Kumar Mangalam Birla reveals his father's condition before letting him join family business
The promo opens with Big B saying, “We have learnt one thing from your father, that one must start from the bottom. But the kind of environment and family you were born into, it seems very impossible that you were asked to start from the bottom. Can you tell us more about this?”
To this, the businessman said in Hindi, “Maine socha tha Amit ji ki graduation ke baad main papa ke office jaaunga aur kaam shuru karunga. Papa ne kaha ki aisa nahi ho sakta hai, tumko CA karna padega. Ab CA bahut mushkil cheez hai. At that time I could see all my aspirations and ambitions flying out of the window. Toh main kehta raha, main MBA karunga, main CA nahi karunga (I had thought that after graduation I would go to my father’s office and start working. Papa said that wouldn’t be possible; I would have to become a CA. Now, CA is a very difficult thing. So I kept saying, I will do an MBA, I won’t do CA).”He added, “Papa ne kaha ki tum CA nahi bante ho toh iss office main tumhare liye koi kaam nahi hai. Toh main dadaji ke pass gaya, aur thoda ro raha tha main ki aap mujhe bachayiye. Dadaji ne kaha ki ismein main tumhari madad nahi kar sakta, tum karlo. Maine mummy se poocha, unhone kaha ki karna toh padega hi tumhe yaa toh ro dhoke karo yaa haste haste karo (Papa said that if I didn’t become a CA, there would be no work for me in this office. So I went to my grandfather and was crying a bit, asking him to save me. Dadaji said that he couldn’t help me in this and that I would have to do it. I asked my mother, and she said that I would have to do it anyway, either do it crying or do it smiling).”
About Kaun Banega Crorepati 17
This season featured several celebrities, including Javed Akhtar, Diljit Dosanjh, Farhan Akhtar, Rishab Shetty, Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek, Manoj Bajpayee and Kartik Aaryan–Ananya Panday, who took the hot seat and shared fun anecdotes and memorable moments with Amitabh Bachchan.
The finale episode of the season will air today, December 29, at 9 pm on Sony TV and Sony LIV.In a historic first, billionaire industrialist and Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, appeared on the hot seat of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17 on December 29, 2025.
During his conversation with Amitabh Bachchan, Birla revealed a surprising and strict "condition" his father, the late Aditya Vikram Birla, had set before he could join the prestigious family business.
The Condition: "No CA, No Job"
Despite being born into one of India’s wealthiest families, Kumar Mangalam Birla’s entry into the corporate world was far from a "golden parachute" scenario. He shared that after completing his graduation, he was eager to join his father's office and start working immediately.
However, his father laid down a firm ultimatum:
The Mandate: He was told he must become a Chartered Accountant (CA) first.
5 The Ultimatum: His father explicitly stated, "If you don’t become a CA, there is no work for you in this office."
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A Shocked Amitabh Bachchan
The revelation left "Big B" visibly shocked, as the general perception of billionaire families often involves an easier transition into leadership.
Birla shared his candid reaction to the news at the time:
"CA is a very difficult thing.
8 At that time, I could see all my aspirations and ambitions flying out of the window. I kept telling him I would do an MBA instead, but he wouldn't budge."9
Seeking Help (and Failing)
Desperate to avoid the rigorous CA exams, Kumar Mangalam Birla revealed he turned to his family for support:
The Grandfather: He went to his grandfather (Basant Kumar Birla) in tears, asking to be "saved" from the condition.
11 His grandfather simply replied, "I cannot help you with this, you have to do it."12 The Mother: He approached his mother (Rajshree Birla), who gave him the ultimate life lesson: "You have to do it anyway—so you can either do it crying, or do it smiling."
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Ultimately, Birla cleared the exams and became a qualified CA before later pursuing his MBA from the London Business School.
Would you like to know more about the questions Kumar Mangalam Birla faced on the show or how much he won for charity?
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