Tax planning is the first thing I did when I started my professional journey. A significant portion of your salary is eaten away by taxes, and that hurts the most and steals your joy of earning. Tax planners came to my rescue and suggested me to invest in mutual funds. When I searched for the best mutual funds schemes for tax planning on the internet, ‘Aditya Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 Fund ‘popped up on web pages of one of the trusted websites for mutual fund solutions. I was surprised to know the Birlas of the country are into asset management business also. Until then, for me, the group was into Cement and Telecom business. Until then, I didn’t know Peter England shirts I wear are products of the Aditya Birla Group. Until then, I didn’t know Van Heusen suits and blazers I wear are a part of Aditya Birla Fashions.
It took me a while to realize the Aditya Birla Group has made more impact on my life than any other conglomerate. I never realized that I was ‘evolving myself’ when I sported Van Heusen clothes. Peter England shirts were on the top of my preference list when I had to be present for corporate meetings and interviews. Never realized it was a ‘beginning of good things’. Being an engineer, Ultratech cement was my first choice for construction of our beautiful house. The engineer’s choice may be! Back then when People around me struggling for 2G connection on their cell phones, I had proudly flashed my Idea 3G signals on my cell phone. What an Idea sir Ji! In a sense, the Aditya Birla Group is taking care of my ‘Kapda, Makan and Paisa!’
The life throws bittersweet experiences at you and it is full of challenges. My personal and professional journey has never been a smooth ride. I had to face the most challenging experience of my professional life a year ago when I was posted as assistant manager to an SBI branch in a tribal region of Maharashtra. Sudden incapacitation of branch manager during the auditing of the branch, I was entrusted with the responsibility of branch manager. I had to perform the tasks that take years to learn and practice. I was new to the corporate world then. I was loaded with a lot of tasks including debt waiver schemes announced by governments, internal audit, branch performance and business development of the branch. Moreover, political interferences at workplace made my job worse. Showing reluctance to accept and perform duties wasn’t a choice for me. I had to face it. I chalked out a plan and started working. Guidance from senior management helped me stay calm and patient as a small mistake could have cost a big to the bank. My multitasking skills were tested. I managed to perform well. This experience taught me important lessons and had a great impact on my professional life. Changes and challenges are inevitable. One has to accept them, face them and overcome them. Through experiences, you evolve.