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By Kumar Mangalam Birla
Chairman of Aditya Birla Group
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The United States and India are at a defining moment that will shape the trajectory of global growth, supply chains and economic resilience for decades to come. Closer cooperation between our two nations is essential.
The trade agreement reached last week by our two great nations is critically important.
I applaud Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump for reaching an agreement that will lessen tariffs, help strengthen the strategic and economic ties between our countries and provide additional opportunity for investment and collaboration. This agreement will help shape more resilient supply chains, unlock manufacturing opportunities and drive long-term economic competitiveness in both the U.S. and India.
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As the chairman of Aditya Birla Group, the largest Indian investor in the U.S., I have seen firsthand the transformative impact of Indian enterprise in the U.S. Indian investment is already a formidable engine of growth, job creation and industrial revitalization.
The U.S. and India are two of the most dynamic economies in the world today. Both are driven by innovation, talent and powerful entrepreneurial ambition. The parallels between our two nations—across trade, technology and manufacturing—are essential to shaping a more prosperous global future.
India’s growing appetite for U.S. goods reflects a clear commitment to deepening bilateral trade ties, even as the U.S. remains India’s largest export destination. This mutual economic engagement signals a more balanced and strategic trade relationship taking shape.
In our current era of globalization, there are new opportunities for governments to shape commerce in the national interest, while finding points of intersection where global interests converge. From my vantage point, identifying these points of connection will only benefit a deeper U.S.-India partnership, and have the potential to make it one of the world’s most consequential relationships.
Indian investment in the U.S. is helping revitalize sectors like aluminum, steel, automotive and technology. For India’s economy, a stronger U.S. partnership helps accelerate manufacturing capabilities, integrate into global supply chains, attract cutting-edge technology and open new markets for Indian goods and services.
At the Aditya Birla Group, our U.S. journey spans nearly two decades, marked by over $15 billion in investments, a presence in around 15 states and more than 5,400 jobs created. In 2025 alone, we deepened this commitment with strategic acquisitions, including a specialty chemical facility in Georgia and the $125 million purchase of AluChem, a key player in specialty alumina. We are now investing $5 billion in a state-of-the-art greenfield aluminum rolling and recycling mill in Alabama. This is one of the largest private capital investments in the state’s history. With growing stakes in aluminum, specialty materials, chemicals and carbon black, our ambition is to be a long-term value creator in U.S. manufacturing.
I strongly encourage my peers in both India and the U.S. to explore all avenues for collaboration, especially in key sectors like manufacturing, automotive and technology that are driving economic impact. Finding these synergies is compelling for both of our economies, business prospects and workforces, helping to unlock new dimensions of value. Indian businesses should also look to invest in the prosperity of local communities.
I have always believed that globalization should be a truly reciprocal process, and core to this belief is the assumption that companies benefiting from access to the U.S. market must also create growth and opportunity for the American communities in which they operate.
As business leaders, we have a critical role to play in bringing the U.S. and India closer together. A stronger U.S.–India economic alignment is not optional—it is vital to our shared prosperity and growth. If we capture this moment, our partnership can become one of the most consequential economic relationships of our time. The world should expect anything less.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla is the chairman of the Indian multinational Aditya Birla Group, which operates in 40 countries across six continents. Aditya Birla Group is the largest Indian investor in the U.S., with more than $15 billion invested to date, which has led to over 5,000 new jobs in 15 states.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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