Part A:
Aditya Birla Group is a 2.45 trillion Indian conglomerate and operates in 42 nations. It is one of the giant multinationals in the country. In the year 1857, Shiv Narayan Birla established the foundation of the group; it started as a cotton trading firm. In the coming years, the group set up industries in critical sectors such as textiles and fibre, aluminium, cement, and chemicals. Aditya Birla Group was an active participant in India’s freedom struggle.
Aditya Birla Group is the world's largest rolled-aluminium producer, the largest producer of carbon black worldwide, and owns the country's biggest cement company, UltraTech. The group boasts prominent brands in the field of finance like the Aditya Birla Finance Limited, Aditya Birla Sunlife Insurance. In the textile sector; Aditya Birla Group is the world's largest producer of viscose staple fibre, owns popular brands like Peter England, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, and multi-brand fashion retail chain Pantaloons. The group also owns IDEA Cellular, one of the giant telecom operators in the country.
It is almost impossible for someone living in India not to have used any product or service by the Aditya Birla Group. My first encounter with Aditya Birla Group was when my father bought a new IDEA sim card about 16 years ago. He is a businessman who is continuously travelling from one part of the country to others. Better connectivity with him, during his long business tours, is something I am always thankful to Aditya Birla Group. Shopping trips with my mother to Pantaloons is one of our favourite relaxation activity. The first suit I purchased for my b-school interviews was from Van Heusen. Peter England is my father’s go-to brand for at least ten years now. Aditya Birla is a brand that resonates a feeling of home and trust; it is a significant part of our life.
Part B:
Maybe some challenges take a little extra time to overcome than others. One such challenge I am continually fighting is to overcome my fear to face failure.
I have always been somebody who does not take part in activities where there is a possibility of failure. I always take the road that is tried and tested by many. I love to live in my comfort zone and conform my action with those of society. Taking up something new, especially those projects that I know I would be horrible at, is not what I do. I participated only in those events, where my friends were joining.
During my under graduation, I realised that I could not continue to live in my old ways. I have to break this shell. But what can one do when the shell is at least twelve years old and rock-hard? Breaking old habits is difficult, but facing old fears is even more onerous. Every new pursuit I tried; I ended up leaving midway, or possibly even earlier due to that same old fear. In the final semester of college, half of my class was preparing for or were finished with the competitive exams, some were searching for a job, and the rest had figured their plans for at least the following year. I was not sure of what to pursue in life. I was interested in business and finance, but what to do with this interest?
After my final exams, I decided to prepare for the CAT exam. It was my first step towards cracking the shell. After the results, arrived the most challenging part, the personal interviews. Somehow, with the guidance of people around me, I was ready to appear for them. After receiving acceptance offers along with few rejections, I realised that perhaps, it is not that scary to fail. It is always possible to get up, dust-the-pants, and try anew. It was the second step towards breaking that imaginary shell.
I still have no clue how many more steps I have to take to break free from this fear entirely, or if this is even possible? However, one thing I know for sure is that failure is not that bad.
P.S., this is the first time I've written an internet blog post.
