Durga Puja is THE festival that defines anyone who has spent one's childhood in Kolkata, and the most exciting part of the pre-Durga puja preparations is the shopping that one does for new clothes for each of the 10 days. The most vivid memory I have is that of standing in long queues in front of the Pantaloons stores with my parents, waiting for my turn to get a chance at choosing from the wide variety of collections in the store. The superior quality of the items of clothing, coupled with the ever-helpful staff members, be it the salesman or the person at the billing counter, has what made me establish a strong connect with the brand over the course of the past 12 years. Be it any festival or any occasion, Pantaloons has always provided me with a one-stop solution over the years with its frequent sale alert messages, its unique offers, and its gift card options.
As I moved to Bangalore for my professional commitments, Allen Solley and Van Heusen are 2 of the brands that have really caught my attention. My father has been a Van Heusen loyalist for quite some time now and following in his footsteps, I decided to give it a try for my formalwear. Since then, Van Heusen has been my go-to brand for business casuals.
The ABG group has been able to add values and purpose to millions globally and this is resonant across the various brands under its umbrella. I stay connected with my family over the Idea-Vodafone network and today, my family is a proud holder of the Aditya Birla Activ Health Mediclaim Policy. Moreover, its presence across sectors like textiles, cement, telecom across 35 countries in the world has impacted millions of people's lives, making it a globally respected brand name.
How you overcame challenges to achieve your ambitions in life so far
In my growing up years, I was overweight and one of the heaviest students in my class, due to which, I was constantly made fun of which in turn affected my confidence levels. I was not allowed to participate in any of the extra-curricular activities, in spite of being good at it. My physical training teacher disqualified me from the school's badminton team as I was deemed unfit to participate in a tournament of that stature. It was a depressing phase in my life; it started to affect my academics too.
After months of going through a low phase, I decided to let go of the past and started to put efforts into getting into shape. I started to follow my own diet and got myself enrolled in badminton and swimming clubs. Eight months of rigorous discipline and training enabled me to lose 13kgs; this not only made me feel confident but also made people take notice of my sporting abilities.
My moment of redemption came in the 4th year of my B.Tech when I was able to win the badminton tournament for my department. It was a great moment of joy and it was that moment when I realized that "It is the journey, and
NOT the destination, which matters".
#ABGLPWooMe #SPJIMR #IAmSPJIMR