
Kumar Mangalam Birla Joins Top US-India Business Forum
"It is an honour to join the USISPF Executive Committee," he said.
Mr Birla leads the Aditya Birla Group, India's third-largest conglomerate and the biggest Indian greenfield investor in the US, with over $15 billion invested across 15 states in metals, carbon black, and chemicals.
One of the Group's key US projects is a $4.1 billion investment in Bay Minette, Alabama, to build the country's first fully integrated aluminium rolling and recycling plant in 40 years. The facility, developed by Novelis - its US subsidiary and the world's largest aluminium recycler - is also the largest industrial investment in Alabama's history.
"In a short span, USISPF has become a strong force in shaping and strengthening the strategic and economic ties between the United States and India," Mr Birla said. "It's work in fostering dialogue, collaboration, and trust between the two nations has made a meaningful difference. We are very proud to be the largest Indian investor in the United States and are committed to expanding our investments in the country."
Mr Birla also received the 2025 Global Leadership Award at the USISPF Leadership Summit in Washington, DC, for his contributions to international business and strengthening US-India economic ties.
The USISPF is an independent, non-profit group that works to strengthen US-India ties. Based in Washington, DC, with an office in New Delhi, it connects businesses and governments to boost cooperation. Its members include global companies worth over $10 trillion and employing more than 6 million people.
"The US-India partnership is among the most consequential partnerships in the world," Mr Birla said. "When our two nations come together with purpose and clarity, they can shape the arc of global commerce and innovation for the better."
John Chambers, Chairman of USISPF and CEO of JC2 Ventures, said, "Mr Birla joining the Executive Committee will help steer USISPF to new horizons and uncharted paths, as we continue to grow and define this accelerated partnership."
Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO of Adobe and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee, and a USISPF board member, said Mr Birla's "visionary leadership and transformative impact on global business" would be invaluable to the Forum's mission.
Raj Subramaniam, President and CEO of FedEx Corporation and fellow Vice Chair, added, "His exceptional leadership, global vision, and entrepreneurial drive will strengthen the Board and our mission."
Over the past 30 years, Mr Birla has transformed the Aditya Birla Group into a $66 billion global company. Today, the Group operates in more than 40 countries, has a market value of over $100 billion, and employs 180,000 people. He has also led over 60 acquisitions worldwide, one of the highest by any Indian multinational.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
3 minutes ago
- Hans India
Beijing ready to revive RIC troika
New Delhi/Moscow: China on Thursday expressed its support for Russia's initiative to revive the dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) troika, saying the trilateral cooperation not only serves the interest of the three countries but also the security and stability of the region and the world. Russian news portal Izvestia has earlier quoted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is negotiating on this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. "This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS," Rudenko said. "Therefore, the absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC -- of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format," he said. Asked for his reaction to Rudenko's comments at a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said, "China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world." China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation, he said. The Russian and Chinese interests in the revival of the RIC followed the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to China to take part in the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, during which he held talks with top Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Joint work in the RIC format was stalled, first because of the coronavirus and later by the India-China military standoff at Eastern Ladakh in 2020, Lavrov said last year. The Ladakh standoff resulted in the freeze of India-China relations for over four years. The bilateral ties revived after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Kazan last year on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Since then, there has been a steady dialogue process between the two countries to normalise relations. Jaishankar's recent trip came after the visits of NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to China. Lavrov said in May that Russia, which shares close ties with India and China, is 'genuinely interested' in the revival of the RIC format. He said the trilateral mechanism initiated by Russia's former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov resulted in 20 meetings between the three countries at various levels. The three countries were the prime movers of the formation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the New Development Bank (NDB) of the grouping, which now includes 10 members. A host of issues, including the growing rivalry between India and China and Beijing's persistent backing of its all-weather ally Pakistan in its anti-India acts, diluted the RIC's relevance and importance. Of late, there is increasing Russian and Chinese interest in the revival of RIC as India has become a member of Quad -- the emerging alliance of the US, India, Japan and Australia, which is seen by Beijing as a grouping aimed at containing its rise. For its part, Russia is concerned over the emerging closer ties between India and the European Union in the backdrop of its continued war against Ukraine, according to the Russian analysts. Lidia Kulik, a senior researcher at the Centre for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that any format of cooperation in Eurasia is useful because the continent has long been tired of endless conflicts. For India, relations with Russia traditionally play an important role, given that New Delhi and Beijing have problems. Moscow's involvement creates prospects for cooperation in the RIC format, Lidia told Izvestia.


Hans India
3 minutes ago
- Hans India
India and US very close to trade deal: Trump
Washington: India and US are 'very close' to finalising a trade deal, US President Donald Trump has said, as high-level talks between the two sides continue. 'We're very close to a deal with India where they open it (the market) up,' Trump told reporters at the White house on Wednesday. Later in the day, he reiterated that the deal with India was 'very close' when asked about upcoming trade agreements in an interview with broadcaster Real America's Voice. India and the US have been locked in intense negotiations over the past few months, aiming to reach an agreement before steep tariffs kick in. Trump had first announced 27% tariffs on Indian goods in 2 April as part of a wider trade policy move. While the tariffs were initially paused until 9 July, the US later extended the deadline to 1 August. An Indian delegation is in the US this week for discussions on the agreement, Reuters reported, citing sources in the Indian government. Last month, a team of Indian officials extended their stay in Washington for another round of talks.


Indian Express
3 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India should disregard NATO threat on doing business with Russia
During Operation Sindoor, the S-400 formed the outermost layer of India's air defence. This is the missile system that India acquired from Russia a few years ago despite the US threatening sanctions under CAATSA — a law mandating punitive measures against countries engaging in 'significant transactions' with Russia, North Korea, or Iran. India made it clear that it would proceed with the S-400 deal anyway. Eventually, the US House carved out an India-specific waiver. A similar episode is playing out again. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned this week that countries like India, China, and Brazil could face secondary sanctions if they continue doing business with Russia. This comes as several US senators back a new sanctions bill proposing a 500 per cent tariff on nations buying Russian goods. US President Donald Trump, too, said this week that the US would impose 100 per cent secondary tariffs targeting Russia's trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine did not happen in 50 days. The Ministry of External Affairs' sharp rebuttal on Thursday — underlining that the energy requirements of the Indian people are the overriding priority, and cautioning against 'double standards' — serves as a timely reminder to the West, particularly Europe, of its own manoeuvres in pursuit of energy security. Yes, India was quick to seize the opportunity to purchase discounted Russian oil after the West imposed price caps and turned away from it. But while Russia's emergence as India's top crude supplier has helped meet domestic energy demand and stabilise prices, it is no secret that a substantial volume of refined fuel, derived from the Russian oil imported to India, is ultimately exported to Europe. A CREA report noted that by late 2024, 'capitalising on the refining loophole', India had become the EU's largest exporter of oil products. Europe also imported LNG at record levels from Russia last year. The sanctions threat to its trade partners is intended to choke Russia's war funding and pressure President Vladimir Putin into agreeing to a ceasefire. In doing so, however, the US and NATO risk undermining their relationship with one of the world's largest economies and an essential ally in the Indo-Pacific. The West cannot have it both ways: Penalise India for pursuing national interest while simultaneously expecting cooperation in regional and global initiatives. It is high time the West engaged with India as an equal partner. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that there was nothing to worry about even if sanctions were activated because India has expanded its crude sourcing slate. New Delhi should remain firm in pursuing its own path, even as the West seeks to dictate terms.