Bangalore: Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla is one of five distinguished honorands to receive an Honorary Degree from the University of London. Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Sir Terry Waite, Susannah Schofield MBE and The Reverend Philip Goff are also being honoured.
Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla is Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, a century-old leading Indian multinational and the first Indian business house to venture overseas. Today, it spans 41 countries across six continents, with revenues of ~$67 billion and a market capitalisation exceeding $110 billion.
A sixth-generation scion of the storied Birla family, his great-grandfather, G.D. Birla, was a confidant of Mahatma Gandhi and played a vital role in India’s freedom movement. A passionate champion of education, Mr. Birla serves as Chancellor of BITS Pilani and has chaired IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Delhi. He is also a Governing Board member at London Business School, where he endowed a £15 million scholarship, among the largest in Europe.
Mr Birla becomes Doctor of Science (Economics).
The awards were presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, during the University’s Foundation Day celebrations held at Senate House, London on Wednesday 19 November.
Receiving honorary degrees and fellowships at Foundation Day were:
· Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group – Doctor of Science (Economics).
· Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Professor of Economic History and Vice-Chancellor at the University of the West Indies – Doctor of Science (Social Sciences).
· Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE, an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall Cambridge and the patron of many charities working for humanitarian causes – Doctor of Science (Social Sciences).
· Mrs Susannah Schofield MBE, who established up the John Schofield Trust in memory of her husband, a journalist killed in action in Croatia – Doctor of Literature.
· The Reverend Philip Goff, expert on academic dress – Honorary Fellowship.
Kavita Reddi, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of London, said: “We are delighted to honour Mr Birla with an Honorary Degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to industry and philanthropy. His social initiatives have improved millions of lives, and his commitment to widening access to quality education, both in India and here in the UK, reflects the University of London’s core values – a passion for helping others, recognising the value of education and a desire to unite, rather than divide.
“Each of our distinguished honorands share these values and have made remarkable achievements in their varied and respective fields. It is a privilege to recognise them all as part of our Foundation Day celebrations.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “I am deeply humbled to receive this distinction from the University of London. It is a particular privilege to accept a storied honour presented by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. As an alumnus of the London business school, I have witnessed first-hand the university’s remarkable ability to transform ambition into achievement. My family has long believed that education is the most enduring engine of progress, capable of widening opportunity and reshaping communities. To be recognised by an institution that embodies those values and continues to equip new generations to take on an unpredictable world is both moving and motivating.”
Each year the University of London celebrates Foundation Day, a landmark date of the annual calendar marking the institution’s first royal charter, granted by William IV on 28 November 1836. The ceremony centres on the conferment of honorary degrees and fellowships, a tradition that began in 1903 with recipients including the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary).
Foundation Day 2025 was attended by students and staff of the University of London, representatives from its 17 Federation Member institutions and its global network of Regional Teaching Centres, and people with long-standing connections with the University.
