>100,000 women and children receive support through Mother &amp; Child Healthcare projects</li><li>2,000 women have been trained at the Applicators Training Programme in Rajasthan till date</li></ul><h3> A Pan-India Effort</h3>While most initiatives are on-going, the efforts of FY2025-26 are worth highlighting.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.grasim.com/Upload/PDF/grasim-integrated-annual-report-2025-26.pdf">Grasim Industries</a> blueprinted and implementedan extensive project for menstrual hygiene and cervical cancer awareness in FY26. This was in addition to other interventions:<ul><li>Mother and child healthcare to support 16,729 women and children through 477 camps addressing immunisation, nutrition and maternal health needs</li><li>Financial inclusion and collective enterprise strengthened for 4,620 women through 453 SHGs &nbsp;</li></ul><div><blockquote>Grasim’s Menstrual Hygiene and Cervical Cancer Awareness Initiative reached over 1,000+ women and adolescent girls across 22 villages in the project catchment area. The sustainable and scalable project model adopted a community-based approach in consultation with the Taluka Health Office, accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers), Anganwadi staff, school authorities, and community leaders to identify needs, mobilise beneficiaries, and design culturally appropriate awareness sessions on menstrual hygiene and cervical cancer. Demonstrations were held on the use, cleaning, and storage of reusable sanitary pads followed by the distribution of 800 reusable sanitary pad kits, and dissemination of referral information for cervical cancer screening under government programmes.</blockquote></div> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hindalco.com/Upload/PDF/hindalco-annual-report-2025-26.pdf">Hindalco</a> invested in the mettle of women through interventions such as:<ul><li>Promotion of 2,827 SHGs comprising 33,740 women members, enabling financial inclusion through ₹160.47 crore in bank linkages and internal credit mobilisation, thereby strengthening community-based income systems.</li><li>Employment generation through Project Saksham, supporting 164 women in garment manufacturing units, facilitating sustainable income and industrial integration.</li></ul> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ultratechcement.com/content/dam/ultratechcementwebsite/pdf/financials/annual-reports/integrated-and-sustainability-report-2025-26-single-page.pdf">UltraTech</a> contributed towards the construction of a more equitable future by:&nbsp;<ul><li>Engaging 9,127 women through programmes on antenatal and postnatal care, nutrition, mass immunisation and escorted institutional deliveries&nbsp;</li><li>Implementing Project Saksham and training 350 women in industrial sewing machine operations; 105 women have secured industrial employment till date.&nbsp;</li></ul> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.abfrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ABFRL-Annual-Report-FY25-26.pdf">Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited</a> (ABFRL) tailored initiatives for women in its rural communities including menstrual health and hygiene awareness sessions for 142 women, and support for 80 families with women artisans.&nbsp;<div><blockquote>ABFRL Empowered Women Artists Through Traditional Art by providing financial assistance and marketing support to 80 families in Nayak Patana village through SHGs. The women in these families depend on Pattachitra/Pattachitra art as their primary source of livelihood so, this support enabled the SHGs to enhance production capacity, improve access to markets, and sustain their traditional art practices. The programme has contributed to women’s economic empowerment, preservation of cultural heritage, and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods at the community level.&nbsp;</blockquote></div> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.adityabirlacapital.com/-/media/ABCL/pdf/Financial-Reports/Annual-Reports-New-2025-26/130726_Annual-Report-for-2025-26.ashx">Aditya Birla Capital</a> invested in women-centric CSR programmes across 13 states in India in areas like:Healthcare:<ul><li>~450,000+ women beneficiaries including 41,437 women from underserved communities across Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar received Maternal and Child Health Support such as access to enhanced prenatal and postnatal care, institutional deliveries, immunisation coverage and nutrition support</li></ul> Public Health Infrastructure:<ul><li>Labour rooms and maternity wards were strengthened across 20 Public Health Centres (PHCs) to enhance access to quality maternal and child healthcare and promote safer delivery outcomes.&nbsp;</li><li>33 PHCs were supported through capacity-building initiatives and handholding support for Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and ASHA workers, strengthening overall healthcare service delivery.&nbsp;</li></ul> Farm-Based Livelihoods:<ul><li>66,723 women farmers across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan received support through a network of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Village Development Committees and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) for capacity-building initiatives focused on improved agricultural practices that contribute to higher farm incomes</li><li>583 women from vulnerable tribal communities in Jharkhand were empowered through goat-rearing initiatives</li><li>550 women entrepreneurs from the North-Eastern states received training and equipment for beekeeping</li></ul> Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion:<ul><li>19,102 economically-disadvantaged women across 267 villages in the rural Bengaluru and Haveri districts of Karnataka were provided doorstep financial literacy and entrepreneurship training&nbsp;</li><li>20 women-led start-ups were supported through the Womenpreneur for Bharat 3.0 initiative</li><li>158 young women were provided with residential training and certification in Smart Manufacturing and Hospitality, thus improving their earning potential</li></ul> On the International Day for Rural Women 2026, Aditya Birla Group joins the pledge to build resilient futures for the rise of rural women -- in our communities, across our country and world-over.As a Force for Good, Aditya Birla Group’s community initiatives collectively benefit 11 million people across 9,000 villages in India each year. To know more, <a href="/community/">click here</a>.

