Syed Babar Ali was born on 15 January 1926,[2][6] to a businessman, Syed Maratib Ali, in Lahore, Pakistan. His father owned shops in the Walled City of Lahore and was a top contractor of the British Indian Army supplying them with services like logistics and all sorts of items used in regiments. The money was used to invest in land.[2][5] His mother belonged to the prominent landlord family of Lahore.[2] On his maternal side, his grandmother was a member of the Afghan royal family.[7] He is the brother of Syed Amjad Ali and Syed Wajid Ali.[2] His family practices Shia Islam.[2]
In the 1970s, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's nationalization affected his five out of six companies, leaving only Packages Limited.[8][5] He served as the First and Founder Chairman of National Fertilizer Corporation of Pakistan (NFC) from 1973 until 1980, helping to set up the country's first ever fertilizer company. He did not draw any salary during his tenure as Chairman NFC. [9]
In October 1970, Mr. Ali co-founded Lahore Stock Exchange and served as Director of first Board of the company.
Ali is the Chairman of Sanofi-Aventis Pakistan Limited, Siemens Pakistan Engineering Company Limited, and Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Limited. He believes in the joint venture philosophy and most of his businesses are joint ventures with major multinationals.[2]
In 1992, he founded 'Ali Institute of Education' for training of primary and secondary school teachers. He served as the Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs & Planning in the caretaker setup in 1993.[10]
