Sarala Birla: 1924-2015

Basant Kumar Birla's wife, who died on Saturday in Delhi, married into the Birla family more than 70 years back

Industrialist Basant Kumar Birla’s wife and “constant companion”, Sarala Birla, died on Saturday morning in Delhi. She was 91 and had been suffering from old-age problems. The last rites will be performed on Sunday in Kolkata.

Sarala married into the Birla family more than 70 years ago. It was an arranged marriage, but sealed unconventionally. Sarala gave her consent only after she had met Basant Kumar.

Gita Piramal wrote in Business Maharajas she was a lively woman, with a passion for life, and a perfect foil for her more-restrained husband. Possibly, her liberal background — father Brijlal Biyani was a respected freedon fighter — played a part.

Sarala’s engagement with Basant was in 1941, solemnised by freedom fighter Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and wife Kasturba, in the presence of  statesmen C Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallavbhai Patel, and Jamnalal Bajaj. The story goes that Mohandas had cautioned the bride-to-be that the Birla family was conservative.

Those in the know would say that Basant valued her opinions immensely, and even that could be an understatement. It was hardly a surprise, therefore, that after the marriage in 1942, Basant aggressively expanded the family business, primarily, Century Textiles and Century Enka.

Sarala's influence over the expansion of the Basant Kumar Birla group is not an exaggeration, nor a surprise. She did her schooling from a government high school, Akola, Maharashtra, and higher studies from Pune's Fergusson College.

She had a keen interest in arts and her collection of Indian art was displayed at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata. One of Sarala’s favourite quotes was "you get in life what you give." Perhaps that's what led her and Basant to set up 45 educational institutes.