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From Fields to Resilient Futures: The Focus on Rural Women Communities

Over a century ago, Mahatma Gandhi recognised the transformative potential of promoting village industries for economic empowerment. His philosophy regarding Khadi was deeply intertwined with his broader socio-economic vision for India. For him, the handwoven fabric represented a symbol of nationalism, social equality, and self-reliance.Gandhi's vision of promoting village industries to accelerate rural development, alleviate poverty, and create sustainable livelihoods remains as relevant today. The agricultural sector, despite being the primary source of employment of millions, faces myriad challenges, leading to social-economic ills such as rural poverty and urban migration driven by the search for employment. This migration not only impacts rural economies but also contributes to urban poverty, social unrest, and environmental degradation.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>A Force for Sustainable Good</h3>As a responsible corporate citizen, Aditya Birla Group recognises the need for creating alternative economic opportunities to empower rural communities. On Gandhi Jayanti, the Group pays tribute to the tremendous legacy of the Father of the Nation.Here’s a quick look at how Group companies supported sustainable rural livelihoods in FY2025-26, guided by <a href="/community/">Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development</a>, chaired by Mrs. Rajashree Birla.<ul><li>100,000 people trained by Aditya Birla Skills Foundation</li><li>50,000 women empowered by 5,000 Self-Help Groups</li><li>200,000 farmers on board agro-based training projects</li><li>33 bn litres water harvested annually across 450 villages, benefitting 50,000 people</li><li>95,000 people trained at vocational training centres and Aditya Birla Rural Technology Park</li><li>8,000 people, including 2,000 women, trained by an Applicators Training Programme for the construction sector</li><li>2,200 college drop outs/unemployed youth trained in collaboration with CII and PMKVY</li><li>100+ villages covered under Integrated Livestock Development Centres</li></ul><h3> ABRFL: Style With a Purpose</h3><a href="/businesses/companies/aditya-birla-fashion-and-retail-limited-abfrl/">Aditya Birla Fashion &amp; Retail</a> follows a ‘childhood to livelihood’ approach in the communities within which it operates, providing support at different stages of the beneficiaries’ lives though programmes in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.abfrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ABFRL-Annual-Report-FY25-26.pdf">FY2025-26</a> such as:Skill Academy: Over the years, 4,377 rural youths have been trained and certified in employable skills. In FY26 alone, 451 youth were trained and certified, and 355 secured job placements.&nbsp;Craft Entrepreneurs Accelerator Programme: A collaborative initiative between ABFRL and NICE.org, this was a first-of-its-kind intervention designed to support the artisan community through mentorship by engaging industry experts. The initiative benefited 12 enterprises across multiple states, which were successfully linked with established businesses to explore new revenue streams and build confidence in product development and design.Meghalaya - Artisan Cluster Development: The programme aims to develop artisan clusters by enhancing capacities, improving production capabilities, and connecting artisans with market opportunities.Odisha - Promotion and Sustenance of Art and Art Forms: To sustain and promote the ancient art forms of Pattachitra and Pothichitra, ABFRL’s interventions included:&nbsp;<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li>Wall-painting at Nayak Patana benefitting 546 community members</li><li>Financial support to artisan SHGs benefitting 80 families</li><li>Capacity building of 42 artisans trained under the guidance of Guru Maga Nayak and Bibhu Maharana &nbsp;</li></ul><header class="blurb-header"><blockquote><h3>Turning Homes into Living Art Galleries</h3></blockquote></header><div class="blurb-body"><blockquote>42 young practitioners of Pattachitra in Nayak Patana and Danda Sahi villages were trained by renowned artists to strengthen their traditional art skills.Post-training, artists carried out wall paintings on homes and community spaces, giving the village a vibrant artistic identity and creating direct income-generating opportunities, as tourists could engage with and purchase art directly from households.</blockquote></div><h3> Grasim: Manufacturing Lasting Change</h3><a href="/businesses/companies/grasim-industries-limited/">Grasim Industries</a> focuses on strengthening local capabilities, whether through skills, small enterprises, or better use of available resources, so that individuals and families can build steady, self-sustaining incomes. This includes supporting <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.grasim.com/Upload/PDF/grasim-integrated-annual-report-2025-26.pdf">women-led and self-help groups</a>, enabling resilience within communities<a>.</a>In FY26, Grasim drove the following:&nbsp;Water: The creation of 12 water harvesting structures improved water availability for agriculture and benefitted 7,879 individuals.Large Scale Plantations: Environmental restoration and supplementary livelihood opportunities benefited 10,145 individuals.Animal Husbandry Support: 18,301 farmers benefitted from 240 veterinary camps, immunisation, and dairy training programmes for improved livestock health and productivity.Sustainable Farming: Agricultural practices and soil health management improved farming for 5,373 farmers.Skilling: 3,180 individuals gained employable skills across trades such as tailoring, computer literacy, handicrafts etc.&nbsp;Financial Inclusion: 4,620 women benefitted (through 453 self-help groups) that helped strengthen financial inclusion and collective enterprise.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>Hindalco: Forging Resilient Futures</h3>The Group’s metals major continued to contribute towards creating more sustainable communities in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hindalco.com/Upload/PDF/hindalco-annual-report-2025-26.pdf">FY2025-26</a>.The establishment of four Aditya Birla Skill Centres have helped 324 youth gain vocational skills in FY26 aloneProject Kaushal enabled 1,329 youth to receive extended skill training and thus improve access to livelihood opportunities.Project Saksham benefitted 164 women through employment generation in garment manufacturing units.Improved water security has a lasting effect on rural economies.<ul><li>381 Mn litres cumulative storage capacity of water created by constructing 25 check dams and repairing 7 existing structures.</li><li>5,978 farmers benefitted through the development of 103 irrigation channels and 36 lift irrigation points, enabling irrigation across 420 hectares leading to enhanced agricultural productivity</li></ul><h3> Ultratech: Cementing Robust Communities</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ultratechcement.com/content/dam/ultratechcementwebsite/pdf/financials/annual-reports/integrated-and-sustainability-report-2025-26-single-page.pdf">The Group’s infrastructure powerhouse</a> achieved significant impact by pursuing a multi-pronged approach to sustainable livelihoods in FY26 - strengthening agricultural productivity, skill-based employment, to empowering women economically and improving livestock management, to drive meaningful income enhancement across its communities<a>.</a>Agriculture productivity training was provided to 8,219 farmers.Irrigation support benefitted over 815 farming families through watershed management initiatives in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. In addition, over 220 farmers gained from improved irrigation infrastructure such as distribution of sprinkler systems and irrigation pumps, enabling second-crop cultivation and increased output.Alternative Incomes: Initiatives such as mushroom cultivation, turmeric and spice processing supported 1,460 families through alternative income generation.Livestock Support: Veterinary health camps and cattle health services ensured better health for 32,881 animals.Women Empowerment: Vocational skills training have helped over 3,200 women by opening doors to livelihoods. &nbsp;<h3>Aditya Birla Capital: Investing in Long-Term Impact</h3>Through institution building, capacity enhancement, the promotion of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), support for women farmers, entrepreneurship development and financial literacy initiatives, the Group’s financial flagship company seeks to build resilient, self-reliant communities and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.adityabirlacapital.com/-/media/ABCL/pdf/Financial-Reports/Annual-Reports-New-2025-26/130726_Annual-Report-for-2025-26.ashx">create sustainable pathways for inclusive growth</a><a>.</a>The organisation touched over 1,17,880 beneficiaries in FY2025-26, including:<ul><li>66,723 women farmers across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, who received support for capacity-building initiatives focused on improved agricultural practices and market linkages, contributing to higher farm incomes and more sustainable livelihoods</li><li>52,131 farmers benefitted from Farmer Producer Company (FPC) initiatives that improved access to farm machinery, infrastructure, and market linkages</li><li>620+ watershed structures constructed to strengthen water security</li><li>19,102 economically disadvantaged women across 267 villages in the rural Bengaluru and Haveri districts of Karnataka, who were provided doorstep financial literacy and entrepreneurship training</li><li>583 women from vulnerable tribal communities in Jharkhand empowered through goat-rearing initiatives</li><li>550 women entrepreneurs from the North-Eastern states, who received training and equipment for beekeeping &nbsp;</li></ul>On Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Aditya Birla Group reinforces our commitment to actively contribute towards the social and economic upliftment of our communities so that Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant and poverty-free India can become a reality.As a Force for Good, Aditya Birla Group’s community initiatives collectively benefit 11 million people across 9,000 villages in India each year. To know more, click <a href="/community/">here</a> .

