Aditya Birla Group: Nurturing the Next Generation of Leaders

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chief executive officer of the Aditya Birla Group (ABG), was a descendant of a prominent business family in India. Under his leadership, ABG had increased its annual revenue from $2 billion to $60 billion. After overcoming many difficulties, in 2023 Birla started considering passing the reins to the next generation, although he still had some time before retirement. To prepare his successor for the leadership role in managing a conglomerate like ABG, he had to engage in a process of careful preparation. The significant challenge he faced was the need for guidance in preparing successors for their roles. The required development plan would be a long-term project, necessitating strategies to keep the successor focused and engaged over time.