Leadership Team

Chairman's Office assists the Chairman in strategic planning and monitoring of the Group businesses. It operates closely with Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Ltd, Directors, Business Heads, Corporate Functions and the Business Review Councils.

The Chairman's Office supports the Chairman in driving the planning and budgeting process, conducting regular review and evaluation of business performance, decision-making on capital expenditure proposals, and formulation and implementation of strategic initiatives. It prioritises key areas of focus and actively follows up on strategic and operational issues, on behalf of the Chairman.

— Headed by Mr. Umesh Adhikary & Mr. Sitalakshmanan Ganesh

The Consumer Insights and Brand Development Cell's mandate is to accelerate revenue growth profitably for the Group’s businesses, product and service innovation based on supporting them to further enhance their insight into their consumers, and their ability to develop strong brands. The cell works on strengthening the efforts of various businesses in this area and on exploring possible synergies. It endeavours to promote a customer and market-driven approach, becoming integral to the business planning process, the deployment of relevant, “cutting-edge” marketing tools and the alignment of product and service brands with the Group’s overall brand promise.

— Headed by Ms. Sunita Bangard

The Corporate Administration Function plays a pivotal role in guaranteeing stable and reliable processes, 24X7 to our Businesses, and enabling them to focus on their core goals. The Function manages high-cost and multi-transaction verticals such as employee services support, travel management, services contracting, logistics, transport, real estate and facility management services.

The focus is on creating world class service delivery mechanisms at the best cost and value proposition – by building partnerships with service specialists, developing clear service delivery processes in line with Group policies, benchmarking of costs and services through MIS, understanding of the internal customer’s requirements through surveys, and innovation and digitalisation of processes.

The Function also manages the Group’s unique employee emergency programme, ABG Code Red. The underlying goal is to ensure that our employees receive best-in-class services.

— Headed by Mr. Subrat Sarkar

The Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, is the apex body, chaired by Mrs. Rajashree Birla and anchored in the Group CSR function led by Dr. Pragnya Ram, Group Executive President, CSR, Legacy Documentation and Archives, supported by a 1200 strong committed cohort.  The Centre provides the strategic direction to all of the Group companies.  It is tasked to script the CSR path based on the needs of the communities along with the active involvement of the Business Directors, Unit Heads and the CSR Board of Directors.

Our Group’s CSR vision: “is to actively contribute to the social and economic development of the communities in which we operate. In sync with the UN SDGs, our endeavour is to lift the burden of poverty weighing down the underserved and foster inclusive growth. In doing so, build a better, sustainable way of life for the weaker and marginalized sections of society”.

Through a truly transformative journey, focusing on healthcare, education, sustainable livelihood, infrastructure, and social reform, the CSR function plays an integral role in helping change the lives of those living on the fringes of society in India and globally. Its purpose is to engage, uplift and empower the underprivileged.

The Group's Central Archives, housed at ABSTC, aims to capture, preserve, inventorise and conserve the Group's heritage – the storied organisational legacy of the Aditya Birla Group and its companies, for posterity.  Its mission is to shape the archives to be the central repository of all important organisational records / material / memorabilia that help depict the history and heritage of the Group.

In the process it endeavours to create an archival treasure trove and bring under one single roof the records of its companies’ plants / different locations.

From the archival treasure trove, legacy documentation is the forward step.  Legacy documentation entails recording in print the Group's storied history and heritage, based on this authoritative repository.  And on this foundation, pen books that celebrate the Group/Group Companies through its history, its narratives, and the way it has contributed to the social, economic, and moral fabric of our nation and beyond, spanning 36 countries across the globe.

— Headed by Dr. Pragnya Ram

Corporate Affairs and Development Cell is the Aditya Birla Group's hub for all corporate affairs activities. It acts as a catalyst towards the Group's relationship with key functionaries in policy and bureaucracy, both at the centre as well as the states.

The function provides support and value-added services to all the Group Companies on intrinsic and extrinsic matters, particularly with regard to central and the state governments, legislators, administrators, diplomatic community, trade chambers and various interest groups.

It works as a sounding board for in-time dissemination of information to the internal stakeholders across geographies with regard to the changes that are likely to take place, and also acts in an advisory capacity with regard to various steps to be taken to protect, promote and accomplish the Group's business development interests.

The Corporate Affairs and Development Function also plays a key role in strategic matters while recommending such actions that are based upon Indian and global business relevance to the units and businesses in line with the Group's values, goals and objectives, with an aim to creating kinship with a conducive public policy environment.

