The growing influence of the Birla family in cricket is now clearly visible through their deepening association with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, bringing together business and sport after acquiring the franchise for ₹16,705 crore ($1.78 billion).
The centre of the Birla family’s growing presence in cricket is Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group also Known as the “commodities king,”.The group has built one of India’s largest business empires, spanning cement, metals, telecom, and financial services. Nearly half of the group’s revenue comes from its global operations, with a presence across 40 countries outside India. In recent years, that influence has steadily extended into cricket, with strategic investments and sponsorships linked to the IPL . With a net worth of $19.2 billion, according to Forbes, he ranks among the richest Indians, and his business vision is now shaping the group’s sporting ambitions as well.
That larger push is given by Ananya Birla in the sports field, who has quietly established a strong presence in the IPL’s commercial ecosystem. Through Birla Estates, she has played a key role in expanding the group’s footprint in cricket, starting linking with Royal Challengers Bengaluru as an associate sponsor in 2024, before stepping up as principal sponsor in 2025.
The expansion continued in 2026 with a partnership with the Gujarat Titans, underlining a clear and consistent strategy aligning the Birla brand with one of India’s most influential sporting platforms.
Talking about her brother ,Aryaman Birla, represents the sporting side of that connection. A former player for the Madhya Pradesh in domestic circuit and later part of the IPL in 2018 – 2019 with Rajasthan Royals Although he did not feature in a match and later stepped away from the game in 2019 due to injuries and personal reasons, his understanding of cricket remains valuable. Aryaman taking up chairman role at RCB alongside Satyan Gajwani(vice chairman) is something to watch out for.
The Birla family’s involvement reflects a larger trend in Indian cricket, where ownership is no longer just about investment. It is about a combination of sports and business industry, something that could shape the next phase of the IPL.