Kumar Mangalam Birla honoured with Doctor of Science at the University of London
Birla, Chairman of the $67-billion Aditya Birla Group, was among five distinguished honorands selected this year
- Nov 22, 2025,
- Updated Nov 22, 2025 3:00 PM IST
Kumar Mangalam Birla received an Honorary Doctor of Science (Economics) from the University of London on Wednesday, joining a select group of global leaders recognised at the institution’s Foundation Day celebrations. The award was conferred by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, at Senate House, a moment Birla described as “deeply humbling”.
Birla, Chairman of the $67-billion Aditya Birla Group, was among five distinguished honorands selected this year. The list included Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Sir Terry Waite, Susannah Schofield MBE, and The Reverend Philip Goff.
A sixth-generation leader of the Birla family, he heads India’s first business house to venture abroad and now oversees operations in 41 countries across six continents with a market capitalisation exceeding $110 billion. His great-grandfather G.D. Birla was a confidant of Mahatma Gandhi and a key figure in India’s freedom movement.
Education has long been central to Birla’s public life. He serves as Chancellor of BITS Pilani, has chaired IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Delhi, and is on the Governing Board of London Business School (LBS), where he endowed a £15 million scholarship — among Europe’s largest.
Kavita Reddi, Chair of the University of London’s Board of Trustees, said: “We are delighted to honour Mr Birla with an Honorary Degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to industry and philanthropy. His social initiatives have improved millions of lives… and reflect the University of London's core values.”
Accepting the honour, Birla said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this distinction… It is a particular privilege to accept a storied honour presented by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne. My family has long believed that education is the most enduring engine of progress… To be recognised by an institution that embodies those values is both moving and motivating.”
Foundation Day marks the university’s first royal charter granted on 28 November 1836. The tradition of conferring honorary degrees began in 1903, with past recipients including the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary).
The 2025 ceremony was attended by students, faculty, dignitaries, and representatives from the University of London’s 17 member institutions and global partner centres.
Kumar Mangalam Birla received an Honorary Doctor of Science (Economics) from the University of London on Wednesday, joining a select group of global leaders recognised at the institution’s Foundation Day celebrations. The award was conferred by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, at Senate House, a moment Birla described as “deeply humbling”.
Birla, Chairman of the $67-billion Aditya Birla Group, was among five distinguished honorands selected this year. The list included Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Sir Terry Waite, Susannah Schofield MBE, and The Reverend Philip Goff.
A sixth-generation leader of the Birla family, he heads India’s first business house to venture abroad and now oversees operations in 41 countries across six continents with a market capitalisation exceeding $110 billion. His great-grandfather G.D. Birla was a confidant of Mahatma Gandhi and a key figure in India’s freedom movement.
Education has long been central to Birla’s public life. He serves as Chancellor of BITS Pilani, has chaired IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Delhi, and is on the Governing Board of London Business School (LBS), where he endowed a £15 million scholarship — among Europe’s largest.
Kavita Reddi, Chair of the University of London’s Board of Trustees, said: “We are delighted to honour Mr Birla with an Honorary Degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to industry and philanthropy. His social initiatives have improved millions of lives… and reflect the University of London's core values.”
Accepting the honour, Birla said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this distinction… It is a particular privilege to accept a storied honour presented by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne. My family has long believed that education is the most enduring engine of progress… To be recognised by an institution that embodies those values is both moving and motivating.”
Foundation Day marks the university’s first royal charter granted on 28 November 1836. The tradition of conferring honorary degrees began in 1903, with past recipients including the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary).
The 2025 ceremony was attended by students, faculty, dignitaries, and representatives from the University of London’s 17 member institutions and global partner centres.