— Headed by Mr. Sunil Bajaj & Mr. Amit Bajaj

Corporate Economics Cell (CEC) is a research-based advisor for the Aditya Birla Group. CEC deciphers the business environment by continuously tracking, assessing, analysing and forecasting global and domestic economic trends and policies. It provides analytical inputs and economic information to different decision-makers in the Group at the corporate as well as business level. It also provides inputs on risk management relating to economic variables such as currency and commodity prices.

CEC has an important role in policy advocacy in interactions with the government, industry associations and regulators. In recent years, CEC has helped strengthen initiatives in diverse areas like sustainability and competition law.

CEC's research supports businesses in various areas, including market risk management, forecasts of key economic variables, consumer research, country macro risk assessment, sectoral trends and trade policies. CEC engages with policy makers, chambers of commerce and other agencies on matters of economic importance. It develops and maintains relevant economic databases and disseminates economic knowledge through various reports and interactive fora.

— Headed by Dr. Ila Patnaik

Corporate Finance Group (CFG) triggers and supports growth for existing businesses through both organic initiatives (capital allocation) and through mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and identifies new business opportunities for the Group. It also monitors value-based management through the planning and budgeting process, and performance measurement of Group businesses.

CFG works with companies to raise long-term debt and equity capital in domestic as well as international markets and also supports the listed companies in Group-level investor relations activities.

— Headed by Mr. Sandeep Agarwal

Corporate Innovation cell harnesses the power of innovation to build internal capabilities across businesses and craft solutions to meet business needs, identify future business prospects and create more stakeholder value. It builds the Group’s innovation capability through developing a culture of learning in the organisation.

Corporate Innovation drives a collaborative approach between various corporate functions to promote innovation, by employing their inter-disciplinary skills.

— Headed by Mr. Shrijeet Mishra

Group Legal & Compliance is the apex legal team for the whole Aditya Birla Group. Established in 1998, it has, over the years, transformed itself into an integral part of the business process by providing timely and quality legal services on a wide range of strategic and transaction-related issues in a cost-efficient manner.

It has an impressive track record of having handled complex acquisitions, corporate re-structuring and varied arbitration / litigation. It has also formed Group policies / guidelines on key issues, i.e., intellectual property rights, competition laws and corporate governance.

Group Legal & Compliance works in close coordination with other corporate functions to provide integrated business solutions, keeping in view the applicable legal environment. It has acquired the competence to provide legal assistance and advice in different jurisdictions. It plays a significant role in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures (both domestic and cross border), and corporate re-structuring.

Moreover, Group Legal & Compliance works as a business partner for all our businesses and functions, and will shoulder responsibility for meeting business and functional targets through proactively anticipating issues that might come in the way of implementing business strategy.

— Headed by Mr. Deepak Acharya

Corporate Management Audit is committed towards system perfection across the Aditya Birla Group in India and overseas. It functions by continuous evolution, implementation and review of controls and best practices.

It maintains corporate governance and mitigation of risks across the Group through robust, zero-tolerant internal control systems, cost reduction methods, adherence to Group policies and values, effective MIS, adequacy of risk mitigation plan and statutory compliance.

The function regularly shares information, best practices among the units and helps the Group to keep pace with the fast-changing business scenario and enables value addition to the stakeholders.

— Headed by Mr. Duli Kabra & Mr. Sudhir Dalvi

Corporate Strategy and Business Development continuously tracks the business environment for the Aditya Birla Group's existing businesses. It recommends new directions through evaluation of deal creation opportunities, analysis of project proposals, etc. The function also plans and develops strategic initiatives for the Group and facilitates its execution.

Additionally, it assists businesses in crafting their strategic direction and evaluates options for long-term growth, both organic and inorganic. It works towards identifying sources of competitive advantage for the businesses, viz., exploration of new markets and geographies, analysis of integration across the industry's value chain, etc.

For new businesses, the function primarily focuses on opportunities, which take cues from the concept of megatrends, adjacencies and synergies to the Group's existing businesses.

— Headed by Mr. Rajeev Sonthalia

Given the fast-paced technological advancement and the ever-intensifying competitive landscape, an increasing number of organisations are beginning to realise the potential of big data and analytics in driving improved business outcomes. The power of big data is derived from the underlying rich and valuable insights about individuals, institutions, and processes that empower and enable businesses to serve their customers and improve business operations through data-driven decision making thereby driving competitive advantage.

To tap into this tremendous business opportunity, Group Data and Analytics function has been created at the Group’s centre to work closely with the Businesses on strategising and delivering on its business priorities through leveraging the power of data and analytics. The function will build strong analytics and domain expertise drawn from the best-in-class talent from leading global and Indian Businesses and India’s premier educational institutions, coupled with cutting edge tools and technologies built on a highly scalable and robust big data infrastructure to mine petabytes of structured and unstructured data in seconds.

