High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Birla family is one of the foremost business houses in India. The fore-father of the Birla family is Shiv Narain Birla, a member of the Marwari community from Pilani, in the westerly state of Rajasthan. He moved to Bombay around 1857 to establish a trading house. His son, Baldeodas Birla moved to Calcutta in 1961 to set up his own business. Since then, the Birla family has grown into one of the wealthiest families in India and even today, the Birla name is considered synonymous with wealth and power in India. The family businesses vary from commodities and textile to automobiles, Information Technology and telecom. Their businesses have expanded and stroked across the entire world from Australia to Americas. The Birlas are known for their work and support of the nation during the freedom struggle, and the family were close friends of Mahatma Gandhi.