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An Ongoing Tribute to the Mahatma and the Khadi Movement: Powering Sustainable Rural Livelihoods

<h3>0:00 — Introduction to Udai &amp; Leadcast&nbsp;</h3>Brian: From the boardroom to the kitchen pass, he's building India's most inspired hospitality experiences. This is Leadcast, where leadership meets life.Udai: People sometimes ask me what was the turning point. For me, it was learning that growth doesn't always look like a promotion or a title. Sometimes it's about launching a new business or an institution. Sometimes it's not saying yes to the easy path or the obvious one. And now it's this — building brands that make people feel something deeper, help them make memories. &nbsp;<h3>0:19 — Udai's Definition of Growth: Beyond Promotions&nbsp;</h3>Udai: Good morning, Brian.Brian: Hey, good morning. How are you doing?Udai: I'm well, thank you. How are you?Brian:How are you doing?Udai: I'm very, very well. How's your day been going?Brian: A little hectic, but lovely to see you. Thank you for joining us at Leadcast, man. Much appreciated.Udai: My pleasure. My pleasure, absolutely. &nbsp;<h3>0:46 — Greetings &amp; Rapid Fire Question&nbsp;</h3>Brian: Okay, so suggestion — before we get serious, let's get curious.Udai: Okay, let’s do that.Brian: Great. So Udai, one quick rapid-fire question for lack of another way to say it.Udai: Sure.Brian: So if you were to pick one restaurant from ABNAH for a meeting, which one would that be? &nbsp;<h3>1:11 — Favorite Restaurant for a Meeting: Oud&nbsp;</h3>Udai: I'd say most definitely Oud. Yeah, I think it's a lovely space — great ambience, lovely food. And you can interact with people very casually, yet with a lot of intimacy. I think it's a great space to be.Brian: Oh, nice.Udai: Yeah.Brian: Okay, that meeting should be with me.Udai: Oh, we can go right after this. &nbsp;<h3>1:39 — Udai's Grounding Ritual: Kipling's "If—"&nbsp;</h3>Brian: Great. What's that one ritual over there that keeps you kind of grounded?Udai: It's Kipling’s If—.For the last 20 years, I've had a copy of that wherever I've been, within my eyesight — just going through those lines: "Meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same." Very, very grounding.Brian: Oh man, Udai — always, but always a pleasure chatting with you.Udai: Same here. &nbsp;<h3>2:05 — Udai's 17+ Years with Aditya Birla Group &amp; Nonlinear Growth&nbsp;</h3>Brian: More than 16 years with the Aditya Birla Group, and you have served as the Executive Assistant to Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla. You have led the launch of a new business school — none less than BITSOM — and are now leading the way at ABNA's whole project… I mean, the Chief Executive Officer.Brian: What has growth looked like to you?Udai: Nonlinear. You know, to put it — I think growth, Brian, I would say is what one perceives growth to be. And I must say that it's not always felt like growth. You know, you're doing stuff and there's a lot of learning that's happening — and the curve's not always very straight. There's this thing Adam Grant says in Hidden Potential, it's a fantastic book — that the line of growth, which is usually shown like this on a graph, is very misleading. Sometimes growth looks all topsy-turvy and so on. And you know, sometimes you take a side step to get a very different kind of experience. Sometimes you step back to learn something very new. And sometimes you just leap — in a way you've never envisaged that you will — into something. &nbsp;<h3>4:20 — Evolution of F&amp;B: Immersive, Shareable Experiences&nbsp;</h3>Udai: …and then I started — and by the way we're not counting here — but 17 plus years.Brian: Oh, okay.Udai: Yeah.Brian: Okay. I stand corrected. Happily, I must add.Udai: So, you know, I was in the telecom business. I was not in the HO, I was in Hyderabad. I was in service delivery — not in one of the swankier functions like marketing, sales, or whatever it’s perceived to be. And I was in prepaid — a very mass segment and so on. I never realized I had a structured path. I thought: Where will I get to? But then I think growth, really for me then, is about picking what you're doing, really thoroughly enjoying it, and doing a great job of it — and then you get where you get to.Brian: Interesting perspective you provide. So I'm going to move to the F&amp;B business — more F&amp;B businesses are now trying to curate immersive, visually striking, shareable experiences… nostalgic dishes and Instagrammer favourites. What's your take on this — if I can call it — evolution in the industry?Udai: See, I think like a lot of categories that evolve with consumers, consumers are much better exposed now. They're more affluent, they're more aspirational, etc. Food has now become not just about sustenance — it's about self-expression. Food is fashion. People use food to make a statement. People want food to reflect who they are and so on and so forth. So as the cliché goes — people first eat with the phone, with their eyes, and then they consume food. And they want people to know where they were, what they were eating, and so on. &nbsp;<h3>6:04 — ABNAH's Focus on Culinary Excellence&nbsp;</h3>Udai:So I think it's part of a lifestyle. It's growth. But I just think that we are what we do when no one’s watching us, you know, in a way.Brian: Well said.Udiai:And a lot of times I think while one might share where they were and so on and so forth — I would think of it like this: the last time you went to a place you really wanted to and loved to go back to — you had people you really like and you were having food you really crave. Did you dive in for your phone? Probably not. So the share of eyeballs, I don’t think, is necessarily equal to the wallet share of the consumer — where they would like to go and spend a lot of time, spend a lot of their money and attention, and have great craveable food. And in that sense, we at ABNAH have always been very, very