Aryaman Vikram Birla Is Brewing A New Legacy

ARYAMAN VIKRAM BIRLA IS ALREADY A MAN OF DETAIL. AT IN GOOD CO, HIS NEWEST venture and a modern Indian café brand built around the idea of coffee, culture and community, little seems to escape his notice. Before we begin, he checks in with staff, surveys the merchandise display and pauses over details most people would walk past. Later, during a quick social media shoot, he asks to see the footage again. “It’s just seven minutes,” he says. “Let’s shoot it once more.”

It’s a useful trait given the scale of his business interests. At 28, he is the founder of Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality, Aditya Birla Group’s fast-growing hospitality platform, and Aditya Birla Ventures, a venture capital arm focused on investing in high-growth start-ups across emerging sectors. He is also chairman of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a franchise that went 18 years without a championship before winning back-to-back titles. “I was away from the sport for quite a while,” says Birla, a former professional cricketer who took an indefinite break from the sport in 2019. “It was a full circle moment for me to be able to come back into the sport in a completely different hat,” he says of his return as team owner.

Over his very specific coffee order—a cold iced brew pour-over—we talk about building a brand for India, cricket and legacy.

Cafes have now become more than just about picking up your favourite  beverage. What will in good co bring to the table?

There are two types of cafes: those that have come from the West into India and home-grown brands. We felt that a lot of café chains that were created in India over the last several years have somewhat, and for good reason, been inspired by international brands. However, as they’ve scaled, they’ve lost distinctiveness and Indian-ness. They have become overtly templatised. We believed we could own a narrative that leans into what India stands for today: which is progressive, positive, entrepreneurial, confident and ambitious.  

You spoke to over 1,000 consumers before launching. What stood out most from those conversations and how involved have you been in shaping the brand’s creative and experiential direction?

For me, the realisation was that while great coffee is essential, it’s really table stakes. What truly sets a brand apart is the food, the people, the service, the environment and the feeling of belongingness that the customers experience. You’re not just selling coffee; you’re creating a lifestyle and a culture that people want to be a part of. We believed there was an opportunity to shape culture through in good co.

I’ve been pretty hands-on in building this brand—from making the decision to invest in the category to identifying the whitespace and defining what in good co should stand for. That meant thinking through everything with my team: the brand philosophy, the service rituals, the menu, the design and how we create value for every stakeholder involved.

One of the biggest opportunities we saw was to build something from India to the world. We don’t believe Indianness and global aspiration are opposing ideas—they can and should coexist. An Americano can sit comfortably alongside a filter coffee. A Badam Halwa Croissant can be just as desirable as a brioche sandwich. The ambition has always been to create a contemporary café brand that's globally relevant while being unapologetically rooted in modern India.

Your career today spans hospitality, business and sport ownership. How has your relationship with cricket evolved since stepping away from playing professionally?

I may have stepped away from playing, but my relationship with the sport hasn’t really changed. The recent acquisition of RCB does feel like a full-circle moment, but when I introspect, my love for cricket never went anywhere. And in many ways, my playing days continue to shape who I am today—as a businessman, as a leader and as a person.

Are there any parts of the athlete mindset that are still with you?

A lot of it, actually. Sport teaches you the obvious, skill and technique, but the more lasting lessons are the quieter ones: discipline, humility in defeat and temperament under pressure. Cricket also gave me something I value just as much, the chance to play alongside people from very different parts of the country and to travel across India. That gave me a more rooted sense of India than I would have ever had growing up in a city like Mumbai. All of it still shapes how I think and how I lead today.

You are in some crucial leadership roles now. Who are some of the business leaders, entrepreneurs or philanthropists that have inspired you?

I wish I had met my grandfather (Aditya Vikram Birla). Unfortunately, I didn’t. He passed away a couple of years before I was born. So, I’ve known him through the stories that I’ve heard of him. But he really is my inspiration in many ways. What he did with the industry, the fact that he had the ambition to go outside India as early as 1969—he was the first Indian entrepreneur to say that he was going to set up overseas operations. And he did that with a lot of conviction and ambition at a time when the economy wasn’t as liberalised.

What’s a piece of advice from your father that has stayed with you?

On my first day at work, he said: whatever you do, make sure that you enjoy your work. And never forget that it’s supposed to be enjoyable. It’s a simple but very powerful line of advice. And to also see everything as a learning opportunity. Even in the most challenging situations, there’s something to learn. If you have that mindset, most things are seen in a positive light.

How do you balance respecting legacy while still wanting to build something that feels entirely your own?

I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. In fact, they are complementary. I’m the seventh generation of the family. The way all six generations before me not only inherited businesses and institutions but built them ahead considering the then context, opportunities and challenges is a testament of the same. What matters is that we are good stewards of both the illustrious institution and the legacy attached to it. My path isn’t any different.

As someone approaching his 30s, how do you condition your mind and body to handle the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a business leader?

In many ways, sport taught me a lot: how to be focused and disciplined. Because there’s no choice. If you want to be at your best, you have to be focused, disciplined about everything. There’s recognition and a lot of responsibility. And one sees it as a huge privilege. I don’t go out of my way to condition my mind any differently than just being in the best mental and physical shape.

You’ve spoken about mental health in the past. How do you approach this topic now, given that you are under constant spotlight and the notion that leaders are not expected to be vulnerable?

I actually disagree with that. There is a notion, but it’s changed considerably over the last many years. People are more open to talk about how they feel and the pressures of their job, their life and balancing life and work. People who are younger, in their early 20s, are more receptive to talk about their emotions and how they feel. However, we’re a long way from where we should be.

How do you handle stress?

Sometimes, you have to first internalise the stress—sit with it, understand it and accept it. Only then can you externalise it in a positive way. Keep your eyes on your purpose and remind yourself that you are on a journey to create something valuable. The opportunity to create value and enrich the lives of all your stakeholders is what tides you over.

What does good taste mean to you today, beyond fashion or aesthetics?

Being yourself and authentic. Knowing that less is more.

What’s something you value far more now than you did five years ago?

My physical health. And the fact that your physical health is very important for your mental health and just general well-being.

What does good company look like to you?

I don’t mean this selfishly at all but good company is about sometimes prioritising your own well-being. You have to be comfortable with yourself.

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