Anil Agarwal shares his family's role in listing Vedanta on London Stock Exchange

Anil Agarwal said that his wife thought he was crazy when he told her that they were moving to London overnight. (Image credit: @AnilAgarwal_Ved/Twitter)

Anil Agarwal, founder and CEO of Vedanta Resources has never shied away from sharing stories of his initial struggle as an entrepreneur, and on Tuesday, he revealed how he managed to become the first Indian to get his company listed on London stock exchange in 2003.

"After starting my metal business, I wanted my company to trade at fair value but family businesses were ruling the Indian market so my company's valuation was low," Agarwal wrote on Twitter. "Global companies were  getting listed on the LSE and I wanted to be one of them. In fact, I dreamt of being the biggest, so decided to move to London."

The entrepreneur added that his wife thought he was crazy when he told her that they were moving to London overnight. "She went to our daughter Priya's school and asked them for a six-month leave because she was sure we would be back by then. She still arranged everything without a doubt--always my biggest support system," the 68-year-old said.

Among the belongings the family packed included parathas made by Agarwal's mother and his father's shawl as a symbol of their blessings.

Most of you know me as the first Indian to get his company listed on the London stock exchange in 2003 and here’s how it began…

Read below for the full story pic.twitter.com/duH0w7V1oo

Related stories

• 
  Vedanta Consolidated September 2025 Net Sales at Rs 39,868.00 crore, up 5.94% Y-o-Y
• 
  SEBI puts Vedanta Group's Sterlite Electric public listing on hold
• 
  Trade Spotlight: How should you trade Bharat Forge, Bank of Maharashtra, Shriram Finance, Vedanta, T...

— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) July 12, 2022

According to the entrepreneur, when the family landed at Heathrow Airport, it felt like a different world and Anil Agarwal was reminded of all the times people reminded him of his limitations. "At that moment, I wrapped my Babuji's shawl around me and felt calm, as if his aura was protecting me," he said.

Read more: Vedanta's Anil Agarwal has this advice for students: 'Be fearless, humble and flexible'

Emphasising on how his parents' blessings played a role in his international entrepreneurial journey, Agarwal wrote, "My Babuji always taught me to focus on the journey, and not the ending. 'As long as you are enjoying the ride you are on, you will find your way,' he would tell me."

"I did not have much when I arrived in London, but I had one thing--the belief and blessings of my parents." With that encouragement, Agarwal knew that if he could make a name for himself in Mumbai, he could do it again in London.

Read more: Watch: Vedanta's Anil Agarwal sings bhajan with mother