Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla honoured with Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2025

Aditya Birla Group chairman and Padma Bhushan Awardee Kumar Mangalam Birla received the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award from RSS Chief Shri Mohan Bhagwat, at a function in Mumbai on April 24. Birla was honoured with the award in recognition of his pivotal role in shaping India’s growth story.

Past recipients of the award include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, legendary singer Asha Bhosale, and actor Amitabh Bachchan. The Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar was instituted in 2022 in memory of the late legendary singer by the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, a public charitable trust maintained by the Mangeshkar family for over 35 years.

What is the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award?

This annual tribute, organised by the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, a public charitable trust maintained by the Mangeshkar family for over 35 years, is a celebration of heritage and excellence.

While Sunil Shetty and Shraddha Kapoor were felicitated for their impactful contributions to Indian cinema, Sonali Kulkarni was honoured for her body of work that bridges theatre and film, reflecting emotional depth and cultural richness. Violinist Dr N Rajam was also conferred with the award. The event was held at Mumbai's Deenanath Mangeshkar Auditorium.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Hridaynath Mangeshkar said, “Each year, we honour individuals who embody the spirit of dedication, excellence, and service that Master Deenanathji lived by. This celebration is not just a tribute to the past, but a torch passed on to the present and future.” The event marks the 83rd Memorial Day of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar.

Kumar Mangalam Birla: Top things to know about the industrialist

Billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla is the chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani and the former chairman of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In 2023, Birla received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India.

The conglomerate which operates in 40+ countries across six continents. Birla is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from the London Business School. Birla chairs the boards of all major group companies in India and globally including Novelis Inc., Birla Carbon, Aditya Birla Chemicals, Domsjö Fabriker, Terrace Bay Pulp Mill, Hindalco Industries Ltd, Grasim Industries Ltd, UltraTech Cement Ltd., Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. and Aditya Birla Capital Ltd.

In the last three decades, at the helm of the group, he has accelerated growth, built meritocracy and enhanced stakeholder value. In the process he has raised the group’s turnover by over 33x. He has been the architect of over 60 successful acquisitions by the group in India and abroad, the highest by any Indian multinational.