Birla Pivot: Building the Stainless Steel Category from Zero
Owned the full arc of a new trading category, from learning the product to onboarding suppliers to closing sales
Gaurav Harlalka
Strategy & M&A at Aditya Birla Group Leadership Programs
From their time as
Strategy & M&A
Aditya Birla Group Leadership Programs • 2025
Overview
Gaurav was assigned to Birla Pivot with a mandate to build the stainless steel trading category from scratch. There was no existing playbook, no supplier base, and no sales history in the category.
The Story
Gaurav was assigned to Birla Pivot with a mandate to build the stainless steel trading category from scratch. There was no existing playbook, no supplier base, and no sales history in the category.
He started by learning the product. Stainless steel was new territory, so he spent time understanding the grades, applications, supply chain structure, and pricing dynamics before doing anything else. He then educated the broader team, from the CEO to the business development staff, on what the category was and how it worked.
With that foundation in place, he went out and onboarded 50+ suppliers into the category, negotiating terms and building the supply base. He then moved into active sales, owning the full commercial process from initial negotiation through to fulfillment.
The category reached ₹13Cr per month in sales under his ownership, with a trajectory toward ₹50Cr per month.