Trump factor can influence course of the year: Kumar Mangalam Birla
Trump factor can influence course of the year: Kumar Mangalam Birla
Kumar Mangalam Birla,
Chairperson, Aditya Birla Group, described the year 2025 as
Uncertain
Unpredictable and Unorthodox. It is evident that we will be embracing a U3
World…Not wrestling with it .
This holds the potential to reshape geopolitical dynamics, with profound implications for the global economy and business.
In a note, titled ‘My Reflections – 2024-25’, that came just a few hours before the swearing in of Donald Trump as the US President, Birla called the ‘T factor’ (Trump factor) as the only one that could disproportionately influence the course of the year. He wentbl on to point out that the US was a significant market for the group outside India with investments exceeding $15 billion, including a $4-billion expansion that was underway. “The US economy’s dynamism remains unmatched, and our ongoing investments will contribute to the revitalisation of its growing manufacturing sector.”
Birla spoke of the turn of 2024 as a historical moment, with a quarter century having passed. “This has been no ordinary span of time. This has been an era of tectonic shifts,” indicating the dawn of the digital age and globalisation of economies to climate reckoning and relentless march of artificial intelligence.
The dawn of 2025 would be a reset that presented a paradox of a world teeming with possibility but shadowed by lingering ambiguity. For the AB group, 2024 was a landmark year when it embodied its role as an engine of big bets.
‘Tech for unity’
“From launching and scaling multiple high-growth platforms like paints, jewellery retail, and b2b ecommerce for building materials, to reinforcing our leadership in core businesses like cement and metals. From revitalising our telecom joint venture, to accelerating the transformation journey in our financial services and fashion retail business.”
While the first two decades of the 21st century were defined by technological advancements, the next decade could herald the harnessing technology as a force for unity, Birla said.
“Platforms will evolve beyond their current purpose, creating spaces that bridge divides, foster understanding and celebrate shared humanity, even amidst apparent differences……
The 21st century’s next chapter awaits us, demanding vision, clarity, and resolve.”
News Edit KV Raman
