“To globalize for the sake of globalizing-as a matter of ego-is perilous. Expanding internationally is hard, risky work. Globalization is not just about putting up a plant. It's not about making an acquisition. It's much, much more.” It is not easy being the fourth generation head of the storied $44.3 billion Aditya Birla Group. Yes we are talking about commodities king Kumar Mangalam Birla. An Indian billionaire industrialist, and the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, one of the largest conglomerates in India, he chairs the Boards of all of the Group’s major companies in India and globally.
The key to success is not destiny and coincidence but a wellrounded strategy, managerial excellence and most importantly, clear and precise thoughts. These traits helped Kumar Mangalam Birla, expand the business in just about fifteen years to one of India’s game-changing and most profitable brands. That is why we this industry giant on our cover, this issue.
As India embarks on the journey to be a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 we need to think through how we drive the double-digit growth that this will require. It is not just about the growth rate, but also the quality of the growth that will be important. And this economic agenda will be the biggest challenge for Modi 2.0. The business models that India needs must promote employment, reduce waste and encourage recycling waste. Though India has successfully launched the Chandrayaan-2 mission recently, hopefully Modi 2.0 will bring in a breeze of freshness with his ethical leadership and provide a platform for crucial perspectives and ideas. We will read this in the Platform section.
In Environment, we discuss a growing concern. A heat wave that shattered records in Europe recently could melt billions of tons of ice in Greenland. The heat waves were particularly impactful because they arrived after mild, dry winter and spring seasons that primed the ice sheet for melt. That's bad news for all of us and a warning sign for the planet.
This autumn, let's travel to Japan where modern life is fused with ancient traditions. Incredibly easy to get around in Japan you can just stand and admire its immaculate, efficient public transport. In the recent Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan 4th out of 141 countries overall, which was the highest in Asia.
When we talk of blood and sweat, MBD group is easily the story of unending grit and passion. For, after all, beginning from a small book depot and becoming a name to reckon with, in the field of hospitality can’t have been a cakewalk. Today the MBD Group is one of the leading education companies in India with over six decades of experience. What fuelled its success was a dream that had no boundaries. Under the futuristic vision of the founder of the Group, Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, MBD has diversified into various industries, including e-Learning, m-Learning, hospitality, real estate, mall development and management, CT infrastructure, skill development, stationery, and magazine and paper manufacturing. MBD Group celebrated its 9th Founder’s Day with full vigor. Every year, The Founder’s Day celebration has a theme associated to it and this year’s theme was “Touching Lives” as Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra always believed in people-centric growth and upliftment of the less privileged.
We hope you will enjoy reading this edition and find it interesting and insightful. We look forward to your continued support.
Jai Hind!