Aditya Birla Group set to invest Rs 50,000 crore in Rajasthan: Kumar Mangalam Birla – EQ
In Short : Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, announced the company’s plan to invest Rs 50,000 crore in Rajasthan across sectors like renewable energy, cement, telecom, and retail. Notably, Rs 6,000 crore will be allocated to renewable energy projects over the next two years. The investment also includes expanding cement production capacity and establishing a new jewellery manufacturing unit in the state.
In Detail : Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla on Monday reaffirmed his company’s commitment to his home state Rajasthan, announcing plans to invest Rs 50,000 crore across cement, renewables, telecom, and retail in the coming years.
Addressing the Rising Rajasthan Summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “Across our businesses, we are committed to significantly scaling up our investments. I foresee the Group investing over Rs 50,000 crore in the next few years.”
Reflecting on the conglomerate’s deep-rooted legacy in Rajasthan – its journey began in Pilani, the birthplace of industrialist and family patriarch GD Birla – Kumar Mangalam Birla described himself as an ambassador of Rajasthan to India and the world.
“Padharo mhare desh (Welcome to my land),” Birla told PM Modi, invoking the traditional Rajasthani greeting.
“From our roots in Pilani, we have grown into a $65 billion global conglomerate with a presence in 41 countries across six continents. It is humbling to realise that this journey started here – just 200 km away,” the 57-year-old Birla shared.
Kumar Mangalam Birla said his family’s connection with Rajasthan goes beyond business. “In the early 20th century, a small school started by my family has grown into one of India’s most prestigious educational institutions, BITS Pilani,” he said, adding that it has produced thousands of dynamic leaders and entrepreneurs who have made a mark globally.
Over 6,500 of its alumni have founded or co-founded startups worldwide, with 13 of these ventures becoming unicorns or decacorns, Birla added.
Birla highlighted that six of the group’s businesses had a major presence in Rajasthan, employing over 25,000 people.
UltraTech Cement’s capacity in Rajasthan alone exceeds 20 million tonnes—greater than the UK’s total cement capacity. The group’s telecom arm serves nearly eight million subscribers in the state, supported by 11,000 telecom sites and 10,500 km of optic fibre cable.
He announced specific expansion plans, stating, “We are looking to invest around Rs 6,000 crore in the renewables sector over the next one or two years. In cement, we plan to significantly increase capacity at Nathdwara. And as an ode to the artisanal talent in the state, our jewellery business too plans to set up a manufacturing facility in the state.”
Outlining Rajasthan’s economic potential, Birla identified four growth pillars: Minerals, Infrastructure, Tourism, and Renewable Energy—coining the acronym “MITR” (friend). He remarked, “Rajasthan’s rise is inevitable.” He credited the state’s mineral wealth, tourism economy, infrastructure development, and renewable energy capacity as key drivers of growth.
“The state’s vision for Developed Rajasthan 2047 is a bold commitment to industrial growth, job creation, eradicating poverty, and elevating the standard of living—a vision that inspires and aligns with our aspirations for a thriving, prosperous Rajasthan,” Birla said, praising the state’s development agenda.
The Aditya Birla Group Chairman recounted an interaction with a journalist from a leading global publication about the investment climate in India. “I told the journalist that I hadn’t, in my 30-year-old career, seen such intense competition among states to attract investments”.
The thriving business climate was “set in motion by your vision of co-operative federalism,” Birla told PM Modi.
Birla concluded by inviting global investors to explore Rajasthan’s opportunities, highlighting the state’s readiness. “Rajasthan is ready, are you?” he asked.