Ashok Malu, born on 20th December, 1957 at Jaipur, is a Commerce and Law Graduate from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi (FCS 2498). He did his schooling from St. Xavier’s High School, Jaipur. He is also a Life Member of the Institute of Directors, New Delhi.

During his distinguished career of around 3 decades in the Aditya Birla Group (since March, 1988), he has held various positions as under:

Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. (Formerly Indian Rayon and Industries Ltd.) – as Vice President & Company Secretary from Sept. 1991 to Feb. 2001
Grasim Industries Ltd. – as President & Company Secretary from Feb. 2001 to Feb. 2015
Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. (ABNL) – as President & Company Secretary from March 2015 till June 2017 (ABNL has since merged with Grasim effective 1st July, 2017)
Grasim Industries Ltd. – as President and was on deputation to Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (Financial arm of Aditya Birla Group / subsidiary of Grasim) as an Advisor since July, 2017 to Dec. 2017 to oversee the Secretarial Functions

Prior to joining the Aditya Birla Group in March, 1988, he has also worked with the Bangur Group at Kolkatta (1980 to 1983) and the Binani Group (1983 to 1988) Kota to oversee the Secretarial Functions of certain companies forming part of these two Groups.

Mr. Malu, being the Company Secretary of the above ABG Group of Companies, has been responsible for the overall Secretarial Functions and for providing the best Investor Services to the Shareholders of the above ABG Group Companies (servicing around 2.5 to 3 lac shareholders). He has actively participated in the activities pertaining to the GDRs Issue, Rights Issue, Buy Back Offer, and Bonus Issue as well as in the Restructuring, Mergers and Demergers, Hive-offs and Acquisitions initiatives in ABNL, Samruddhi Cement Ltd. and Grasim (all being the ABG Group Companies) since 1991 onwards and he has been widely acknowledged for his secretarial & legal acumen and skills. He had also actively participated in the acquisition of the Cement business of Larsen & Toubro Ltd. by Grasim in the year 2004.

In recognition of his contribution for maintaining the highest standards of Corporate Governance measures & initiatives and as the custodian of the Secretarial Functions in Grasim, he was honored with the Chairman’s Exceptional Contributor Award in 2005.

In 2015 – 2016, he participated in the implementation of the Composite Scheme of Arrangement for the consolidation of the Group’s fashion & apparel business resulting in the creation of India’s largest listed branded apparel company.

In 2016 – 2017, he has actively participated in the restructuring exercise for Merger of Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. into Grasim Industries Ltd. (made effective from 1st July, 2017) which has resulted in the creation of one of the India’s largest & well-diversified companies and the Demerger of the Financial Services business of Grasim into Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (ABCL) (formerly known as Aditya Birla Financial Services Ltd.) and ABCL’s listing on BSE & NSE w.e.f. 1st September, 2017. The said exercise was undertaken through a Composite Scheme of Arrangement as approved by the Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal, Bench at Ahmedabad and the other concerned Regulators.