Anil Agarwal

Businessman

Indian Patna, Bihar, India

Quick Info

ProfessionBusinessman
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth01/10/1954
Age71 years
BirthplacePatna, Bihar, India

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Bio/Wiki

Profession(s)
  • Businessman
  • Industrialist
Known For
  • Being the founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources, a global natural resources conglomerate
  • First Indian to list a business on the London Stock Exchange (2003)

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 8" (173 cm)
Eye ColorLight Brown
Hair ColorBald

Educational Qualification(s)

School
  • Miller High School, Patna
  • Sir Ganesh Dutt Patliputra High School, Bihar
College/UniversityMalaviya Regional Engineering College, Jaipur
DegreeBachelor's degree in Engineering

Personal Life

ReligionHinduism
EthnicityMarwadi
Food HabitVegetarian
Hobbies
  • Cycling
  • Traveling
  • Reading
  • Writing

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date1975

Family

FatherDwarka Prasad Agarwal (deceased)
MotherVedvati Agarwal
Siblings
  • Pravin Agarwal (businessman)
  • Navin Agarwal (businessman)
  • 1
SpouseKiran Agarwal
Children
  • Agnivesh Agarwal (deceased)
  • Priya Agarwal (businesswoman)

Career

OverviewAnil Agarwal's career began in the scrap metal trade in Mumbai in the mid-1970s. He acquired Shamsher Sterling Corporation in 1976 and managed it alongside his father's company for a decade. In 1986, he founded Sterlite Industries, the first private company to establish a copper smelter and refinery in India. He later established Vedanta Resources as a parent organization, consolidating multiple mining and metals operations into a global conglomerate with operations in copper, zinc, aluminum, and iron ore.
Milestones
  • Founded Sterlite Industries (1986)
  • Established Vedanta Resources (2003)
  • Acquired several mining and smelting businesses including Hindustan Zinc and Bharat Aluminium Company
  • Launched philanthropic initiatives through the Vedanta Foundation
  • Arrived in Mumbai in 1975 with minimal resources to pursue entrepreneurship
  • Acquired Shamsher Sterling Corporation (1976)
  • Listed Vedanta Resources on the London Stock Exchange (2003) – first Indian to achieve a primary listing on LSE
  • Listed Sterlite Industries subsidiary on NYSE (2007) – largest IPO in the US by an Indian company at that time
  • Acquired Hindustan Zinc and Bharat Aluminium Company
  • Established Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF) as the philanthropic and CSR arm of Vedanta
Awards & Honors
  • Mining Journal Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
  • Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2008)
  • Business Leader of the Year – The Economic Times Awards (2012)
  • Dr. Thomas Cangan Leadership Award (2013)
  • Padma Bhushan (2016)
  • Asian Awards – Entrepreneur of the Year (2016)
  • One Globe Forum (OGF) Award (2018)
  • Asian Achievers Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)
  • Asian Business Philanthropy Award (2021)
  • CIF Global Indian Award (2022)

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Anil Agarwal was raised in a middle-class Marwadi family and began his career in a small business his father owned.
2. He was initially discouraged from pursuing business early on and was instead encouraged to complete his higher education.
3. He began his journey in the scrap metal industry, which laid the foundation for his later successes.
4. Anil has committed to philanthropy; after his son's passing, he reaffirmed his pledge to donate 75% of his wealth to charity.
5. He left school at age 15 and arrived in Mumbai at age 19 with only a tiffin box and bedding.
6. He attempted nine different business ventures before finding success in the cable production industry.
7. The Anil Agarwal Foundation has spent approximately Rs. 2,000 crores on socio-economic development in India over the last 5 years and touched the lives of around 50 million people across close to 1,300 villages.
8. He controls Vedanta Resources through Volcan Investments, a holding vehicle with a 100% stake in the business.
9. His family has a net worth of more than Rs. 32,000 crore.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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