ABG: A Beacon of Hope - Pankhuri Agrawal, IIM Visakhapatnam

Hailing from a family of doctors, I have been a big fan of Aditya Birla’s CSR activities in the Healthcare sector and have always been appreciative of the efforts they are making to change the world.

Over 5,000 physically challenged people have been provided with artificial limbs making them self-reliant. ABG has helped in immunizing around 70 million children against polio over the last seven years. One hundred thousand women and children are being served under Mother and Child Healthcare projects. The basic need of every human is water, which can be a cause of numerous diseases too. ABG has installed 50 RO Plants which provide clean drinking water to villagers and help them stay safe and healthy. In their endeavors towards open defecation-free villages, they have helped set up over 22,000 toilets, partly leveraging Government schemes for the social sector. In 50 villages, spanning over 2,000 households in Jammu & Kashmir, they have provided 2,010 toilets.

“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

I remember the day I joined IIM Visakhapatnam, donning Alley Solly’s shirt, and Van Heusen’s blazer, trousers, and footwear. I felt prepared for the journey that was ahead of me. With so many emotions rushing down my veins, ABG helped me feel comforted and confident in my own skin. Through all the stages of my life, from school to college to corporate, and then back to college, I have always trusted ABG for all my apparel needs.

Imagine. Believe. Achieve.

“Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

The consulting domain is something that I have always found myself interested in, but I got placed in an IT company as a software developer through the placement process of my college at a minimal annual package. I was determined to go into the consulting domain no matter what, but I could not refuse this opportunity to search for a consulting company. So, I decided to join the company, but I was focused on broadening my horizons and learning everything I could, about the project I was assigned to, within two months. I knew the whole project and everything about the clients within a short span of two months. I, then, started searching for consulting profiles in big MNCs. When I was finally able to find a job I liked, I had to go through 8 grilling rounds of interview to get the job opportunity.

In the end, it was all worth it. I was able to increase my annual package to thrice the amount by securing a job in a reputed firm’s consulting domain within one month. After that, I decided to enhance my skills and go for an MBA program. With multiple projects belonging to various clients who were residing in different time-zones, it was challenging to prepare for CAT. However, with a pinch of hard-word and resilience, I was able to secure a seat in the fastest growing IIM of the country, i.e., IIM Visakhapatnam which is famous for its exceptional facilities and unmatchable growth rate. I began my journey here donning ABG’s apparels and have never looked back again. Being ambitious is good, but to achieve something in life, one needs- hard-word, resilience, dedication, and belief in himself!

Here is to the never-ending support and importance of ABG, not just in my life but in thousand others.