Ajay Piramal

Ajay Piramal was born to Gopikisan Piramal and Lalita Piramal in Rajasthan, India on 3 August 1955. In 1977, at age 22, Piramal started out in his family's textile business, founded in 1934 by his grandfather Piramal Chatrabhuj. His father, Gopikisan Piramal, died in 1979, and after five years he lost an older brother to cancer, prompting him to take over the business.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/piramal/|title=Piramal History|website=Forbes}}

Piramal holds a bachelor's degree in Science from the Jai Hind College and Basantsingh Institute of Science, University of Mumbai (then Bombay), a master's degree in management studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, University of Mumbai, and in 1992 attended the six-week Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.{{cite web|url=https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=3367|title=Building a better India through business and philanthropy – Alumni – Harvard Business School|website=alumni.hbs.edu|date=24 April 2014 |accessdate=29 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkintime.co.in/admin/DownloadFiles/LOF.pdf|title=Harvard Business School}} Piramal has received an honorary doctorate by Amity University, India{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Anjali |date=2024-02-14 |title=Ajay Piramal: A Visionary Leader at the Helm of Piramal Group |url=https://businessstory.in/ajay-piramal-a-visionary-leader-at-the-helm-of-piramal-group/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Business Story |language=en-US}} and Honorary Doctor of Science from IIT Indore.{{cite web|url=http://indiaeducationdiary.in/mr-ajay-piramal-chairman-piramal-group-conferred-honorary-doctor-science-honoris-causa-degree-iit-indore/|title=Mr. Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group, Conferred with Honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) Degree by IIT-Indore|first=Rashmi R.|last=Parida|date=22 November 2018|website=indiaeducationdiary.in|accessdate=29 January 2019}}

In 1988, Piramal bought Nicholas Laboratories, an Australian multinational corporation. The company is now ranked fifth among pharma companies in India, having made a string of overseas acquisitions like the Indian subsidiaries of Roche, Boehringer Mannheim, Rhone Poulenc, ICI and Hoechst Research Centre. India's first major shopping mall, Crossroads, was developed from three redundant Piramal factory buildings in Mumbai.{{Cite web|url=http://www.biographia.co.in/ajay-piramal/|title=Ajay Piramal Biography|website=Biographia|date=29 December 2017}}

He led Piramal Enterprises Ltd invested in Vodafone India by buying 11% in two tranches. The first 5.5%, was bought in 2011 for Rs 2,856 crore and the second, the next year for Rs 3,007 crore to buy a 5.5% stake in Vodafone India for INR 30.07 billion ($618 million), taking the total stake to 11%.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/how-ajay-piramal-is-creating-success-stories-by-eschewing-conventional-wisdom/articleshow/63659844.cms|title=How Ajay Piramal is creating success stories by eschewing conventional wisdom|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=8 April 2018|last1=Layak|first1=Suman}} In April 2014, Piramal Enterprises Ltd. sold its 11% stake for INR 8,900 crore, at a 51.78% premium to the price the company had paid in 2011–12.{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/ljHpGKOulDgR7nPkAzjScJ/Piramal-Enterprises-sells-its-11-stake-in-Vodafone-for-Rs8.html|title=Piramal sells entire stake in Vodafone for Rs 8,900 crore|date=11 April 2014|website=Live Mint}}

After selling his stake in Vodafone India, Piramal paid INR 2,014 crore to buy a 20% stake in Shriram Capital Ltd., an arm of the Chennai-based Shriram Group. The purchase was made in addition to INR 1,636 crore investment in Shriram Transport Finance Co. Ltd. for a 9.9% stake.{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/ddwu0J43ZoLR9IS1tIXecI/Piramal-Enterprises-to-acquire-20-stake-in-Shriram-Capital.html|title=Piramal to buy 20% stake in Shriram Capital|date=17 April 2014|website=Live Mint}} Piramal also serves as the Chairman of Shriram Group.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/announcements/ajay-piramal-to-strengthen-role-in-shriram-group-takes-over-as-chairman-of-shriram-capital/articleshow/40134406.cms|title=Ajay Piramal to strengthen role in Shriram Group, takes over as Chairman of Shriram Capital|date=13 August 2014|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Kalesh|first1=Baiju}}

Piramal announced in 2019 he planned to resign as chairman of Shriram Capital Ltd. He was named chairman five years earlier.{{cite web |last1=Kalesh |first1=Baiju |last2=Sanjai |first2=PR |title=Billionaire Piramal Plans to Step Down From Shriram Capital |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-04/billionaire-piramal-plans-to-step-down-from-shriram-capital |website=Bloomberg |accessdate=4 November 2019}}