culinary-excellence-forward, so to speak. Can the food be 'grammable? Should it look great? Of course it can. But for us, it’s about making a great honest plate of food that one would like to come back to again and again and again. And if you can make it look very photogenic — yeah, it’s a bonus. So I think — well, to each their own — it's not just about nostalgic and great-looking food, but it’s about people coming back to food that they love and really crave. &nbsp;<h3>6:43 — Heritage &amp; History in Food: A Deep Dive&nbsp;</h3>Brian: Okay, interesting. Now there’s been more chatter — should I say — on the play of heritage, of history, when it comes to food. How do you see that playing with our curated menus?Udai:Yeah, I think that's a great segue — because it’s in line with what I was saying earlier — that people are very well-travelled now. They’re far more aware. There’s a lot more information out there, right? And while at a point in time the country and the people wanted everything to be very relatable to their original palate, so to speak — people are now ready to try and push themselves to have authentic food. &nbsp;<h3>8:03 — The Story of Varsa Restaurant&nbsp;</h3>And India — while we talk of it as a monolith — I think as we all know, it's a misnomer. It's 50 different countries. And for me, going away from my cold palate is not just about having Korean or Italian — it's about trying really authentic food from, let's say, Lucknow, Awadhi — which probably I've never really known. Because what a lot of people have been exposed to is Punjabi and Mughlai. So — you know — it’s stuff like that. And hence now: rootedness. How connected the food is — matters a lot to people. I'll just take a quick example because we have this restaurant called Varsa — it's based in NCPA. And that food has its own heritage, its own history. It’s the Persians who travelled to India. And then — they thought Delhi was too busy — they bypassed the outer ring road and went straight to Lucknow, right? And they settled there. And it was a great blend of what they brought and what they conceived there. And Wajid Ali Shah was asked by the British — given a pension — and sent to Calcutta. you know, where he said, Allah-e-Butto mujhe koi dikhaye Lucknow aur mere sohne me bhi mere aata hai aah Lucknow. He was really paining for Lucknow because he was he was a Nawab there. He was sent out and then there was no gosht. There was not enough meat, but the Portuguese had brought potatoes there. They replaced the meat with potatoes and made a different kind of biryani. So that food evolved from Persia to Lucknow to Calcutta. And then they got a daughter married to the Nizams of Hyderabad — and as was the custom — they sent maids and cooks with her. And then the food travelled from Calcutta to Hyderabad — and then it evolved further. It's the journey of food. And that's what we discovered and that's what we are making at Varsa. So people like these stories. People like that history behind it and trying different cuisines. I think it matters a lot. &nbsp;<h3>9:50 — What Excites Udai About Building Hospitality Brands&nbsp;</h3>Brian: Man, your knowledge — and the fact that you've obviously deep-dived into this — is incredible.Udai:No, we really like to enjoy what we're doing, you know — and get into the heart of it. So as I said earlier — this is growth. Right? I mean you're learning something new every day. You're doing something exciting. You're a different person. I mean — that's growth.Brian: That's coming through loud and clear, Udai. &nbsp;<h3>10:10 — India’s F&amp;B Industry: Size &amp; Opportunity&nbsp;</h3>Brian: Now — you mentioned from Varsa to Jolie’s toSupasan — ABNAH is creating, I think, some of India’s distinct culinary spaces, which is brilliant. What excites you most about building hospitality brands?Udai:Yeah, sure. See — food is a very core consumer category. And it's something that’s been there obviously since the birth of time until now. But the way it's evolving is very exciting. Some estimates say it's a 65–70 billion dollar industry in India. It's one of the largest. And it also employs one of the largest workforces in the country. And with aspiration increasing, as I was saying earlier — a lot of people are now opting to look for great experiences, a lot of organized brands and so on. And despite all this, and despite all the growth happening — you realize that there are probably four or five companies today which are more than a billion dollars in valuation — and then there’s a long tail. By some estimates — the way Singapore eats out: about 50+ times a month (what you eat out — including deliveries, two–four times a day — 50% of that comes from outside). The U.S. or Europe is about 30. China is 20. For India, it's about 8 or 9. That’s the headroom that's there. For Mumbai or Delhi — probably people eat out about 15 times a month including deliveries. So just the opportunity to be able to go out and participate in one of the largest consumer businesses for the A ditya Birla Group — is a great opportunity. And when you are given the opportunity to participate in that kind of growth and build something of that order — it's obviously very exciting. And I think that’s a very important part. &nbsp;<h3>12:02 — ABNAH's Purpose: Enriching Lives Through Food&nbsp;</h3>I have a but. You know — it's out there on the wall, and we should go up and take a look at it in the office once. And it's very important to us — our purpose: "To enrich lives through the power of food and the magic of shared experiences."