2008-09-18 04:55:31 - After the demise of Dr KK Birla, with two world movers and shakers leading the Institute with effect from September 14, 2008, there is no doubt that for BITS Pilani, there are no dreams too large, no innovation unimaginable and no frontiers beyond reach.

An iconic leader, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla who holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional boards is Chairman of the US$ 28 billion Aditya Birla Group which is India's first truly multinational corporation.

Mr Birla has served as the chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India's Committee on Corporate Governance, and as chairman of SEBI's committee on insider trading. He is on the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); the Apex Advisory Council of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, New Delhi and the Advisory Council for the Centre for Corporate Governance.

Winner of sevearl awards for corporate leadership, Mr Birla who is a chartered accountant, earned an MBA from the London

Business School, where he is also an Honorary Fellow. He also holds Honorary Doctorate degrees conferred by various Indian universities.

Born in 1967, the 41 year old Kumar Mangalam Birla is undoubtedly one of the youngest Chancellors of universities in India today.

Well known in the Indian media fraternity for setting new benchmark in the horizon of Indian media, Ms. Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of India's leading print media company HT Media Ltd., is publisher of English daily Hindustan Times and Hindi daily Hindustan both highly respected and circulating newspapers in India.

She has been Rajya Sabha member, the Chairperson of the Press Trust of India (PTI), the Deputy Chairperson of the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), and member of the National Institute of Fashion Design, the National Institute of Design (NID), Indian Newspaper Society and Commonwealth Press Union London.

As one of India's leading and influential lady executives, Ms. Bhartia has won numerous accolades. She is the recipient of India's most respected award - the Padma Shri. She was named the Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 1996. She was awarded the ICDO National Award Development by the International Cultural Organisation in 1989. She was also awarded the Mahila Shiromani Award in 1990 and the Vijaya Shree Award in 1991. She was honoured with the National Press India Award in 1992 and the National Unity Award in 1993

Her media initiatives such as Mint, a business daily launched in collaboration with the Wall Street Journal, FM Channel Fever 104 partnering with Virgin radio and daily tabloid Metro Now as joint venture with Times of India have been making waves all over.

1957 born Smt Shobana Bhartia is an alumnus of Calcutta University and takes credit for putting Hindustan Times right on top of web popularity of Indian Newspapers.

It goes without saying that starting with GD Birla followed by KK Birla, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani which is one among the top ranking universities in India today has always been led by a leader who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.

About BITS Pilani: Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani Rajasthan which has the reputation of pioneering the online examinations for admissions through the path breaking BITSAT and setting a bench mark in industry university collaborations is one among the top ranking universities towering above the rest in various best college surveys in India today. BITS offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates. The alumni of the Institute who are who is who in various professions and Proud to be BITSians peaking with Passion Quotient for Alma mater are spread across the globe from Australia to America.