Ganga Prasad Birla

Ganga Prasad Birla (2 August 1922 – 5 March 2010), born in Benares was an Indian industrialist. He was the grandson of Baldeo Das Birla, the son of Brij Mohan Birla and the father of CK Birla. In 1940 becomes the first graduate in the Birla family. He joined the board of Orient Paper & Industries in 1942 and later became its chairman in 1957. He began his innings in group flagship, Hindustan Motors in 1969 and became its chairman in 1982. He also founded Hyderabad Industries Limited and many academic institutions such as Birla Institute of Technology, Birla Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute, Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata, and hospitals such as BM Birla Heart Research Institute and Calcutta Medical Research Institute. He built temples in Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bhopal, and supported the renovation of places of historical, architectural and religious importance. He gradually pulled out of active business life after his second heart attack in 1981. He still came to office so long as he could, but responsibilities had long been farmed out to son CK Birla.

In 2006 he has been awarded with Padma Bhushan for his contributions to the society and the field of education.