&nbsp; It's that purpose that really excites us a lot more. Because think about it: for the most part, experiential dining — at whatever price point — it's not because you can't cook at home or you don’t have a meal. There's so much happening outside — at your work, generally in life, and so on. When people walk into a restaurant — they want to leave all of that outside practically. They just want to have a great time with their loved ones, people they like — or sometimes maybe just by themselves with a cup of coffee. It's a privilege for us to be able to participate in that with them and give them that break they need. And it's a tough industry — thin margins, heavy competition, hawkish regulations, whatnot. But when you see a guest smiling — happy — walking out at the end of the meal — all of that’s sorted. And then you're not thinking of the industry size and how tough it is to run the restaurant and so on. That fulfilment — I think that's really exciting — to be able to participate in that entire story. &nbsp;<h3>13:12 — What Udai Wants Guests to Experience at ABNA&nbsp;</h3>Brian: You almost answered — or should I say half-answered — my next question. Always ahead of the game, you are. You know — what is it that excites you about food? And I’ll qualify that: what do you want people to experience and discover when they explore ABNA palates?Udai: So you know — it's not as much about ABNA palates alone. We wouldn't like to get ahead of ourselves and think that we are this very large player and one should view us very distinctively or separatel. We're very much with the industry. It's a growing space. And in that scheme of things — we want our guests to come in and to feel welcomed. To not feel intimidated. We are into authentic cuisines — as I said. You know: we do authentic Italian, we do authentic Japanese, we do authentic Cantonese, we do authentic Awadhi. We like to believe that we are doing honest food. At the same time — we ideally don't want them to look at a menu card and feel intimidated and hesitant to read something out and ask something. Yet — we don't want to water down their experience. That balance is what is a little tricky — but not impossible. That's where your staff and your service comes in — whether they make you feel welcome, make you feel comfortable, are able to explain the menu to you without sounding condescending — yet not being snobbish at the same time. That is very critical for us — and that's what we would like to create. But let me caveat this with saying: we’re not there yet. It's a journey. And I'm happy to confess that. We’re getting there. But we're confident that we’ll get there — because we are very clear about the intent. &nbsp;<h3>15:09 — Udai's Top 3–4 Menu Recommendations&nbsp;</h3>Brian: That’s a confident — but really honest take. And more power to you, Udai. What are the top three to four — if I might ask — things to order across restaurants, across spots? I'm putting you on the spot, I know.Udai: You're putting me in a corner — against my chefs who create menus which are 20–30 dishes long. Nevertheless. Yeah, sure. I think, you know — if you go to Oud as we were speaking about earlier — I would like you to try the Nobu’s Tarboos or the Muskmelon. These are great mocktails — so flavourful — you won’t miss any spirits even if there are none in it. Come to Supasan — I think while you can order all your sashimis and nigiris and so on — you should definitely try the Chawanmushi. It's like a warm hug to your soul — it's such a nice warm egg-custard dish. If you go to Yauatcha — you should definitely order the Cheung Fun — vegetarian for me — but if you're a prawns person, certainly you can do that. I can go on and on. But since we're on it — if you go to Varsa — you should try the Panch Patta Saag with the Magasnaan. People think that Awadhi food is all about non-vegetarian — but it’s not true. Chef Mukhtar’s mother-in-law is a consummate cook of non-vegetarian food — but she’s a vegetarian herself. And there’s such amazing vegetarian food out there in Lucknowi cuisine. I think you should definitely try Varsa. Man — you’ve got me salivating, so to speak. That’s the idea — show me the money. It sure is, and it’s working. &nbsp;<h3>16:53 — Sourcing Ingredients: Local, Sustainable &amp; Authentic&nbsp;</h3>Brian: When it comes to sourcing ingredients locally — and yet sustainably — keeping it true to the cuisine — how do you strike the balance, if you do?Udai: Okay. So I think this is in the realm of saying that — of course, if I need authentic ingredients for some of these cuisines which are not Indian — we have to obviously import some stuff. But how do you yet balance it with being local and so on? See, I think it's again an interesting question. I'll take a couple of examples. We work very closely with the founders of Narathai in Bangkok — and they have an expat chef who comes down at a regular frequency, works with us — we take them out to the market. In the Northeast — nowadays — the Seven Sisters have great vegetables and herbs growing which are very close to the flavour palette of what grows toward that part of the world — as a continuum. So we try and identify ingredients which give you the same flavour profile without compromising on the authenticity. Why do Cantonese chefs pick prawns from the East Coast of India? Chef Rahul picks up his cheese from Himachal — and some great vegetables from hydroponics farms near Pune — yet does great European food. So we don't necessarily see this as conflicting goals for sourcing. It's a little bit of hard work to also ensure your costs are under control while you're doing all of this. I think — but it's doable. I think you just have to ask the question: who made those rules? You just have to go out and explore. &nbsp;<h3>18:27 — Conclusion &amp; Farewell&nbsp; &nbsp;</h3><hr>Watch full video on YouTube - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMsNdeTMBfc">Udai: Building India's Most Inspired Hospitality | Nonlinear Growth &amp; Culinary Excellence</a>

Leadership

Beyond the Menu
How do you build hospitality brands that stand out in a fast-changing world? Udai Pinnali, CEO of Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality, unpacked the secrets: from staying ahead of trends to leading with intent. This episode of LeadCast is a masterclass in creating experiences that last. Listen now!

