The business of family — Building with the Birlas

Our journey with you and the great Indian business families continues with yet another story of a grand old family that exemplifies Indian aspirations. The common thread in all the stories we have told you so far is unmistakable. In all of them, you will find continuity and growth, adherence to tradition, and relentless aspiration – to do better for themselves, and in the process, build a better and more self-reliant India. Nationalism, with a global perspective. And lastly, not just business acumen but also trusteeship.

Today we will talk about a name that represents all of the above and also a certain resonance in the popular imagination. In common parlance, the phrase “Tata Birla” evokes images of unimaginable wealth. It did decades ago; it does today. We have already told you the Tata story but the Birlas too played a key role in India's emergence as an entrepreneurial power to reckon with. And the Indian mind equated both brands with an impossible dream and also its fulfilment. The roots of the term 'Tata Birla' can be traced back to a plan that was developed by a group of industrialists in 1944. It was termed as the Tata-Birla plan and went on become the blue print for independent India's first five year plan.