“Roti, Kapda aur Makaan” one of the many classics of Manoj Kumar is the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind when being asked a question about bare minimum needs for leading a civilized life, depicting the importance of good food, shelter and clothes; and when asked about a single entity that encompasses these necessities, the first thing that comes to mind is the US $44.3 billion conglomerate Aditya Birla Group. ABG has made an impact in each of the areas mentioned above in different phases of my life and in fact, now when I sit back and think, I have started to realize how ABG has touched millions of other lives in one way or the other. They say, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, and there is no disagreement with it. Never having had to leave home for my education, it was my habit like that of most of the teenagers, that I liked the food served hot right after it was cooked. Since my childhood, I grew up with the same understanding that this practice augmented the taste of the food. When I left home for my first job in 2015, the biggest task was to develop a new habit of eating food which was cooked and packed in the morning. Then I came to know about Freshwrapp, it had a subtle appeal to it. All I knew was that it was an aluminum foil roll with hassle-free packaging to keep your food fresh; precisely “So Convenient, So Economical”. Every time I opened my lunch at my workplace a feeling of freshness filled my senses, needless to say, the food felt as if served hot and fresh. It has been 4 years since then and I cannot thank Hindalco Industries Limited more.
"Good grooming is integral and impeccable style is a must. If you don’t look the part, no one will want to give you time or money – Daymond John”. Perhaps no other set of words in a more precise manner could emphasize more on the importance of grooming and style in the corporate world. With the widest possible range available from Louis Philippe business formals for your client meetings for creating a lasting first impression to the Allen Solly smart casuals for those relaxed weekends, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) has always offered me a plethora of apparel alternatives to choose from. Those chiseled and dapper looks give you unflinching confidence in the meeting room and ABFRL brand stores have been my go-to places when it comes to apparel.
My father has a construction business and since my childhood, I have seen numerous applications of cement in forging engineering marvels. As a child, I used to stand and watch in awe, the construction of a multistory, roads, and bridges right from the inaugural stone whenever I used to visit a site with him. He always used to tell me the utmost importance of the right mix of cement in the building material which provided the everlasting strength and how he has always preferred UltraTech Cement Limited for the same. It was a perfect example and good initial learning for me on how a perfect blend with correct characteristics can do wonders in personal as well as professional lives. Hence, ABG has made a lasting impression on my life and the continued association is set to give many more such memories.
“There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet – William Frederick Halsey, Jr.”
This is probably one of the best lessons which helps you to realize your inner potential and make you do extraordinary efforts to overcome every challenge that you face in your pursuit of success. Before I joined Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, I was no different than an ordinary fresher when I started my professional career back in 2015 with an ambition to achieve something big and climb the ladder of success in the corporate world. In the eleventh month of my tenure with my organization, life presented to me the opportunity to perform, the break I was looking for.
In the backdrop of the attrition that was going on, a lot of people had left the organization and it was then that I was entrusted by the Head of the Department to manage the onsite activities of my department at a manufacturing location, single-handedly in place of the three employees who had left. Since I was still a novice and was unfamiliar with many things, he left the final decision with me. For me, there was not even the slightest possibility of letting it go, but just the process of making up my mind for the uphill task that was coming. I finally decided to have a go at it. What did it mean? It meant 13-14 hours of daily hard work, attending meetings, providing approvals being the only onsite signatory and other day to day activities. Every new day was full of challenges, I toiled away for 8 long months until further recruitments and it would be a lie if I were to say that I did it with ease. I was on the verge of breaking down many times, every personality trait and quality of mine that I had acquired and was proud of, be it will power or hard work or my multi-tasking abilities, was put to test. It was my grit and self-belief that kept me going. Then came the joy of appreciation, at the end of that stint, I was awarded by the site head for outstanding performance and subsequently promoted.
During my formative years, my father used to say that no task is bigger than an individual’s will power and I proudly say that to date I live by the same words and this has helped me overcome all the challenges which I have faced in my journey thus far.