Basant Kumar Birla, a veteran industrialist and chairman of the BK Birla Group passed away at the age of 98 on 3rd July.
Born to industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla in January 1921, he was inducted into the family business at the age of 15, soon after completing his matriculation.
He started from the lowest position even in his family business. According to Livemint, his first assignment was that of a cashier at Kesoram Cotton Mills Ltd.
Fondly known as Bhauji by his employees, he also worked enthusiastically for the promotion of education in India. He was a patron of nearly 25 educational institutions including, BITS Pilani among others.
Remembering the man who gave our city it’s first college! People of Kalyan will always be in your debt !
— Ashish Joshi (@ashish280287) July 4, 2019
Thank you Mr. BK Birla
May your soul rest in peace. Om Shanti ! pic.twitter.com/FMHYNjhHOG
My condolences on the demise of veteran industrialist Sh. Basant Kumar Birla. #Rajasthan’s Sh. BK Birla was a visionary…his crucial contribution to business and education in India including Pilani, #Jhunjhunu will always be remembered with reverence.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) July 4, 2019
May his soul rest in peace
Shri Basant Kumar Birla was a distinguished industrialist who contributed to our nation’s prosperity. He also made a mark as an exceptional philanthropist. His passion for education was well-known. My thoughts are with his family and well-wishers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/UnxJAsK1t1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 3, 2019
Even in his 80s, he was said to be very active and even went to work every day.
Despite being born into a wealthy and distinguished business family, BK Birla led a frugal life from the beginning. Sources close to him revealed that he once said:
“I don’t need a suit costing ₹50,000. I will instead use it for charity.”
#BKBirla Bapu ji was a statesman of the business community , a visionary entrepreneur, a philanthropist, an educationist, a karmayogi for whom work was worship. He lived a simple life leaving behind a fantastic legacy.
— Suresh Rajasri (@rajasri_suresh) July 3, 2019
Rest in Peace 💐🙏 pic.twitter.com/3RwstHzAlH
He was known to maintain cordial relations with other business houses and believed in healthy competition. This was one of the reasons why he gained huge respect in the industry.
Besides being a successful industrialist, he was also an avid photographer and authored a few books.
His love and interest for art could also be seen in his charitable ventures and huge donations to temples.
BK Birla reached millions of people through his ventures in a variety of fields and his legacy will continue to live through his work.
