Kesoram Industries Mourns the Loss of Chairperson Manjushree Khaitan at 68

The B K Birla Group disclosed the sad news of Manjushree Khaitan's passing on Thursday. At the age of 68, the chairperson of Kesoram Industries Limited died at her residence in Kolkata after a short illness. Her departure marks the end of an era of distinguished leadership and charitable efforts, as acknowledged by group officials.

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Khaitan, who had been a part of the Kesoram Board since October 1998, took over as chairperson in July 2019, succeeding her father, the renowned industrialist B K Birla. Her dedication wasn't confined to corporate governance; she was profoundly involved in educational initiatives. For over four decades, Khaitan was associated with the Ashok Hall Group of schools, demonstrating her commitment to education, especially for girl children from less privileged backgrounds.

The loss of Khaitan is described as an irreplaceable void for Kesoram and its subsidiaries, which had shown promising developments recently. Her philanthropic endeavors extended to supporting individuals at the margins of society and fostering the arts through her engagement with the Birla Academy of Fine Arts.

With no direct heirs to inherit her assets, the future distribution remains uncertain. This development comes as Kesoram Industries plans to divest its cement business to UltraTech Cement in an all-stock transaction, led by Kumar Mangalam Birla, B K Birla's grandson. Cement production represents a significant portion of Kesoram's revenue, accounting for 94%. The control over educational institutions previously under Khaitan’s stewardship is yet to be determined.