Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Anil Agarwal Recalls Vedanta’s Humble First Mumbai Office
Anil Agarwal moved from Bihar to Mumbai when he was 19.
He did not have much money, but he wanted to build something important.
His first office was a very small room in Kalbadevi.
It measured only 8 feet by 9 feet.
Three people worked there and shared one telephone.
Agarwal also lived in a room with seven other people.
He made business deals and learned from both successes and failures.
He says the small office taught him to dream big and work hard.
Anil Agarwal said he arrived in Mumbai from Bihar at age 19 with little money and strong ambition.
His first office was an 8-by-9-foot room on the fourth floor of an old building in Kalbadevi.
Only three people worked there, and they shared a telephone whose calls were signaled by two rings.
Agarwal said he shared a room with seven others near the Cotton Exchange for ₹21 per month.
He credited the office with teaching him practical business lessons and shaping his belief in dreaming big and working hard.
- Who
- Anil Agarwal, founder of the Vedanta Group, recalled his early business years.
- What
- He described his first Mumbai office, modest living conditions, and the lessons he learned there.
- When
- Agarwal said he arrived in Mumbai at age 19; his recollection was posted on August 19, 2026.
- Where
- His first office was in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, and he lived near the Cotton Exchange.
- Why
- He shared the story to explain how his early experiences shaped his entrepreneurial journey and belief in hard work.
- First office
- An 8 ft x 9 ft room on the fourth floor of an old building in Kalbadevi, Mumbai
- Office staff
- Three people worked in the office
- Telephone
- The office used a shared telephone; calls were signaled by two rings before disconnecting
- Living arrangement
- Agarwal shared a room with seven other people near the Cotton Exchange
- Monthly rent
- ₹21
- Business activities
- He said he closed deals with cable companies and met traders there
- Core lesson
- Agarwal concluded that the office taught him to dream big and work hard