• Chairman, Piramal Group{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/values-create-economic-value-ajay-piramal/article9954878.ece|title=Piramal Group Chairman|website=The Hindu Business Line|date=12 November 2017 }}
• Non-Executive Director, Tata Sons Ltd{{Cite web|url=http://www.tata.com/article/inside/ajay-piramal-tata-sons|title=Ajay Piramal tata sons|website=TATA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171846/http://www.tata.com/article/inside/ajay-piramal-tata-sons|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Member, Board of Dean's Advisors, Harvard Business School{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/industrialists-ajay-piramal-and-venu-srinivasan-appointed-non-executive-directors-of-tata-sons/articleshow/53861142.cms|title=Ajay piramal appointed non-executive director of tata sons|date=25 August 2016|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Sengupta|first1=Devina}}
• Board of Advisors, India's International Movement to Unite Nations{{Cite web|title=I.I.M.U.N. {{!}}{{!}} Board of Advisors|url=https://new.iimun.in/pages/BoA.html|access-date=2021-07-17|website=new.iimun.in}}
• President and Chairman of the Governing Body, Anant National University{{Cite web|url=http://anu.edu.in/AnantU_2018_Prospectus.pdf|title=ANU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171716/http://anu.edu.in/AnantU_2018_Prospectus.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Chairman, Pratham Education Foundation{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/industrialists-ajay-piramal-and-venu-srinivasan-appointed-non-executive-directors-of-tata-sons/articleshow/53861142.cms|title=Industrialists Ajay Piramal and Venu Srinivasan appointed non-executive directors of Tata Sons|date=25 August 2016|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Sengupta|first1=Devina}}
• Member of National Council of Confederation of the Indian Industry (CII)
• Co-Chair, UK-India CEO Forum
• Member of the Honorable Prime Minister's Council for Trade & Industry and the Board of Trade constituted by the Ministry of Commerce
• Member of the Honorable Prime Minister's Task Force on Pharmaceuticals and Knowledge-Based Industries
• Member, Central Board of State Bank of India{{Cite web|url=http://www.asiancentre.org/asiasummit/ajay-piramal/|title=Member, Central Board of State bank of india|website=Asian Centre}}
• Invitee to the World Economic Forum for the last 20 years{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|title=World Economic Forum|website=sbs.ox.ac.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171830/https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}

• Former Chairman, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore{{Cite web|date=2018-11-22|title=Mr. Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group, Conferred with Honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) Degree by IIT-Indore|url=https://indiaeducationdiary.in/mr-ajay-piramal-chairman-piramal-group-conferred-honorary-doctor-science-honoris-causa-degree-iit-indore/|access-date=2020-09-17|website=India Education, Education News India, Education News {{!}} India Education Diary|language=en-US}}
• Member, Central board of directors of State Bank of India.{{Cite web|title=Mr. Ajay Piramal, Chairman Piramal Group – Kamini Banga|url=http://kaminibanga.com/mr-ajay-piramal-chairman-piramal-group/|access-date=2020-09-17|language=en-US}}

• Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for services to the UK-India trade relationship.{{cite web |title=Honorary Awards to Foreign Nationals in 2022 |date=2022 |publisher=Gov.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/honorary-british-awards-to-foreign-nationals-2022/honorary-awards-to-foreign-nationals-in-2022}}
• Business Leader of the Year Award, 2018, International Advertising Association Leadership Awards{{Cite web|url=https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/advertising/piramal-groups-ajay-piramal-conferred-with-the-iaas-business-leader-of-the-year-award/65191754|title=Piramal Group's Ajay Piramal conferred with the IAA's 'Business Leader of the Year' award|date=30 July 2018|website=The Economic Times}}
• Special Achievement Award, Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) 2018{{Cite web|url=http://www.asian-news-channel.tv/index.php/en/news/27-anc-exclusive/27388-the-9th-asia-pacific-entrepreneurship-awards-india-chapter-recognizes-22-top-business-leaders|title=The 9th Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, India chapter recognizes 22 top business leaders|date=17 April 2018|website=Asian News Channel}}
• CNBC Asia's India Business Leader of the Year Award, 2018{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/business/cnbc-tv18-hosts-13th-edition-of-india-business-leader-awards-kumar-mangalam-birla-named-outstanding-businessman-of-the-year-4421635.html|title=CNBC-TV18 hosts 13th edition of India Business Leader Awards; Kumar Mangalam Birla named Outstanding Businessman of the Year|date=7 April 2018|website=CNBC}}
• CNBC Asia Business Leader of the Year Award, 2017{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/02/abla-2017-asia-business-leaders-awards-winners-honored-in-shanghai.html|title=Asia business leader award|date=2 November 2017|website=CNBC}}
• SEN Sustainability Award – Philanthropy and Best of Best – instituted by World Presidents' Organisation (2015){{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|title=Ajay Piramal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171830/https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Outstanding Philanthropist 2013 and 2014, Forbes Philanthropy Awards{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|title=Forbes Philanthropy Awards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171830/https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Kriyasheel Global Achievers Award (2010){{Cite web|url=http://www.yosuccess.com/success-stories/ajay-piramal-piramal-group/|title=Ajay Piramal Success Story|date=3 November 2017|website=You Success}}
• India Innovator of the Year 2008 awarded by CNBC TV 18{{Cite web|url=http://investor.bhaskarnet.com/pages/managementprofile.php?id=7|title=management|website=DB Corp LTD}}
• Entrepreneur of the Year' Award of UK Trade and Investment Council in 2006{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|title=Entrepreneur of the Year'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171830/https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Healthcare and Life Sciences category in 2004{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|title=Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the year|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808171830/https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/ajay-g-piramal-0|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=dead}}
• "Business Leader Award" in Pharma Sector at the CHEMTECH PHARMABIO AWARD (2004);{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/people/1709928-ajay-g-piramal|title=Pharma bio Award|website=Bloomberg}}
• "Life Time Achievement Award" by The Rotary Club of Mumbai Mid-Town (2004){{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/people/1709928-ajay-g-piramal|title=Lifetime achievement award|website=Bloomberg News }}
• Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum (2004)
• Rotary International (District 3140) Certificate of Appreciation and "Four Way Test Award" in 2001{{Cite web|url=http://investor.bhaskarnet.com/pages/managementprofile.php?id=7|title=Four Way Test Award|website=Dainik Bhaskar (DB Corp Ltd)}}
• CEO of the Year Award' by World Strategy Forum (1999){{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/people/1709928-ajay-g-piramal|title=CEO of the year award|website=Bloomberg}}

