Part A
It’s so strange how we get caught up in the humdrum of life and barely take note of the things that influence our choices and lifestyle. And as we march along, we attach ourselves with certain names, brands and these eventually entwine with a lot of moments and memories. So, when I came across this competition, I couldn’t help myself but wonder about such latent connections with certain name or identities and one name stood out, Adity Birla. We all have used their numerous products and services, at times consciously and then sometimes subconsciously, but only upon close inspection one can comprehend the magnitude of difference this brand has made or is making in our daily lives.
Honestly, the question did set me off as I never realized the fact that Aditya Birla, as a brand has affected my life in so many different situations. After contemplating for an hour or so I realized that the answer wasn’t that far. All I had to do was open my wardrobe and there it was waiting for me to be discovered. Before coming to IIM Kashipur, I had packed a few formal attires and each belongs to either Peter England or Allen Solly or Van Heusen. However, the earliest memory of an Aditya Birla product goes way back to the year 2008 when my father decided to build a small workshop in our backyard. And that little workshop was made from Ultratech Cement. A couple of years later Pantaloons came to Bhubaneswar and completely revolutionized the fashion taste of the Capital. Our casuals, formals, party-wear all came from that outlet. That very year, Idea came up with an innovative ad, “What an Idea sirji!” and soon after that Idea became an instant hit. That particular advertisement had quite an impact not just on my family but on many others in my State. Idea users increased exponentially within a year. These are a few snippets that I managed to pick up from my past and I am pretty sure the brand of Aditya Birla Group has affected the lives of many other Indians in a similar fashion. With their impeccable quality and innovative marketing schemes, they made it clear that they were more than just a profit-making group. They dressed us up for several occasions, connected us, build our homes, insured our future and most importantly became a part of our lives in ways we had never fathomed.
Part B
I am a great believer of the following lines uttered by Heath Ledger in the movie 10 Things I hate about you, “You deserve what you want when you’re trying your best to fight for it, no one can take that right from you.” I belong to the Middle-working class, and like every other middle-class family in India, my parents too wanted me to realize the Big Indian Dream- good percentage in Boards, good intermediate college and then an IIT Engineer. But all of their aspirations and dreams were shattered when they found out that I had a problem with writing and reading. The words, sentences and phrases hardly made any sense to me. I couldn’t keep up with my classmates and I struggled. And my academic performance affected my social life as well. We never consulted any doctor because my parents thought it’s just a phase which will eventually pass. But it didn’t, rather it continued and aggravated with time. I hardly ever completed any exam paper. I was unhappy, as my parents were unhappy. I struggled at socializing and didn't even have a friend. But then I decided to change and I told my mom the same. She would give me handwriting lessons and I would practice that for hours. I started reading comics and storybooks to increase my vocabulary and get comfortable with the structure. I sketched a lot and my parents encouraged me to take up painting. That helped me psychologically, as now I was doing something that I was good at. It helped me build my confidence. And I slowly improved and everything gradually made sense to me. My academics improved and that small victory infused a lot of confidence in me. I went from being the last in class to the topper in the 10th board exam. And I have been carrying on that momentum ever since. I cracked IIT-JEE advanced and mains, NEST, BITSAT and even earned the INSPIRE-DST fellowship. And now I am in an IIM. If I could say all these to that afraid seven-year-old me, he would dismiss me saying that it’s not possible. That period of my life where I overcame my limitations and fears to become something better will be my single most significant accomplishment. Rest all have or will follow because of that. Even at that tender age, I understood that talent is secondary and nothing is impossible if I can put my mind into it.