Udai: Building India's Most Inspired Hospitality | Nonlinear Growth & Culinary Excellence

<h3>(00:00) – Introduction to Bala &amp; Leadcast</h3>Brian: Well, he has seen markets rise, fall and reinvent themselves. But through it all, he has stayed steady — stayed rooted in wisdom, led of course by conviction. This is Leadcast, where leadership meets life.Bala:Markets teach you passions, but more than that, they teach you perspective. Early in my career, I thought success meant mastering numbers. Over time, I've learned it's really about mastering temperament. Finance may be a number game, but leadership is about trust, clarity and staying curious.Brian:Hi Bala, how are you?Bala: Hi Brian, good to see you. I'm fine, doing alright.Brian:Thank you for inviting me to your office, to this beautiful cabin.Brian: My pleasure, as always.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(01:03) – Bala Unplugged: Food &amp; Music</h3>Brian: You know, it's always a privilege chatting with you and before we deep dive into the markets and the stuff we're going to chat about, I just want to do a bit of Bala Unplugged. Are you okay with that?Bala: I'm fine.Brian: Okay — what's your go-to comfort meal after a long day?Bala: Of course, I prefer South Indian meal.Brian: But give us some details.Bala: And end up with curd rice.Brian: Oh, okay. You are also a music lover. I believe you are learning music and I know you are a music lover from back in the day. So what's your playlist for a volatile working day?Bala: I play — of course listen to the music, definitely it's one.Brian:But what kind of music?Bala: Mostly Carnatic music. But I am also learning, singing the Lord's name, which is called Nama Sangeetham . So there is also something in singing the name of the Lord — it gives you that much inner better feeling. Since I'm learning, I'm also actually just keeping humming with great understanding. It gives you some sense of deviation from your normal thinking process.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(02:14) – Advice for Young Investors</h3>Brian:That's incredible. I'm going to go slightly closer to your professional personality now. One thing that you believe young investors overlook?Bala: So, overlooking investing for long term versus short term gain. Most people think making money is easy looking at short-term gain. But I always believe short-term gain is temporary. If you want to retain your gain for long term, then you must give long time period for the investment to perform.Brian: Three to five years?Bala: Three to five years. Second is, people think speculating you can make money — they'll start thinking everybody is making money, making money is easy. But my own experience: money making is tough unless you stay on course for long.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(03:15) – Earliest Money Memory</h3>Brian: So we'll get into our chat now. It's been fun — the volley of questions and fun answers — but now let's settle into conversation. Bala, let's roll back the years. What was your earliest memory of money? Has that moment shaped your approach to wealth creation today?Bala: Yeah, definitely yes. First of all, thanks Brian for having me part of your discussion — a privilege. See, life of course gives a lot of lessons. As an investor in the capital market, the early lessons I got when I was age 22-23 — where you always fiddle with the market thinking you will create huge wealth with high expectations and very short return expectations — doubling or tripling money in one or two years. When you have such high expectations inevitably you meet with failures. When I started learning and getting into the capital market, the first few expectations versus outcome were miserable. Because you are a little deep in money, you become further greedy and therefore you don't book your profit — you don't sell. You keep your expectations high. That's where I learned the first lesson: what goes up can come down . And there will be failure — but still, if you keep long-term vision, I think you can create wealth.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(04:40) – Learning Cycle &amp; Passion</h3>Brian:What goes down can come up as well.Bala: Can come up as well. So that's when I joined here in '94, since then we have seen crisis. In each crisis your learning curve only gets better. As an individual, you also learn from mistakes, market volatility — and that shapes your investment thesis.Brian: You mentioned 1994 — that makes it 30+ years. What has kept you inspired? What has kept you committed to the mutual fund industry all these years?Bala: So it is about passion towards your business. Mutual fund — I always believe — it's a service to the investors. Creating wealth comes next. First you are putting a platform. You are getting deeply involved in managing the money. In this process you learn, and this shapes your investment style. As an individual, you continue to learn. The market, I always believe, is a great leveler. Market teaches you. You don't need to go to any classroom to improve your learning curve. (6:01) The market teaches you. So, that keeps you actually growing all the time. You have to come back with a great amount of commitment. So, be at it, stay at it, and continue to learn, and continue to be passionate about building this business, and deep involvement. I always believe, one of the firm beliefs that I have, platform is provided to you. It is only a question of how do you use the platform. So, I used to believe Aditya Birla group is a platform, good brand platform. You have been given the responsibility to use the platform to build the business. The platform should be utilized for bringing your individual contribution to the maximum extent possible. I mean there is no right answer to that, but as far as best effort that you can put. That's why I think it kept me going. The learning curve when I talked about, learning curve come from market, learning curve come from your bosses, learning curve come from the way the founders looks at your business and then makes you stay in the business for long, make you think long term, and so on and so forth. There are many such things also got involved in the whole process. I am very sure we need more than just a quick chat. We are having to really learn from you some of the nuances. If I can, I am sure there were moments that were uppers, there were moments that were downers, and all of them high on learning.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(07:29) – Defining Moment: 2009 Crisis</h3>Brian: Can you share a defining moment in your career that tested you?Bala: Of course I can quote many, but I’ll take one — the 2009 global financial crisis. All of us being finance professionals, being in the mutual fund industry — you feel the impact directly. Market falls are directly correlated to you; market rises are directly correlated to you. There was uncertainty — whether the world financial market will remain strong, whether the industry will survive, whether the firm you work for will manage the crisis. During that time I also got offers from outside — but I felt I should not leave the organization in a bad time.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(08:57) – The Power of Brand</h3>Bala: One thing that helped us is representation of the brand. I used to go to the market — meet institutions — borrow from banking industry, sell assets. When you carry the brand, the door opens faster. After that, it's up to you to strike the deal. Brand impact comes during crisis. As a manager, you have to use it to your advantage. We used to run pillar to post looking for solutions. It took 35-40 days. September to November — Lehman collapse. During that time, you have to stay on course, take proactive steps, handle customers, and protect brand image. Reputation is very important. I must admit — we had to knock the door of Mr. Birla as well. He made one phone call — that was enough to manage the situation.