Piramal finances the Piramal Foundation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.forbesindia.com/article/marwari-power/ajay-piramals-wealth-finds-a-purpose-in-the-piramal-foundation/37403/1|title=Ajay Piramal Wealth|date=19 March 2014|website=Forbes India}} The foundation is quoted as taking about 10–15% of his time.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/how-ajay-piramal-is-creating-success-stories-by-eschewing-conventional-wisdom/articleshow/63659844.cms|title=Ajay piramal Success|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=8 April 2018|last1=Layak|first1=Suman}} The Piramal Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Piramal Group.{{Cite web|url=http://indiacsr.in/csr-niti-aayog-partners-with-piramal-foundation-to-transform-aspirational-districts/|title=CSR : NITI Aayog partners with Piramal Foundation to transform aspirational Districts|date=21 March 2018|website=India CSR}}

The Piramal Foundation has initiatives across Health, Education and Safe Drinking Water, namely Piramal Swasthya,{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsbarons.com/healthcare/shriram-transport-finance-and-piramal-swasthya-jointly-announces-the-launch-of-mobile-medical-van-in-pune/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627231443/https://newsbarons.com/healthcare/shriram-transport-finance-and-piramal-swasthya-jointly-announces-the-launch-of-mobile-medical-van-in-pune/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=27 June 2022|title=Shriram Transport Finance and Piramal Swasthya jointly announces the launch of Mobile Medical Van in Pune|date=9 March 2018|website=News Barons}} Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership{{Cite web|url=http://www.forbesindia.com/article/philanthropy-awards-2014/the-piramal-familys-purposeful-philanthropy/39303/1|title=The Piramal family's purposeful philanthropy|date=6 January 2015|website=Forbes India}} and Piramal Sarvajal,{{Cite web|url=http://orissadiary.com/piramal-sarvajal-marks-world-water-day-launch-safe-drinking-water-awareness-drive/|title=Piramal Sarvajal Marks World Water Day, with the Launch of 'Safe Drinking Water' Awareness Drive|date=14 March 2018|website=Orissa Diary}} respectively. The Foundation works across 21 states in India, mostly in partnership with state governments.{{Cite web|url=http://indiacsr.in/csr-niti-aayog-partners-with-piramal-foundation-to-transform-aspirational-districts/|title=NITI Aayog partners with Piramal Foundation to transform aspirational Districts|date=21 March 2018|website=India CSR}}

Piramal is among the Advisory Committee Members of Annamrita, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation (IFRF){{Cite web|url=http://annamrita.org/our-team.php|title=Advisory Committee Members of Annamrita|website=Annamrita}} that serves 1.2 million meals through its 20 kitchens across India every day.{{Cite web|url=http://annamrita.org/annamrita-project.php|title=Annamrita Meal Project|website=Annamrita}}

alt=The Ambani and Piramal at the wedding reception of Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal (from left to right:-[[Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, Isha Ambani, Anand Piramal, Swati Piramal, Ajay Piramal|thumb|The Ambani and Piramal family at the wedding reception of Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal which was situated in Reliance Jio Garden.]]

