Back in the day, brand recognition for me was mostly associated with advertisements on TV. So whenever I used to hear the name Aditya Birla two names would immediately pop into my mind. Idea cellular and Ultra tech cement; the main reason being, they used to come up with some creative content for their ads which stays in your memory for a long period of time.
My whole perception of Aditya Birla brand changed a few years back when I visited Peter England showroom to buy a shirt. As a typical middle-class Indian, I used to go shopping whenever there is any festival around the corner or when there's a function or get together. So, as shopping activity is not a frequent affair, you make sure that you get some reputed brand of clothes when you do.
I was greeted by a salesman when I entered the Peter England outlet. He showed me new collections and offered suggestions. I involved in some fashion discussions with the guy and later I came to know that he is an MBA student who is currently doing his internship in Aditya Birla group. It was then when I came to know that Peter England was owned by Aditya Birla. My surprise even grew further when I came to know from him that, in addition to Peter England, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Louis Philippe and the retail chain Pantaloons are all owned by the same group.
Later, out of curiosity, this made me do some research about the company and my initial thought was, "Wow, these guys are huge!". The group was founded by Seth Shiv Narayan Birla in 1857. It operates in 35 countries with more than 120,000 employees worldwide. Their business market includes metals, cement (largest in India), viscose filament yarn, branded apparel, carbon black, chemicals, fertilisers, insulators, financial services, telecom, BPO and IT services.
I believe Aditya Birla touches every facet of one's life. Clothing is one of the basic necessity for all individual and the presence of Aditya Birla in the fashion industry is enormous (Peter England, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Louis Philippe). We can't think of a world without smartphones and the super fast networks that power them (Vodafone Idea Cellular). How can we build new infrastructures without cement (Ultra tech)? When it comes to insurance and other financial services you have Aditya Birla Capital Limited. These are just tip of the iceberg and I believe one has to appreciate the goods and services provided by Aditya Birla over the past decades.
Aditya Birla has come a long way since its inception. They have put the Indian business on the world map way before globalisation. They have diversified their business across various industries and their business model is worth studying. Aditya Birla group continues to inspire all the business enthusiasts out there.