It would be hard to say that a company that spans over 20 nations and is a US $ 24 billion corporation has not had an impact on millions of lives. Sure, they impact the lives of the people who directly come in contact with the products and services that their various companies provide to their customers, be it in the sense of utility or through an emotional experience, but, where they create an impact that might even go unnoticed by most is through their CSR activities.
Their CSR objective of contributing to social and economic development of the weaker sections of the society and through it, improving the Human Development Index of our country is what has left an impression on my mind the most. With my dream of impacting the lives of those less privileged, I draw inspiration from this corporate giant, that not only focuses on their profits or other self-interests, but also looks out for people who can, in no way benefit the growth of their company with the little that they have.
Aditya Birla Group works in 5000 villages and impacts millions of lives. They run medical camps and hospitals, immunize children and treat patients. They run schools, provide mid-day meals and conduct skill development training. By taking a lead and coming forward to support Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and setting up Aditya Birla Corporate Social Responsibility Centre for Excellence, Aditya Birla Group has set an example for all other big groups on how important CSR should be for a company.
They envision, “To incubate, nurture and accelerate a paradigm of sustainable and inclusive CSR in India and across the globe, thereby raising the Human Development Index through poverty alleviation.”. They provide an enabling environment, generate awareness, create synergy and support capacity building of enterprises, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
To be able to manage the interests of all its stake holders is a big achievement for such a big group. This reflects in their mission, which is to deliver superior value to customers, shareholders, employees and society at large.
Part-B
When we talk about our struggles to achieve our ambition in life, I would bow down, for the universe has been generous in giving me the comforts in life that most in our country are not fortunate enough to see. My only struggle was working day and night for my academics. Even during that I had a roof over my head, food in belly, clothes on my back and a very loving family. My parents, in my upbringing made sure that I was aware of the privileges that I have in life and that I must try to make things better for those who did not.
While I struggled with anxiety during the examination for a very prestigious institute of India, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), I had support from a lot people around me, including my friends and family. That was probably the only reason I could come out of that phase in a very short period of time. Not everyone has a support system like I did even in situations that are way worse than the mere pressure to perform well, that I was facing due to my own expectations from myself.
Mental health, in India has a lot of stigma that surrounds it. This leads to a lot of people not seeking help in the first place and leads to tragic results that could have easily been avoided. If we as a society come together and help each other out in every way possible, struggles of people that might seem big when you’re going through them alone will seem manageable. It’s really the least we can do for each other.