Ajay Piramal is married to Swati Shah Piramal.{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/before-a-work-video-call-coffeeza-ceo-washes-face-fixes-hair-to-look-fresh/articleshow/78207069.cms|title=The secret behind Ajay Piramal's sharp look:His wife Swati|work=The Economic Times |date=19 September 2020 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |last1=Alves |first1=Glynda }} They are the parents of two children. Their daughter, Nandini Piramal D'Young, married US citizen Peter D'Young in 2009.{{Cite news|last=Phadnis|first=Abhineet Kumar Aneesh|date=2017-06-16|title=How Nandini Piramal is ready for more acquisitions in the OTC space|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/how-nandini-piramal-is-ready-for-more-acquisitions-in-the-otc-space-117061601367_1.html|access-date=2022-02-21}} Piramal's son, Anand Piramal, married Isha Ambani Piramal (née Ambani), daughter of billionaire businessman Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani and his wife Nita Dalal Ambani, on 12 December 2018.{{Cite web|title=Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal wedding: All you need to know about the biggest wedding of the year|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/story/isha-ambani-anand-piramal-wedding-all-you-need-to-know-123399-2018-12-12|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Business Today|date=12 December 2018 |language=en}}

The family considers Radhanath Swami their family-guru.{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-we-have-started-a-youth-movement-1284043|title='We have started a youth movement|website=DNA|accessdate=19 December 2018}}

File:The-Ambani-family-arrives-at-Isha-Ambani-Anand-Piramal-wedding-reception-at-Reliance-Jio-Garden-5.jpg Piramal had gifted Gulita to the newlyweds, Isha Ambani Piramal and Anand Piramal.{{Cite web|date=November 15, 2018|first=Yogesh|last=Sadhwani|title=Old Gulita in Worli is Isha Ambani & Anand Piramal's marital pad|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/old-gulita-is-isha-anands-marital-pad/articleshow/66627514.cms|access-date=2022-02-21|website=Mumbai Mirror|language=en}}]]

Anand Piramal's parents Ajay and Swati Piramal gave them their home Gulita as a wedding gift. It occupies 50,000 square feet of floor space in Worli, Mumbai, with three basements, multiple dining rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a garden, a hall and a diamond-themed bungalow with a diamond room and a temple room.{{Cite web|title=Everything You Need to Know About 'Gulita', Isha Ambani Piramal's 450 Crore House - Celebrity, Cosmopolitan India|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.in/celebrity/features/a23085/everything-you-need-know-about-gulita-isha-ambani-piramals-450-crore|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Cosmopolitan India|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=November 15, 2018|title=Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal to move into Rs 450 crore sea-facing bungalow after wedding|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/celebrity/story/isha-ambani-anand-piramal-rs-450-crore-bungalow-wedding-1388892-2018-11-15|access-date=2022-02-11|website=India Today|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The 50,000 Square-Foot Mansion Isha Ambani's Moving Into|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/the-50-000-square-foot-mansion-isha-ambanis-moving-into-1965815|access-date=2022-02-10|website=NDTV.com}}{{Cite web|title=Sweeping ocean view: Ambani-Piramal house dazzles India|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/sweeping-ocean-view-ambani-piramal-house-dazzles-india/1414468/|access-date=2022-02-10|website=The Financial Express|date=15 December 2018 |language=en}} Estimated to be worth $100 million in 2022, Gulita was bought through an auction by Piramal from Hindustan Unilever for $61.2 million in 2012. Ajay Piramal and his family started the remodeling work for the house in 2015. {{Cite web|title=Mumbai: Gulita gets final touch for newly-wed Isha Ambani|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-gulita-gets-final-touch-for-newly-wed-isha-ambani-2695474|access-date=2022-02-15|website=DNA India|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-12-14 |title=Sweeping ocean view, lawns and pool: 50,000-sq ft mansion worth ₹445 crore awaits Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sweeping-ocean-view-lawns-and-pool-50-000-sq-ft-mansion-worth-rs-445-crore-awaits-isha-ambani-and-anand-piramal/story-JWxOrTke4Zd326rLxKgv0L.html |access-date=2022-02-10 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} Following the completion of the renovation work, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave an occupancy certificate to the property in September 2018. The interior is designed like Antilia, the residence of Isha Ambani before marriage.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-27 |title=In Pics: 'Gulita' Isha Ambani & Anand Piramal's Mansion Is So Big That You Can't Actually See It All In A Day |url=https://www.herzindagi.com/society-culture/isha-ambani-anand-parimal-50000-sq-ft-mansion-worli-inside-pictures-article-114842 |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=HerZindagi English |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-03-10 |title=Inside look at Isha Ambani's House which is more Luxurious than Mukesh Ambani's Antilia |url=https://garvigujarati.com/inside-look-at-isha-ambanis-house-which-is-more-luxurious-than-mukesh-ambanis-antilia/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Garvi Gujarati |language=en-US}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Indian businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry

Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai

Category:Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies alumni

Category:Rajasthani people

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