The group, also including The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone (BXPE), has taken control of both the men’s and women’s RCB teams. The deal makes RCB the most expensive franchise in IPL history, overtaking the Rajasthan Royals.
Aryaman Vikram Birla will serve as chairman. A former IPL cricketer, he now steps into a leadership role within the franchise.
Entrepreneur and global artist Ananya Birla has become a major talking point online, with speculation growing about whether she could be the face of the cricket team.
Who is Aryaman Birla?
Born on July 9, 1997, in Mumbai, Aryaman is the son of Kumar Mangalam Birla, the 10th richest man in India.
He completed a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mumbai before going on to earn a Master’s in Global Finance from Bayes Business School. He later completed an MBA (Honours) from Harvard Business School.
He chose cricket early, training in Madhya Pradesh and representing the state in domestic tournaments, where he topped the run charts in the CK Nayudu U-23 competition.
He made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2017 and gained attention in 2018 with an unbeaten century against Bengal. That same year, Rajasthan Royals signed him for ₹30 lakh.
As a right-handed all-rounder, Aryaman Birla spent two seasons (2018–19) with Rajasthan Royals but struggled for game time due to injuries and stiff competition. He stepped away from cricket in 2019 at 22.
After leaving the sport, Aryaman moved into business, launching ventures in hospitality and startups within the Aditya Birla Group and joining key company boards.
Who is Ananya Birla?
Born in 1994 in Mumbai to Kumar Mangalam Birla, Ananya studied at the American School of Bombay and later at the University of Oxford.
She began her entrepreneurial journey at 17 by founding Svatantra Microfin, aimed at providing small loans to rural women, and went on to build ventures in digital and consumer spaces.
Alongside her businesses, she serves on boards within the Aditya Birla Group. She is a global pop singer with millions of streams and is active in mental health advocacy through her initiative, Mpower.
Her pop tracks include Hold On, Better, Unstoppable, Let There Be Love and Teri Meri Kahani. In 2021, she released Hindustani Way, a patriotic pop song, composed and produced by A R Rahman. It was the official cheer song for India at the Tokyo Olympics.