MUMBAI: The “Trump factor” is a key element that could significantly influence geopolitical relationships and economic landscapes, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla has noted in his assessment of global dynamics for 2025.
He emphasised the continued importance of the US, noting it as the conglomerate’s largest overseas market outside of India. The textiles-to-telecom group has invested more than $15 billion in the US, with a $4-billion greenfield project underway. Citing Warren Buffett’s words ‘Never bet against America’, Birla expressed confidence in the US economy. He said: “The US economy’s dynamism remains unmatched, and our ongoing investments will contribute to the revitalisation of its growing manufacturing sector.”
Birla further said that it is evident that in 2025, we will find ourselves in a U3 world — uncertain, unpredictable, and unorthodox. The key is to embrace this uncertainty rather than resist it. This reset represents a significant contrast in our era: “a world teeming with opportunities yet shadowed by lingering ambiguity”. While social media might appear to be driving global changes, the actual situation is more complex and consequential than a reel, Birla wrote in his reflections of 2024-25.
The chairman of one of India’s largest conglomerates highlighted that the current worldwide emphasis on manufacturing represents a positive change, indicating a transition towards more robust and diversified supply chains globally. India’s industrial capabilities, which historically have been underappreciated, are poised to seize this opportunity, he said. “The migration of Apple’s ecosystem to India is emblematic of this transition,” he said, pointing out that a quarter of the world’s iPhones could could soon be made in India.
Birla said less recognised, however, is the sheer global scale of India’s cement industry, which is the second largest in the world. UltraTech Cement, the group’s flagship enterprise, achieved a notable milestone by surpassing 150 million tonnes of capacity in 2024. Birla emphasised that UltraTech’s current production surpasses the US’s total cement output by more than 1.5 times and possesses capacity exceeding 80% of Europe’s production. “To me, this is a marker of India’s rising industrial strength and its emergence as a pivotal player in the global manufacturing renaissance.”
Looking back at 2024, Birla described it as “a year like no other” for the conglomerate, a period when the group embodied its role as an “engine of big bets”. “From launching and scaling multiple high growth platforms like paints, jewellery retail, and B2B e-commerce, to reinforcing our leadership in core businesses like cement,” Birla said.
