BASANT KUMAR & SARALA BIRLA : Life has no Full Stops by Rashme Sehgal ( English) Author : Rashme Sehgal

This is a story of rare courage, resilience, and utmost determination of one couple, Basant and Sarala Birla, to give a permanent place to the Birla Empire in the annals of history. It began seventy-one years ago, when Basant first set his eyes on Sarala. He entered the world of business at the tender age of thirteen, and made a tidy profit on his very first investment. The seeds of the empire had been sown by Basant Birla's great-grandfather, Shivnarain Birla; and carried forward by his three uncles, Jugalkishore, Rameshwardas, Brijmohan, and Basant's father, Ghanshyamdas. Basant and Sarala's first-born, Aditya, gave the empire a global footprint and a turnover that was second only to that of the Tatas, making it a formidable business empire. His untimely demise left a huge void in their lives and they found solace in spirituality. The journey continues with Basant and Sarala's grandson, Kumar Mangalam, taking over the mantle of the Aditya Birla Group. The narrative, a series of flashbacks dexterously woven together by the author, brings to the reader a period in pre-Independence India when business was still conducted ethically.