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(11:14) – Spirituality &amp; Leadership Style</h3>Brian: You’re spiritually inclined — how has spirituality influenced your leadership?Bala: Spirituality has come from childhood. I used to go to Patasala to learn basics of Vedas — after school, 6-7 PM. It's all mug up and recite. Reciting mantras became part of extracurricular activities — not ritual. Parents also prayed — so association grew. Spirituality gives calmness. It keeps you grounded. Life is not that easy, but also not that tough — you play it as it comes.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(12:46) – Work-Life Integration</h3>Brian: People speak of work-life balance, but you speak about work-life integration. What does that mean to you?Bala: I don't differentiate work and life — both go hand in hand. Whether personal or professional — for me it remains the same. Invariably you end up giving 80% of your time for work and 20% for life — ratio differs per person. Personally, I used to have a seven-day working policy — so work-life balance becomes out of track. I never thought about differentiating.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(13:57) – Staying Calm Through Market Cycles</h3>Brian: You’ve seen multiple cycles — booms, crashes, recovery. How do you remain calm?Bala: One thing I'm a firm believer of: often we discuss managing risk — but managing risk comes next. Being agile — agility — is more important. Tracking happenings that impact sentiment and portfolios. During uncertain times, you cannot keep quiet and you cannot keep worrying. Both are wrong. If you keep worrying, you never find a solution. We deal with public money. Market is an unknown animal. Sometimes we try to find solutions for unknown stuff — nobody can answer. So during such times — play it as it comes.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(15:47) – Rituals, Energy &amp; Discipline</h3>Brian: Is there a ritual you follow?Bala: One — I believe in punctuality. Morning 6–6:30 max — the moment sunlight comes, day starts. Second — I do my rituals, chanting Gayatri. Sometimes I enjoy making breakfast. Then I come to the office with a clear schedule. This habit came from bond trading — market forces you to be at your desk. I used to even open the office. Whether rain or flood — I would go. I also believe in keeping a light heart. If your energy level goes down, everything becomes difficult.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(18:30) – Mentoring: Ask vs. Tell</h3>Brian: How do you mentor next-generation leaders?Bala: Earlier my style was instruct and tell. Later I learned ask vs. tell — thanks to the Harvard AMP program. It gives clarity on empowerment vs. execution. You must differentiate between what the team must do and what only you can do. Not everything done is right and not everything done is wrong — sometimes situation forces the outcome. I always give benefit of doubt to the batsman. Mentoring is continuous — not only when they need you, but when the team needs you. I follow open-door policy. Whether 11 PM or early morning — they have liberty to call. Even today as MD &amp; CEO — I pick the phone on the second or third ring.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(21:41) – If Not Investments…</h3>Brian: If you weren't in investments — what would Bala be doing?Bala:I am deeply connected to my roots. I believe in giving back to my birthplace — agriculture and village background. I still run agriculture activities — not for profit, but to provide opportunity for people to work on their land. Second — I get involved in service activities. If they need support for events or institutions — I help.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>(23:29) – Closing</h3>Brian: My day has 24 hours. How many does yours have — 36? 48?Bala: 24 hours only — within 24 hours you have to crunch everything.Brian:Bala, it's been an absolute pleasure. One sit-down is not enough. Thank you for taking time to share all these gems.Bala:My pleasure. It's always nice interacting with you. I'm glad we could do it today — thank you so much.Brian:Thank you for tuning in and soaking it in. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.&nbsp; &nbsp;<hr>Watch full video on YouTube - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/6KzEGk5t_AY?si=0Uc5FNN6FdxGYZtG">Mastering Temperament &amp; Navigating Markets: Bala's 30+ Years of Investment Wisdom&nbsp;</a>

Can Spirituality Really Shape Investing Success?
Can timeless wisdom guide modern markets? A. Balasubramanian, MD and CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, shared how spirituality shaped his approach to investing – through purpose, rituals, and resilience. This episode of LeadCast is the perfect blend of finance and philosophy. Press play for insights that go beyond numbers.

Mastering Temperament & Navigating Markets: Bala’s 30+ Years of Investment Wisdom

Customer Delight & Building BITSOM: Udai's Journey in Hospitality & Education

Sandeep Agrawal, Senior President &amp; Head – Group Corporate Finance, Corporate Strategy &amp; Business Development, decodes deal-making, strategy, and the power of thinking ahead.&nbsp;<div class="collapsible-content-wrapper" style="--lines-to-show:6;" data-testid="collapsible-content-wrapper"><div class="collapsible-content collapsible-content__disabled"><div><div class="ant-flex css-fga7g8 ant-flex-align-stretch ant-flex-vertical" style="gap:8px;"><div><div class="markdown message-container"><hr><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>00:00 – Career journey and transition to strategy</h3> Host (Brian Telis): Hello and welcome to Leadcast, our leadership series under the Soundbox Initiative. My name is Brian Telis and I'm your host. In each episode we sit down with a leader from the Aditya Group for a conversation about the group and of course its businesses, and to find out what the future holds for us as an organization. In today's episode we will be speaking with Sandeep Agrawal. Now, Mr. Sandeep Agrawal holds the position of Head of Group Corporate Finance, Corporate Strategy and Business Development at the Aditya Birla Group. Sandeep is an alumnus of IIM Lucknow and is an electronics engineer. He is also a sports and fitness enthusiast. We speak to Sandeep about the world of business with a special focus on deal making and strategy at an organizational level. We also hear from Sandeep about his mantra for getting the job done and done well. So, Sandeep, you know — set the bar pretty high and for all the right reasons. But firstly thank you for joining us. It's an absolute privilege to be kind of chucking questions at you and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.Sandeep Agrawal: Now you had such a fascinating career at ABG in finance, strategy. Let's start at the beginning. I'm really intrigued to know what initially drew you to deal making and strategy – pardon the term – deal making, and how has your thinking evolved over the years?&nbsp; So if I can take the liberty of going back a little bit more… You know, I did my MBA way back in 2001. I had a keen sense of numbers, so I wanted to get into finance, and I landed up a job with ICICI Limited – which was famous for corporate lending at that time, not investment banking. As it happened, within a year of me joining, it got merged with ICICI Bank. There was a bit of chaos as you’d expect when two large organizations merge, and I got thrown into a role which I didn't envisage when I started my career. I moved to Mumbai in Standard Bank and then for three or four years I did really well in that role which was transaction banking. But what I kept thinking about is that while these solutions are extremely important to the company I was serving with, I wasn't seeing the promoters and CEOs. At best you meet CEOs and CFOs. That got me thinking: why are promoters not keen on what I'm doing right now? And that's when I thought of investment banking and creating a huge difference. So as soon as I got the first opportunity in 2010, I moved to what was corporate investment banking, and had a great stint over the next eight years. I even handled Mr. Birla as my client—I used to interact with him all the time. There's one specific transaction I always remember: JP Cement acquisition. We were on the other side, Mr. Birla was there, and he went through such minute details on the acquisition. That made me think: as an adviser, as a third-party investment banker, you can do as much grunt work as you like, but when it comes to putting in your own money—he was the perfect example of how deep and detailed you could be.