Part A
Aditya Birla Group touches lives in more ways than one can count. It is not just their CSR and humanitarian efforts that affect lives in big ways, but also the small ways that we do not even notice – the pervasiveness of their products and services in our lives. It wasn’t until I started taking notice that I realized how much my own life is surrounded by ABG.
In the morning, the lunch I make for myself is kept fresh and preserved by Freshwrapp, an ABG product. The buildings I pass on my way to college are made by the contributions of ABG owned Ultratech cement and concrete. As someone who loves to shop, Forever 21 and American eagle are my go to brands when I enter the mall. Even those are owned by the ABG group. It is therefore, not surprising that when I had to start shopping for formals, I stepped into Allen Solly. By then, it was no surprise to me, the sheer number of brands that the Aditya Birla Group owns and operates.
ABG makes my life brighter with its wide range of shopping brands, safer with its trusted Ultratech cement varieties, more comfortable with its Linen and textile lines, more connected with its erstwhile Idea network, and most of all, more vibrant and inclusive with its CSR activities in various domains such as education and healthcare that allow me to participate in a more equitable and empathetic world.
Part B
Challenges are a part of growing, and I firmly believe that the difference between a challenge and an opportunity is one of perspective. After graduation from college, I wanted to take a gap year to further explore my interests, as this was a time I felt that I would not get again. My decision was not supported by my family and friends, and as someone who draws a lot of strength from my loved ones, this was a difficult decision. It was daunting at first, because all of a sudden I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with, and the crippling fear of wasting an entire year came creeping in. I however stuck to my goals and decided to take up social work along with pursuing my hobbies. I made a time table for myself, to ensure that I do not fall into a spiral of procrastination. I started violin lessons and read books extensively, and at the same time, also worked with an NGO called Bhumi under three of their programmes to further explore those areas of interest. The gap year gave me a lot of clarity and made me a more confident and conscious individual. It taught me to draw strength not from validation but from within, and that as long as I am determined to fulfil my dreams, I need not justify my decisions to anyone.
