I’m fortunate to be born in a country like India which is blessed with fertile land, holy rivers, Himalayan mountains, ocean surrounding its three sides, diversity in its demography and humanity at its core. India since its independence has come a long way. Today we are the 6
th largest economy and soon going to be 5 trillion economy according to experts. Business houses had a major role to play in India’s rise at global level and one such business house which has served India and its people enormously is The Aditya Birla group. It is a US $44.3 billion powerhouse in the league of fortune 500 companies with 120000 employees of 42 different nationalities. It is certainly presenting India at a global level.
Aditya Birla group companies had a major role in fuelling India’s growth. It is present across various domains like cement, mining and metal, finance, textile, fashion and retail, telecommunication, and many more. Aditya Birla group companies have become an integral part of our lives. We build our roads, bridges, homes using UltraTech cement. Aditya Birla capital has been the top-rated financial institute for a long time, it has catered corporates and retail investors and has created huge value for stakeholders. Aditya Birla fashion has changed the Indian apparel industry, it made fashion an affordable commodity through brands like Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Peter England, American Eagle, Forever 21. Vedanta and Hindalco have played a pivotal role in fulfilling India’s copper and aluminium requirement. Idea – Vodaphone network is the second largest telecom entity in the world and is serving a huge population of India. So right from the roads which I use for traveling, house in which I live, tyres which I use for my car, clothes that makes me look smart, telephone services which I use to stay in touch with my people, fertilisers used for food which I eat, are all made by Aditya Birla group and so I can say that It has a big impact on life.
Aditya Birla group has touched 5 million+ people through its CSR activities, it provides education, health facilities, to those it is needed, I am sure it has touched more than billion Indian people already and, on its way, to touch more people across the globe and become a big part of their lives. It would be a great opportunity for MBA candidate like me to join this force and contribute to making it bigger than what it is.
How you overcame challenges to achieve your ambitions in life so far?
I was born and brought up in Pune city, which is an educational hub in Maharashtra. I secured 93% in SSC examination and opted for science stream in 12
th standard. I did my primary education in Marathi medium school and because of this, I wasn’t very confident about my English proficiency both in general usage and for academic purpose. I couldn’t afford mediocre performance in 12th standard as my engineering admissions were dependent on that, due to economic constraints I decided against joining any coaching classes for board exams. I did my entire board study preparation on my own. I took help from my friend and seniors for preparation. I secured 339 state rank in the engineering entrance examination.
As I joined VJTI, I was reluctant to speak to anyone due to the language barrier and my introvert nature. Lack of confidence was harmful to my growth as well as emotional health. In second semester onwards, I joined college cricket and volleyball team, to increase my social contact. I took help from seniors who went through the same problem. I made a few friends and started discussing my problem with them. I improved my social life, but still English was a worry, I started reading books, watched numerous Hollywood movies and serials. Instead of watching cricket I started reading commentary on the website. I started talking in English with my friends and all these efforts eventually paid up. My English fluency was far superior to what it was. My vocabulary improved and most important my fear was dead. I was able to communicate with anyone I wished; this was a kind of a freedom for me. When I look back, I feel it was very easy, unless I hadn’t done it.
When I joined the industry, I did not face any such problem and I was very efficient in my communication. My efforts helped me to improve my social as well as a corporate network. After one and half year when I decided to appear for CAT, the efforts I took earlier helped me here too and so I was able to secure admission in IIM Trichy.
Life will throw a lot of challenges to you irrespective of your gender, cast, age, race, the religion you need to have the mental strength to go through the storm and grind hard for what you are made of.
Securing 339 ranks in state exam without tuition, learning English in spite of being from Marathi medium school and securing admission in IIM was all possible because I took the action at the right time.