(Features/ Personalities/ India Region) The names of the wealthiest cricket players that spring to mind are Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and MS Dhoni. Not only have these sports icons left their imprint on the pitch, but their lucrative jobs and sponsorship deals have also brought them substantial money. But one cricket player is wealthier than all of them put together. Meet Aryaman Vikram Birla, the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla’s son who is pursuing a bright cricket career and inheriting one of India’s biggest business empires.
Aryaman Birla son of business tycoon Kumar Mangalam Birla, could have easily settled into the corporate world, but he chose a different path, driven by his love for sports. The 27-year-old, who was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on July 9, 1997, began his cricket career as a player for Madhya Pradesh. When Birla was nine years old, he began playing cricket and moved from the luxury of his Mumbai house to the modest Madhya Pradesh village of Rewa. Aryaman adopted a simple way of life after discovering cricket, despite growing up in an affluent and lavish household. He practiced in the scorching 48-degree sun, stayed in small resorts during tours, and travelled in non-airconditioned train compartments. He quickly established himself as a rising left-handed batsman and slow left-arm Orthodox bowler owing to his devotion to the game of cricket.
Cricket Career
During his first three years playing for Madhya Pradesh, Aryaman Birla often felt like an outsider. There were frequent murmurs suggesting that his “privileged background” might have given him an advantage. “The best way to earn trust and respect is through performances, and once I started scoring runs, people began to view me differently,” Birla explains. “When I initially joined MP, I was recognized more for my last name. I kept hearing ‘Birla’s son, Birla’s grandson.’ But through my achievements on the field, I shifted those perceptions, and people began to see me for who I really am.
“That, for me, has been my biggest accomplishment. Recently, someone approached me and said, ‘You’re so simple and straightforward, we didn’t even know you’re from the Birla family.’ That, to me, symbolized a true change.”
In his cricket career, Birla scored a double-hundred and took 10 wickets in U-23 match between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Sagar, which led to his selection by the Rajasthan Royals for the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL).
He played his only first-class match for Madhya Pradesh against Odisha, earning the ‘Man of the Match’ award after scoring 153 runs. Additionally, he contributed scores of 137 and 43 runs against Uttar Pradesh in the U-23 series. In the C K Nayudu Trophy, he accumulated 795 runs in six matches, boasting an impressive average of 79.50.
Despite having a strong start to his cricket career, Aryaman Vikram Birla decided to give up the sport in 2020. He revealed that mental health issues played a significant role in his decision, highlighting the extreme pressure that sportsmen, frequently endure behind the scenes. His exit from the game drew attention to the growing discussion around mental health in elite sports. While Aryaman made the decision to concentrate on his mental health, the cricketing world accepted and offered support for his decision to leave the sport.
Aryaman has now shifted his emphasis to endeavours outside of cricket while keeping his focus on the family’s business legacy.
Family Legacy
Today, Aryaman Birla, the son of Neerja Birla and Kumar Mangalam, is a prosperous businessman. In 2023, Aryaman was admitted into the Aditya Birla Group as a Director of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), alongside his sister Ananya Birla.
With more than 166 years of expertise, the Aditya Birla Group is a global business that provides a range of products and services. Founded in 1857, the organisation was established by G.D. Birla and is active in 36 nations on six continents. According to Forbes, the group was valued at $65 billion in 2023. The entrepreneurial scion in charge of this family-run business, Kumar Mangalam Birla, receives assistance from family members. The next generation of Birlas, Ananya and Aryaman Vikram Birla, are continuing this heritage.
The vision of Kumar Mangalam Birla has allowed the company to expand into a global power. Mint estimates his net worth to be $17.5 billion, or around Rs 1,45,824 crore. After receiving his MBA from the London Business School, Birla, then 28 years old, took over the family business when his father Aditya Vikram Birla passed away in 1995. Since then, he has changed the company’s course and accelerated its growth in a variety of industries, prominent among them the fashion and lifestyle sectors.
The 56-year-old industrialist, who is also chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology & Science (Pilani), has invested in several domestic and foreign lifestyle businesses in an effort to expand his firm. The Aditya Birla Group, an international company led by billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla, is the owner of the well-known lifestyle brands listed below.
Forever 21
In 2016, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) acquired the global clothing brand Forever 21 for approximately Rs 175.52 crore, according to a Mint report.
House of Masaba
By acquiring actress and designer Masaba Gupta of the clothing line House of Masaba Lifestyle Private Limited in 2022, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd expanded its business into the personal care and cosmetics industry. ABFRL acquired a 51% majority share in the fashion industry for Rs 90 crore, per a report published in Business Standard.
Sabyasachi
Prior to acquiring a significant share in House of Masaba, the international conglomerate invested Rs 398 crore in the well-known domestic brand established by renowned fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, according to Mint. The US, UK, and West Asia are among the countries where the company has franchisees in addition to India.
TCNS Clothing Limited (Elleven, Wishful, W, and Aurelia)
In September 2023, Aditya Birla Fashion Retail Ltd (ABFRL) bought a 51% stake in TCNS Clothing in a deal worth Rs 1,650 crore, according to MoneyControl. TCNS Clothing owns several women’s apparel brands, including Elleven, Wishful, W, and Aurelia.
Peter England and other menswear labels
The official website of the Aditya Birla Group states that Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, formerly known as Madura Garments, was purchased by the Kumar Mangalam Birla-managed company in 1999 for a sum of Rs 236.23 crores from Coats Viyella Plc. As part of the agreement, Coats Viyella granted the company the rights to a number of well-known menswear labels, including Allen Solly, Peter England, Van Heusen, and Louis Philippe.
Tasva
In 2021, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) collaborated with renowned fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani to establish Tasva, a brand that combines innovation and style in men’s ethnic wear. According to an Economic Times report, ABFRL also acquired a 33.5% stake in the designer’s pre-existing Luxury Couture business for Rs 67 crore and has the option to own a 51% stake in the future.
Shantanu and Nikhil
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., has made large investments in both indigenous and foreign brands. Well-known brands like Sabyasachi and House of Masaba are part of their repertoire. According to Mint, they also own a 51 percent share in Finesse International Design, the renowned Indian fashion designers Shantanu and Nikhil founded, which they bought for Rs 60 crore in 2019.
Building beyond cricket
Aryaman is actively supporting the Group’s entry into modern industries. In addition to playing a significant role in the establishment of the Group’s new B2B e-commerce venture, Aryaman assisted in the incubation of the Group’s D2C platform, TMRW.
His initial foray into entrepreneurship took place in the rapidly expanding food and beverage sector. Five high-growth start-ups have already benefited from investments made by Aditya Birla Ventures, the venture capital division of the Aryaman Birla Group. In addition to his involvement in fashion and retail, as a director on the boards Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., Aryaman Birla is also extensively interested in real estate. He also serves as a director on the boards of Grasim Industries and Aditya Birla Management Corporation, two sectors of his family conglomerate. He also serves on the Atlas SkillTech University Advisory Board.
Aryaman Birla’s net worth
Although Aryaman Birla’s wealth is unknown to the general public, his father Kumar Birla is among the wealthiest people in the world and in India. According to Forbes, the Chairman of Aditya Birla Group has an enormous real-time net worth of $22.3 billion (about Rs 1.8 lakh crore).
From the cricket pitch to launching his own ventures, Aryaman’s determination and resilience have made him a symbol of modern ambition, inspiring many to pursue their passions, no matter how diverse.