The analytics team of Data scientists and Big data engineers will combine their strong expertise and business knowledge with the power of predictive analytics, sophisticated machine learning algorithms and advanced quantitative techniques to provide our Group Companies with high-end applied Analytics solutions across B2B and B2C businesses and functions.

— Headed by Mr. Pankaj Rai

Communication and Brand is a service-oriented support function which enhances the Aditya Birla brand credibility, every which way. The function works to strengthen the Group's competitive advantage through proactive, two-way communication among its multiple internal and external stakeholders. In doing so, it strives to raise the Group's profile and enhance its image. Communication and Brand is the pivot which imparts the Group identity to Group companies and businesses through multiple communication strategies, leveraging the Aditya Birla brand equity.

The function is responsible for media relations across the entire Group. It assists the top management's interface with the outside public, comprising besides media, professional bodies and institutions who have the potential to impact the Group's image.

It provides Group companies and corporate functions with strategic advice and professional inputs in their communication processes. Alongside, its portfolio of services includes internal communications, digital & social media, websites, corporate intranet, corporate branding, image measurement, publications, creative arts, supporting investor relations and building up the Group's archives.

— Headed by Mr. Sandeep Gurumurthi

The role of Group Human Resources (Group HR) is focused on creating stakeholder value through superior organisational and people capability, in line with the strategic direction of the Group. While preparing the Group for future growth and globalisation through appropriate people processes and initiatives, Group HR is also the key process owner of the Aditya Birla Group employer brand, induction and development of senior talent in the Group, articulation and guidance of its people vision, the organisation culture and Group values.

Group HR provides specialist services to the businesses in the areas of staffing, learning, leadership development, rewards and benefits, job analysis and evaluation, performance management, organisational development, human resource management systems, etc. Group HR also monitors and takes proactive steps to promote employee engagement through embedding world-class people processes and a value-based work culture. It partners with businesses and other functions to realise the Group People Vision, which is to build the Aditya Birla Group as an exciting world of global opportunities for professional growth with human care.

— Headed by Mr. Ashok Ramchandran

Group Information Technology (Group IT) works closely with Businesses, Corporate Functions, and partners, to provide strategic direction and thought leadership to the Group's IT initiatives. The function is responsible for thought and action leadership and driving group synergies and value through power of technology.

Group IT has deep roots in each of our Businesses and enables them to drive business value through world-class technology. IT has underpinned our Group's business growth trajectory and continues to embed innovation and transformation agenda into the new world of Business Platforms and Digital Business Ecosystem.

Group IT is leading the digital journey in the Group by creating Business and Technology platforms in key areas of Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Logistics, Procurement, Energy Management, etc. The function promotes new ways of digital through Cloud, Low Code/No code and APIs driven architecture. It is focused passionately on creating business value and that’s a true north for each of its project and activities.

Group IT also drives the information security and data protection programme and works to strengthen the security posture of the Group.

In addition, the Group IT function is instrumental in developing strategic relationships with the IT industry, professional bodies, and business organisations, and also supports outside-in innovation through an Accelerator that encourages startups to work with Aditya Birla Group in the areas of technology.

— Headed by Mr. Manish Gupta

Since our Chairman, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, called on Aditya Birla Group (ABG) to become the leading Indian conglomerate for sustainable business practices across its global operations in December 2021, the Group Sustainability Cell (GSC), has been serving as the nodal resource on “sustainability” for all Group businesses. GSC is driven by a mission to guide, support and provide thought leadership to all Group businesses in equipping them with robust tools; put framework (of policies, standards & guidance notes), systems and processes in place; provide access to information and develop strategies to help achieve the vision.

Environmental (E), Social issues (S) and Governance (G) is the new currency with which a company’s ability to sustain itself is being transacted. Thus, as we enter this ‘UN decade of action’, GSC has embarked on “Accelerating ESGbility, towards strengthening Sustainability” as part of the Group’s “ability to sustain Approach 2.0”. Through – 4 Dimensions (4D) lens of the (i) business sector of operation; (ii) geography of operation; (iii) position in the value chain to get holistic perspective; and (iv) time horizon/ maturity of practices in a business, GSC has identified 16 Material Areas. This forms the common minimum Group level ESG agenda mapped against stakeholder expectations and understanding of the mega trends to prioritise and set long term commitments.

The mandate of the Group Sustainability Cell is to facilitate Aditya Birla Group businesses deliver on the committed ESG targets through monitored action plans; explore and leverage advanced technology whether it is developed by large existing tech players or start-ups; take stewardship positions in the kind of products and services we make and deliver through circularity; extend the circle of ESG by bringing in suppliers, customers and consumers, and most importantly, collaborate with all stakeholders for shared prosperity and growth, throughout Aditya Birla Group.

— Headed by Ms. Deeksha Vats