Kumar Manglam Birla

"Very early in his career, long before the word 'globalisation' came into our everyday lexicon, he had foreseen the winds of change and staked the future of his business on a competitive, free-market driven economic order. At a time when India's economy was glued with bureaucracy and taped with controls, his was a rather lone voice. But it was a voice that not only spoke, but also acted decisively and with conviction.For him, though, globalisation meant more than just geographic reach. He believed that a business could be global even whilst being based in India. Therefore, back in home territory, he drove single-mindedly to put together the building blocks to make his Indian businesses a global force. It is this vision which, I believe, will prove to be one of his enduring legacies to Indian business. It is a vision which prompts the Indian entrepreneur to take a longer stride; it is a vision which makes the Indian entrepreneur dare and may be even dream; it is a vision that makes all of us proud to be a part of the new India in the making."— Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla