Birla group patriarch Basant Kumar Birla passes away

Kolkata, July 3: The Birla group patriarch Basant Kumar Birla passed away on Wednesday. He was 98.

Born on 12 January 1921, the nonagenarian industrialist was the chairman of the Krishnarpan Charity Trust, BK Birla Institute of Engineering and Technology (BKBIET) and various educational trusts and institutes.

He was the youngest son of industrialist and philanthropist Ghanshyam Das Birla. He started associating with a large number of companies at the age of 15 and subsequently became the chairman of Kesoram Industries.

Birla is survived by his daughters Jayshree Mohta and Manjushree Khaitan. Son Aditya Vikram Birla died in October 1995. A legend by his own right, Basant Kumar leaves behind him several listed companies as well as unlisted closely-held companies.

Basant Kumar Birla was also a patron of some 25 educational institutions sprawling all over the country: from BITS in Pilani, Rajasthan and the Birla Institute of Liberal Arts and Management Science to the B K Birla Centre for Education in Pune, the Birla Institute of Management Technology in Delhi, the GD Memorial School for Boys at Ranikhet or the very well known Ashok Hall Girls' High School in Kolkata. The group also runs some seven to eight charitable trusts.