Impeccably dressed, wearing my favorite Peter England Shirt beneath my blazer, I gave an interview which changed my life. Aditya Birla Group was with me when I converted one of the premium B-schools in India. I still remember the first time when I won a competition in school, and the next day I was rewarded my favorite cuisine in my tiffin, the food protected and kept warm by Freshwrapp. Aditya Birla Group did not only keep my food safe, but it was a constant companion in my school lunchtime memories. Even today, these memories put a smile on my face. Growing up, I realized the very important role of Finance and savings in one’s life. With easy access to experts, a choice from hundreds of funds and schemes, regular portfolio disclosure, constant awareness, and stellar service record, Aditya Birla Capital is a guide, a mentor and a brand I trust with my finance. Aditya Birla Group has always been a constant companion in my life.
Aditya Birla Group is empowering India with its Corporate Social Responsibility, from helping fight polio to treating patients in medical camps and hospitals. The group is equipping the country with skilled individuals through its skill training and educating the masses with its schools wherein children have midday meals. Aditya Birla Group has been on the fore-fronts of the fight against climate change, by providing solar lamps to school children and by recycling about 65 Billion cans (Hindalco Novelis). Aditya Birla Group is indeed contributing to India and its future.
We are inspired by people who can get up on a stage and just touch our hearts with their words, we aspire to be among one of them and follow in their footsteps. I did get my first opportunity to get on a stage and perform, with high hopes, I prepared rigorously for days. The one thing I did not prepare myself was the fright that accompanied with the glory. When I got on the stage, suddenly I realized I had to perform in front of an audience of more than two thousand. A cold chill rushed through my spine and all of a sudden I found myself running out of breath even without speaking a word, my legs were shaking but I tried to control them as long as possible, soon everyone realized that this speech was not going to happen, I was frozen and after a while a friend of mine came beside me and took me away from the staging area. This was the first time in my life I had faced failure. The worse was about to come. In my class, it was very difficult to concentrate, as I constantly thought about things I could have done. For the first time in my life, I felt inferior to my peers. I was disheartened to see the best of my efforts just vanish in front of me.
I decided to never experience this again, so I approached my class teacher and asked her for help. She gave me a few good tips; she told me to look at the forehead of people than at their faces and to that everyone deep inside was afraid of something or another. I started observing my principal sir, who was a very good public speaker, in assemblies. Tried to replicate it when I was running my mock preparations at home. I decided to start with a small audience, so I started to my family, it was difficult, but gave me some confidence. Later I approached my friends and I gave a speech in front of them, slowly mustering my confidence. I later approached class and then again a few weeks later I was back at the stage, in front of the same audience and I performed. It was a dream come true to me. Later on, I went on to perform in various roles, drama, and dance in front of an even larger audience in my teenage years. This experience had a lot of impact on my life. I started believing that things can go wrong, and we can still get ourselves up and running. I came to know the joy when a person finishes a goal he had set for himself. I even learned that before doing a task, I should know all aspects of it. I prepared my content but failed to see the other part of the presentation. I also learned that once you have enough confidence in yourself, the size of the audience does not matter. A good, well-structured thought process, when put into words, is a basis for good content.
Even today, at IIFT I have a stage, to showcase my content in front of the best minds of this country. With determination, a positive mindset and the will to complete your goals, we can perform wonders and face any challenges we face in our life.