Since childhood the telephone industry has always captivated me. I remember rushing to receive every call at the landline. Talking to someone who were cities apart and getting to know how they were doing drew interest in me. Retrospecting, it was the fascination of how this gadget actually brought people together. And then in the early 2000s everything changed, my father bought a cellphone. I was immensely impressed by the fact that one could now be mobile while talking. Now there was no need to wait for a call, no need to set a pre-determined time and no need for people to travel to the local booth. It was literally in the grasp of one’s hand.
A seemingly innocuous and modest piece of hardware present in every mobile phone, the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) has iterated through multiple stages of evolution. Over the years multiple players have entered this colossal market but only few of them have survived. The first SIM I came across was of a Sri Lankan telecommunication service named ‘Hutch’. Though good for its time, it had multiple issues. Cross-talks, poor range, frequent drops and network issues were common. It was at this time that my uncle suggested to switch to a different network maintained by Aditya Birla group. With the reputed ABG operating my dad quickly shifted his SIM. Grabbing the market by the scuff of its neck, ABG named its stride into the telecom sector as an ‘Idea’.
In short period of time, all of us could recognize the difference. The network was massively better. Now, each of us used to converse on the phone for hours. The range was good even in the remotest of places like Morgaon, which is a small village located ahead of Pune. Travelling to distant lands became a piece of cake. My father used to recharge an international pack when he had to travel abroad. The relief all of us got on knowing that he had reached safely was all because of Idea.
Finally, after my Secondary education, I got a mobile phone of my own. By this time so much faith was bestowed on the brand that we bought an Idea sim without considering any other option. My confidence was rewarded as the network has been operating seamlessly. With the Idea-Vodafone merger, things are better than ever before. Aditya Birla groups mission of delivering superior value to customers, shareholders, employees and society at large can be seen from its clear focus on this business. This idea has not only changed my life but also the lives of its 500 million subscribers.
Initially it was difficult to comprehend what Samuel Beckett meant when he said- “Ever Tried. Ever Failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better”. What do you mean by Fail better? I posed this question to many, but none could convince me. Along with this the preparation for Common Entrance test (CET) were on full swing. Just months prior to the examination, I fell seriously ill. With Malaria taking a toll on my body, I could barely keep my eyes open in the hospital. I had complete support of my family but the thirst to excel in the exam could not be quenched. From the time I recovered, there was just about a fortnight left for the big day. I tried studying most of time but my body was still weak from the sickness. At the day of examination, I gave my best but fell short of my expectation. I knew that I would score decent marks but not the ones I was looking for. I was disappointed, not because I would not land up in a good college but because the whole two years were spent just with the thought to excel at this examination.
Having secured an admission in Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, I was not prepared facing another exam. I remember my father saying “Life is how you react to adversities”. With all the belief that my family pinned on me, I decided to give it one more try. I studied hard for the examination and I was rewarded as I stood first in my class. Continuing the momentum, I received a silver medal for standing overall second in my department. This reinforced my belief that anything is possible if one puts enough hard-work and dedication in the activity. I could finally understand what Fail better meant. Its about never giving up because a lot can be learnt through the adversities we face. As Alfred said to Bruce Wayne “Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up”
#SJMSOM #IITBombay #ABGLPWOOME