#Independence Day Special: Rise and shine of the Birla empire since 1857

While laying the foundation stone of his cotton trading business in 1857 in Pilani, a small town in the deserts of Rajasthan, Seth Shiv Narayan Birla would have never thought that this business has fêted days coming ahead. The firm, often addressed as the House of Birla, is today a US$ 41 billion corporation with presence in over 36 countries across the globe and a workforce of over 120,000 employees.

The group’s founding father, Ghanshyamdas Birla was Mahatma Gandhi’s follower and played an active role in the Indian freedom struggle. He, along with Gandhi, represented India at several conferences in London.

What more? So here, in the list we have Birla’s name among a few industrialists of India who successfully performed their business goals in the British-ruled India. In the pre-independent India, in 1919, the house of Birlas established the first Birla jute mill, and forayed into the manufacturing sector. After it, the business family never looked back. Here are some major events that helped Birlas grow and become what they are today.

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