Most Powerful Business Leaders in India

KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA, 44, Industrialist

The Aditya Birla Group's revenue jumped from 1, 75,000 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 2,00,000 crore in 2011-12, despite tough global conditions. The group has a presence in 36 countries. Birla will invest Rs 400 crore in the next two years to set up hypermarkets that sell everything, from pasta to detergents, under one roof. In 2011, the group took over US-based carbon black specialist Columbian Chemicals for $875 million (Rs 4,350 crore), making it the world's largest producer of carbon black. Within a span of two days in April 2011, the group bought Sweden-based speciality pulp and bio-refinery company Domsjo Fabriker for $340 million (Rs 1,700 crore) and the chloro chemicals division of Kanoria Chemicals and Industries for Rs 830 crore.