Ghanshyam Das Birla- Legend of all time

Ghanshyam Das Birla is still considered as one of the most respected personality who did amazing work in the field of education, textiles, Chemicals, Steel and many others. He was the one who laid the foundation of Birla group which is a at present a billion-dollar empire.

GD Birla was born on 10 April 1894 in Pilani village in Rajasthan to Raja Baldeo Das Birla. He had three more brothers, Jugal Kishore, Rameshwar Das, and Brij Mohan. His father established “Shiv Narain Baldeo Das” in Bombay in 1884. He also established “Baldeo Das Jugal Kishore” in 1897 in Calcutta. Both the trading firms were in the business of silver, cotton, grains and many other such commodities.

Baldeo Das Birla was a great philanthropist. He was equally active and made a lot of contribution towards the welfare of society. He established the famous “Medical College Calcutta“. The  famous Laxminarayan temple in Delhi, also known as “Birla Mandir” was also built by him. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939.

Like father like son…

A great idea is a must behind any success story, and the one who takes the risks can only win the race. This is true in case of Ghanshyam Das Birla. Like his father, GD Birla, he himself also made great achievements and contributions to the society.

No one could have ever imagined that the small business thought that he is putting into that time, will become a giant multi-billion empire in the coming future.

Few Glimpses from the Life of Ghanshyam Das Birla

• He raised money from the jute business in Calcutta and built a mansion in Pilani with the money he earned.  This mansion is known as “Birla Haveli“
• He raised his business during the time of British rule in India and saved many times his business from shutting down from the Scottish and British merchants of that time. His business boomed in the second world war when the British and other merchants business failed due to limited supply.
• GD Birla established Birla Brothers Limited in 1919 with an investment of 5 million Indian Rupees and also opened a factory in Madhya Pradesh the same year.  Not only in business, but he was also equally active in politics and was elected in the Central Legislative Assembly in the year 1926.
• Ghanshyam Das Birla became the household name which got fame not only in business but in politics too. As a result, he was holding a very powerful position in the society at that time. He did not restrict himself to any one field but let his wings open to touch the sky. He also established Hindustan Motors in 1940.
• There would be perhaps any place where Ghanshyam Birla would have not tried upon his business luck. After India got independence, he established the textile industry. He was not far behind in trying his hands in banking and established a commercial bank in 1943. The bank was named “United Commercial Bank”, UCO bank.
• Like his father, Ghanshyam Das Birla was closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and would seek his advice many times. He became the founding president of “Harijan Sevak Sangh”, which was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. He was highly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. Later was staying in Birla’s Delhi home when he was assassinated in Delhi.
• He was the one who founded the prestigious “Birla Institute of Technology and Science” in Pilani, which was his hometown. BITS, Pilani is the highly reputable educational institute where thousands of students take admission every year.

Achievements of Ghanshyam Das Birla

GD Birla was awarded India’s second highest civilian award, “Padma Vibhushan” in the year 1957.

Marital Life of Ghanshyam Das Birla

GD Birla married twice in his lifetime: Durga Devi and Maheshwari Devi. He had three sons with Durga Devi (Laxmi Niwas, Sudarshan Kumar & Siddharth), and two with Maheshwari Devi (K.K. Birla & Basant Kumar).

Death of Ghanshyam Das Birla

GD Birla died at the age of 89 on 11 June 1983 in London, United Kingdom.