Aditya Birla Group has always been as synonymous with my life as bread is with butter.
Right from the brands encompassed by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) to
the products manufactured by Hindalco Industries Limited, our world would be a lesser
place to reside in! The brand I associate the most with has to be Pantaloons. Hailing from
the City of Joy, the days preceding the grand festivities of Durga Puja would be full of
excitement regarding upgrading our wardrobes as well as sharing the joy with our relatives
with lots of shopping. And what better place other than Pantaloons for our never-ending
shopping spree? Till date whenever I step inside a pantaloons store, a wave of fond
memories overcome my senses and I stop for a minute, reliving all the times I had spent as
a kid exploring the humongous variety of clothing apparel around me. Be it graphic t shirts,
hoodies or a kurti for my mother this was the one stop destination for it all. When I
received interview calls for several business schools including SIBM Pune a few months
back, I needed a fresh set of formal wear and a blazer and I knew that for an occasion as
important as this Pantaloons with its diverse collection from a multitude of brands like Van
Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and Louis Philippe would be my saviour. And now that
I’m finally a student of this amazing institution I couldn’t help but thank Aditya Birla Group
to be one of the factors for my success.
One of the other products that has always remained by my side is Freshwrapp. A roll of
Freshwrapp on the table always meant only one thing- the ever so delicious home cooked
food would remain hot and fresh for lunch in school. The scenario didn’t change during my
graduation days and the sight of my mother’s sandwiches and rolls would make my friends
jump on it! Being miles away from her love and care now, the blue logo of Freshwrapp with
the yellow face beside it is a constant source of nostalgia for me about my mother and the
days when food cooked by her was just a hand away. Or maybe the rolls of Freshwrapp still
carry the magic of her hands wherever I go to make the food taste a little better?
There have been many instances in my life when I had to face increasing odds to succeed at
a certain task. One such incident clearly stands out. Our family organises a yearly charity for
the poor and impoverished in the town of Tarapith in West Bengal. New clothing items are
arranged for donation to the poor as well as arrangements are made to provide free meals
throughout the day. Till two years back we used to organise it with the help of a
neighbouring family but last year the family declined to help at the eleventh hour. This put
us in a fix and in the danger of not being able to organise the charity successfully.
Determined to not lose hope, I went door to door along with my uncle to request people
for donations. We not only found several people willing to help within their capacity but
also ended up collecting greater funds than previous years. This incident taught me two
important lessons. One was to always have alternative plans ready in case of a failure and
never rely on a single person for a task as it limits your options in case of a failure. Second
was that any challenging situation isn't necessarily tough and an obstacle if we can
overcome it and turn it into a positive learning experience.