&nbsp; In 2019 when I got a call from Aditya Birla Group—I had spent about 16 years in Standard Bank—I met Dr. Mishra and then Mr. Birla a few times. My mind was made up almost immediately. Being on the buy side, where you are putting in your own money, has been an extremely fascinating experience. Four or five years in M&amp;A, we did a number of transactions. Last year in August–September, Mr. Birla asked me if I'd like to run strategy as well, and I absolutely loved the moment he said this. With M&amp;A you construct the deal, you create the deal, but once it’s consummated your involvement ends. Strategy allows you to run through the full cycle of the transaction. For me, recommending something isn’t enough—I need to see through the fruition. That has been extremely satisfying and fascinating.&nbsp;<h3>02:30 – Strategic M&amp;A and leadership</h3> Brian: Interesting journey—sounds seamless. But were there challenges in the transition from banking to being part of the group?Sandeep: I joined the group in September 2019. There was no surprise — I had been handling ABG as a client for almost eight or nine years, so the corporate governance and culture were well-known. What surprised me was the vastness of the organization—hundreds of charitable activities, schools, hospitals, temples, all alongside the businesses. It was mind‑boggling. Culturally, it was extremely welcoming. One challenge: I joined in September ’19, and the COVID lockdown happened in March ’20—so many of the first few months were on Zoom. I dislike that. The first opportunity I got, I joined office back because Mr. Birla is not a fan of remote working either. Another piece: in a typical foreign bank there's always a shareholder and a board that sit elsewhere, so exceptions may be slow. At ABG, surprisingly, decision-making can be quite quick. We deliberate longer—especially when you’re putting hundreds of millions or billions behind a venture—but overall it's very positive.&nbsp;<h3>06:48 – Deal-making simplicity and clarity&nbsp; &nbsp;</h3>Brian: Over the last five years you’ve been with the group and many acquisitions and deals—what’s your secret sauce for cracking a complex deal and taking it to fruition?Sandeep: I live by the mantra of simplifying. In complex deals people tend to lump everything together, but you must break it down. If you break it into smaller pieces, usually only three or four are truly complex—and the rest is straightforward. So identify and solve those key pieces rather than tackling everything at once. Also, having a clear north star or objective is critical. You can get lost in the process. As long as you know what you’re solving for, it makes a huge difference.&nbsp;<h3>08:57 – Win-win negotiations and trust&nbsp; &nbsp;</h3>Brian: On large transactions, both sides have objectives—often conflicting. What's your negotiation style? Any tips?Sandeep: First, if a counterpart puts an untenable position, I’m comfortable walking away. They should know you're willing to walk out of the room if required—some things are non-negotiable. More importantly, establish a strong connection with the counterpart. They should feel they won as much as you did. That comes from being ultra-prepared—rational, layered arguments that counter theirs thoroughly. And remember: lose small battles to win the war. If you’re completely inflexible, you’ll lose on bigger issues. Be strategic.&nbsp;<h3>13:09 – Team dynamics and strategic space</h3> Brian: How do you balance long-term strategy with day-to-day demands?Sandeep: First, you need a best‑in‑class team. When execution gets intense, you cannot be in every meeting. Delegate to trusted team members who understand your thinking. That solves about 80% of the problem. Also, don’t fill your calendar every day—leave space to think, to read, to reflect. Focus on long-term objectives while staying aware of the environment and where value creation lies. And refine processes—like updating product manuals—so future transitions don’t get stuck in bureaucracy.&nbsp;<h3>15:10 – Golf lessons in decision-making</h3> Brian: You liken strategic thinking to golf. How has your passion for golf influenced your approach to business decision-making?Sandeep: In golf, what’s happened in the past stays in your head but what matters is what you can do in the present. Every stroke counts—small mistakes can cost championships—so focus anew every shot. Also, golfers like Tiger Woods make swing changes constantly—you’re always learning. I’ve played 10 sports at competitive levels; golf is the most difficult. There are 14 clubs, different shots each time. You continuously learn. Leadership is similar: you plan, but unexpected things happen. Failure can either consume you or teach you. Accept losses, learn, and move on.&nbsp;<h3>19:06 – Setbacks, resilience, and growth</h3> Brian: When something doesn’t go as planned in your career, how do you handle it?Sandeep: I've had setbacks but no major ones. Back in 2017 or 2018, when my boss moved out, I expected to take over but they brought in someone senior from outside. I was frustrated, but the next two years became my best performance‑wise. It felt like kayaking downstream—I knew the role, the new boss was excellent and supportive. Soon I got the call from ABG. That setback opened another door. Just like in sports: if you sulk after every loss, you'll never go anywhere. You must train harder, accept reality, and stay grounded.&nbsp;<h3>21:06 – Inspirations and inner strength</h3> Brian: Inspiration often comes from unexpected quarters. Who has inspired you in your career or life?Sandeep: Besides Tiger Woods in principle, my biggest inspiration has been Mr. Birla. For example, when a Supreme Court judgment went against us with a massive levy, I spoke to him that night—his voice was calm. No agitation. His humility and patience in crises taught me a lot. Another friend who runs a private equity firm is a fierce champion of excellence and also plays golf. I’m inspired by many: colleagues, my bosses, my wife and daughter—everyone brings sincerity. Also one subordinate who has been hospitalized multiple times but returns to work with unwavering dedication—that is truly inspiring.&nbsp;<h3>24:52 – Exercise, reflection, and clarity</h3> Brian: On a lighter note, what quirky or unexpected activity do you turn to for inspiration or recharge?Sandeep: When I’m mentally agitated or low on energy, the best release for me is an intense workout—an hour or hour-and-a-half burn. That caloric blast puts me in a different space—it’s almost meditative. Breathing becomes steady, mind shifts. I always increase workout intensity when I’ve had a tough week. It recharges me.Brian: I'll take that as a challenge! Most people think of relaxing when they're stressed—but pushing hard physically can reset everything. What a tremendous conversation this has been, Sandeep. If only we had more time to dive deeper—maybe we’ll trouble you again! A huge thank-you to you, the man himself, Sandeep Agrawal. We’ve reached the end of today's Leadcast conversation within ABG’s Soundbox podcast. It’s been a privilege. We hope you’ve enjoyed listening to this conversation. If you have any feedback, drop your comments below. We'll be back soon with another episode—another fascinating conversation. Until then, thank you very much for joining us.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;Watch Full Video on Youtube: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/5Sgki4Onz0w?feature=shared"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Leadcast | Mastering the Deal with Sandeep Agrawal</a></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div>

Sandeep Agrawal, Senior President & Head – Group Corporate Finance, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, decodes deal-making, strategy, and the power of thinking ahead.