If you are asked to give an example of a most diversified and successful multinational conglomerate company of the world. The first name that will come to your mind is “Aditya Birla Group”.
Birla Empire started way back in 1857 by a cotton trader Shiv Narayan Birla. In its 162 years of business, the empire has transformed from being just a cotton business to a multinational conglomerate operating in 34 countries across 5 continents. The Group employs more than 1,20,000 people belonging to 42 different nationalities. This number is more than that of Apple, Johnson n Johnson or Airbus employs. From becoming India’s first MNC in 1970s and making its presence across different sectors from 1995, the Group now has its successful presence in 16 sectors ranging from Banking to Apparel to metals to cement in just 24 years. You name it and most probably the Aditya Birla Group has its presence there. Truly, stands to the description of a diversified group.
At present, the Aditya Birla Group is so deeply rooted in the market and across every sector that almost everyone in this world would have experienced at least one of their products directly or indirectly. For Example – If you are using any aluminium based product, then most likely the aluminium in it is produced by either Hindalco or Novelis, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group. Any infrastructure around you be it a house, road or anything, the most commonly used raw material in India is cement mainly Ultratech cement, again from Aditya Birla Group. Food in every lunch box is covered in an aluminium foil which is produced by Hindalco, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group. One out of every three citizens that has a telecom subscription is using Vodaphone-Idea, an entity jointly owned by Aditya Birla Group. Almost everyone has shopped in Pantaloons or Planet Fashion or own an item from brands like Louis Phillipe, Allen Solly, Peter England, and Van Heusen, all of which is owned by Aditya Birla Group. Almost everyone owns a vehicle and the material used in tyres (Carbon Black) is supplied by Aditya Birla Group for most times (No.1 producer of Carbon Black). Insulators in electric transmission or powerhouses are mostly supplied by Aditya Birla Group in India. Around 6 million farmers are getting benefited by UREA produced by ABG. Apart from this, there are numerous other sectors where Aditya Birla Group caters the needs of the public.
I have been using Aditya Birla Group products directly or indirectly from my childhood. Living my childhood in the house made from Ultratech cement to using an aluminium foil (Freshwrapp) for wrapping food to using a 2-wheeler as a daily commute to using an Idea network for years to buying clothes from Pantaloons.
Not only the physical presence but also the ideology of the group resonates with the ideology that I live with which is “Making a Difference”. The Aditya Birla Group provides free medical checks, free treatment to patients, free education, mid-day meals, medical camps skill training, scholarships and countless more initiatives to people in need. With the blessing of 7.5 million people annually, the light of ABG has and will never fade away but will only become stronger after each passing day.
Therefore, the presence of the Aditya Birla Group in my life is massive.
Challenges I overcame in my life to achieve my ambition.
“Failure is not fatal, failure is inevitable. If you don’t fail, perhaps means you aren’t taking enough risks.”
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla
Perhaps challenges and failures in life are like that of heat (thousands of degrees) and pressure (130,000 atmospheres) at most essential in making a diamond. Life is a challenge and we start facing them right from birth. When a baby tries to walk. It is a challenge for them at first, they stand, they fall, they cry and then they again stand, fall again until they stop falling and start walking. If you are too comfortable in life, then maybe you need a change because until you leave this comfort zone and find a challenge for you, you will not grow. In this unexplored territory for uncomfortable challenges, success never comes in a fluke. It demands sacrifice. For some that sacrifice may be multiple sleepless nights, for others, it may be to go against their loved one’s suggestions. Such Challenges always bring failures way before you taste success. Some admit defeat at the very first failures, others they recognize their failures and then they correct their mistake and move ahead, and they keep doing so until they taste success. These are the very same people we know, we read about, we admire, and we thrive to become.
Businesses also follow the same trial what a person faces and ABG is not an exception. To become a multinational conglomerate operating in 34 countries across 5 continents employing 1,20,000 people from a cotton business must have been quite a ride filled with hundreds of challenges, thousands of failures and success. At the core of all this are the employees filled with passion and commitment to be successful along with the right guidance and motivation by the top management. The connection of employees with management plays a very crucial role in a business that thrives to become successful worldwide.
In my life, there have been numerous challenges that have shaped me to be what I am now. But the most memorable challenge happened way back in my 10th standard. Till my 10th standard, I was not a running person. I also had an average stamina. I would start gasping just after running a few hundred meters. Seeing running competition, I was fascinated about what it would be like to run like them. I tried to put myself in their shoes, but I never did anything about this because I never wanted to be a professional athlete. But things changed in class 10th. We used to have an Athletics’ meet in our school (St. Paul’s School, Gwalior) and there was 1500m race. The selection process was in 2 months and I thought to fulfill my desire of taking part in athletics and being a runner. So, I started my preparation. I would go with my father for morning jogging and I would mark a place till where I can jog. In school also, I would do the same thing. The day after, my aim will be to cross my previous mark even if I am gasping and set a new mark. Sometimes I did and sometimes I failed but I kept going day after day. The difficult part was to overcome the pain that comes after your first day of jog which remains for another few days. But, I had an objective to complete and I was adamant to achieve it no matter what. So, I kept going for 2 months until my selection process. In my selection round, I lost to my last 2 times college winner (Forgot his name). I came second. I was sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I could not make through. Happy because I overcame my weakness and was stronger than before. A week before the contest, our participant got chicken pox and the team asked me to be his replacement in the coming Athletics’ meet. I was to compete with a person who won past 3 consecutive times. As a newbie, my team had a little faith in me. For me, the challenge to make them wrong came with the added pressure. The Competition was tough but not impossible. To have my final strategy, I asked my father and my father gave me unorthodox advice. He asked me to initially run and make at least half a lap gap between me and the second person. When I asked why he said that everyone will run initially at a slow pace, so you are being half a lap ahead or more will give you a phycological advantage and to others phycological disadvantage in the final lap.
The race was 1500m having 7 and a half laps, each lap of 200m. I followed my dad’s advice and at the start of a 1500m race, I ran a little fast and as my father predicted, I was three-fourths of the lap ahead of the reigning champion. Seeing me run like this, everyone there thought that I will pass-out because I was a new contestant, and no one there knew how much I wanted to win. I kept going and contestants and audiences kept thinking that I will pass out eventually. By the time contestants realized that they are wrong, it was too late for them. I was running on an empty tank. I was fatigued. Things were becoming blurry in front of me. But, I kept on running because I had to win, no matter what. In my last lap, I was half a lap ahead of the reigning champion and he increased his pace. I tried but my increase in speed was minuscule to his. I just kept running seeing my winning post coming near to me after each step that I took. When the reigning champion, was just 10-15 steps behind me, I crossed the winning mark.
I won the 1500m race. I was the new champion. I don’t know but somehow my depleted energy tank was restored automatically. All my team members rushed towards me and lifted me in air. The reigning champion congratulated me and told me he would have defeated me if he was not overconfident and was aware of my strategy. I immediately called my father and informed him and thanked him. I won a Gold medal.
Lessons that I learned:
This complete incident gave me the insight that I have used again and again in my life. If you want something, start working to achieve it. All your weakness that will come along the way will fade away in the process. Most of the people are competing in a one direction lane. Think out of the box and plan well and don’t be afraid to execute it. There is no substitute for hard work. Work hard and never lose hope till the race is on. You will win.
#IMINewDelhi #ABGLPWooMe