Aditya Birla Group is an Indian conglomerate having interests in a wide range of sectors like telecom, BPO, IT industry, cement industry, textile industry and much more spread across 35 countries. Having a presence so diverse enables ABG to impact the lives of people across different dimensions. But according to me, what has impacted my life the most was the fashion and retail arm of ABG. There was a time when people used to go from shop to shop to find clothes that are fashionable, comfortable, within budget and trendy. ABG brought a variety of brands under one roof and called it Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL). Pantaloons is still the most synonymous word for a full-fledged family shopping spree typically for marriage or function. I remember how in my cousin’s marriage, my family members and I trusted blindly on Pantaloons for all our needs and were not disappointed. One can still find many Pantaloons bags (eco-friendly) lying around my house. The luxury and trust associated with brands like Van Heusen, Allen Solly, and Peter England makes many still believe that they are foreign brands and are taken aback when they hear that they belong to our very own ABG. I get all my casuals, formals, semi-formals from an Aditya Birla Group brand. Throughout my life, I have been amused by the grandeur of the Aditya Birla Group. One can never forget those school jokes like- “You are so rich, are you a Birla?”. Such was the impact ABG had on us back then and still never ceases to amuse us. Man’s basic desire is clothing and I am blessed to have it covered by Aditya Birla Group. The one thing that further amuses me about ABG is its work related to Corporate Social Responsibility. I was involved with an NGO which was doing work for the education of slum children and their well being. The work that ABG did for the education of girls and by building a sustainable livelihood for communities around its factories was commendable and touched the heart of every trusted customer including me. It even encouraged me to work harder for the society, to give back what we owe to it. ABG has had an impact that has shaped me as an individual and nothing can beat that.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Coming from a middle-class defense background family with a single parent made me mature way before time. The responsibilities I had at an early age were far from many kids my age could imagine. I had one aim and that was to study and build a good future for myself as well as my family. My communication skills were not good and due to that, I used to suffer. I took it as a challenge and did everything under the sun to improve it from taking part in debate competitions, extempore, joining different language clubs to watching English movies. My hard work bore fruit when I cleared SSB (Services Selection Board) interview and joined Indian Naval Academy to become an officer in the Indian Navy. But the struggle wasn’t over for me. Somehow things got for the worse and I had to leave the academy. So close, yet so far. So here I was again, thinking about what to do next. Confusion got the better of me. I did my graduation and never stopped dreaming of achieving what I was capable of. I always had an inclination towards a management role in an organization be it a government one or a private institution. I had many challenges before me. I had fallen prey to procrastination during my graduation and also started to lose grip over my studies. I decided to rise above all my apprehensions and achieve what I was born to do. I inculcated positive changes in my lifestyle. I started to prepare a to-do list to manage time more efficiently. Then, I started to indulge more in physical activities to condition my body to push its limits. I improved my general knowledge by reading newspaper daily. I prepared extensively for management entrance exams and converted a very good college. The satisfaction of being satisfied is an accomplishment second to none. The confidence I gained from this experience will forever stay with me and always push me harder and harder each time.
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