Aditya Birla group has touched millions of lives over the years. I am no exception. I have
been a performing artist in the past and I realize that many a times, "are you going to
wear that?" takes precedence over "are you going to perform that?” It was imperative
for me to make myself presentable before being on the stage. Conditions applied: I had
to do it without picking a hole in my pocket. Pantaloons came to the rescue. I had a
range of clothes to choose from, tailor-made for my needs.
I vividly remember the iconic Idea ringtone. Idea was the first ever SIM card I owned. I
might have changed SIM cards ever since, but the name IDEA takes me back in time to
when I leaped into the air with joy while texting or having a telephonic conversation.
I had to get myself insured before availing the education loan I needed for my BSchool
admission. Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance took care of it.
The company has been an integral part of my life since forever. It has taken care of a lot
of my necessities. It has also brought about a change in my thought process. Through
its initiatives, such as the Aditya Bal Vidya Mandirs, Aditya Birla Rural Technology
Parks and Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, all of which aim at giving back to the society
in one form or the other, it has taught me the value of inclusiveness. I can say this with
conviction that with its customer centric and innovative approach, Aditya Birla Group will
keep impacting the lives of generations to come.
Hang in there a bit: How I overcame challenges to pursue my dream
I stand in the middle of the stage, picking my guitar as thousands of people groove to
the tune, singing in unison. I feel the tremor as the rhythmic thud of the drums blend
with the sound of tapping feet. As I prepare to sing on the top of my voice, my alarm
rings. My slumber gets broken. It was the same dream, again.
Final year of the graduation was a roller coaster of emotions. "What next??" A handful of
us had prepared answers for it. An organized job, further studies and whatnot. I too had
an answer, though not one among the usual ones. I wanted a break to pursue music. It
was only after I signed up for it, I realized it wasn't going to be a piece of cake. My
journey as a performing artist was frightening, to begin with. I had faith in my craft, but I
didn't know where to start from. I was aimlessly reaching out to organizers and
established artists, looking for my silver lining. The stereotype added insult to the injury.
Since I was doing something unconventional, I was labelled "unorganized",
"incompetent'' and was looked down upon. The challenge for me was to either give up
and do things that I was expected to do, or give it some time and keep doing things that
I wanted to do. I talked to my family and was advised to "hang in there a bit". I therefore
decided that I'm going to attend each and every open mic or any other stage event to
make my presence felt. I understood that all it takes is persistence and all you’ve got to
be is a little thick skinned. I worked extensively hard over the next few months and
ended up doing my first gig in a small music cafe. It was my stepping stone. Over the
next couple of months, I ended up getting a good number of shows. I could make a
living out of music. I understood that "hang in there a bit" is an important idea to hold on
to.
#XIMB #ABGWOOME #ABGLP
