No Airs Apparent

Aryaman Birla's grassroots experiences as a professional cricketer shaped his thought processes and have made him the inclusive, democratic super boss he is today

- Jamal Shaikh

Two things strike you as you watch Aryaman Vikram Birla go through the paces of his first magazine cover shoot. One: he is oblivious of the eyes on him, possibly because of his time as a state level cricketer. And two: he has the affability (and smile) of a film star!

The 24-year-old son of Neerja and Kumar Mangalam Birla smiles whenever he spots someone new. We are at Jolie's, Mumbai's hip new members-only club, and Aryaman seems to know most staffers by name.

Has he always been this easygoing? And does he realise that many people look at him as their super boss-to-be? “I'm certainly very inclusive at work. Each person I work with is important to what we do and to me.

I'm also very democratic, so I like to get everyone's opinion, then take an informed decision. I find that sometimes, it's important to go out of your way and make people feel comfortable," says Aryaman, "otherwise, they may have apprehensions and not open up easily."

BOWLED OVER

This is one of Aryaman's first major interviews, yet he's relaxed, respectful, restrained when taking tough questions, and disarmingly honest as only a zillennial can be. (Aryaman was born in July 1997, at the cusp of two generations: millennial and Gen Z.)

"Growing up, it was never about only school and study. It was also learn to sing, to dance, play a sport. I learned singing, I took art classes for the longest time and obviously, there came cricket. I loved the game: watching it, playing in the building with friends, in the corridor of the house, which I still do by the way..."