Growth of a person and a company - Aniket Dubey, IIM Trichy

When you are school kid, college boy or a businessman, one thing is always the same. Early morning you want your lunch packed and ready. And when the time comes for lunch you want it fresh. The roll of wrapper that has been constant in giving me that freshness till date has been Frashwrapp. Knowingly or unknowingly we have been using this product all our life.

While you are a kid the only thing meaningful to you in a mobile phone is the gaming center. But, as you grow up you want to connect with your peers and family when you are apart. I still remember the day when I got my first mobile phone. It was given it to me so that I reach my tuition classes safely. With the mobile phone I got a Vodafone sim card. With it’s amazing connectivity and plans it was always a hassle free experience. Now that Vodafone and Idea have merged the network is twice as strong.

Aditya Birla products have been there in my life for as long as I can remember. From fashion brands ranging from Allen Solly to Louis Philippe and from Hackett to Peter England. And with its Ultratech Cement it has helped us build strong houses which keeps us safe from any unfortunate events. 

Aditya Birla Group has grown a lot from its inception in 1857. After the independence, this giant of a group has ventured from textiles to synthetics. With the leadership of Birla Sons, the company has even spread internationally. After the demise of the Birla Chairman, his son brought all the companies under the umbrella of Aditya Birla Group. He went on acquiring and investing in a lot of companies and made the company we know now. I am thankful to be a part of this experience. 

Aditya Birla Companies - Accessed on 7th July 2019 from adityabirla.com/businesses

Aditya Birla Brands - Accessed on 7th July 2019 from adityabirla.com/businesses/brands

Aditya Birla History - Accessed on 7th July 2019 from/adityabirla.com/media/stories/growing-indias-global-ambitions

How I overcame challenges to achieve my ambitions

Life is the best teacher you can get. Everyone on this planet faces various types of problems. These problems make you humble and grounded. You start to care for what you have, and for the people who are most valuable to you.

When I was born, I was a healthy child with one thing different than others. That difference had to be treated so that I could lead my life in a normal way. So when I was just 9 days young I underwent a surgery. The operation was being done by one of the best doctors in Mumbai. The thing with doctors is that they have the ability to bring someone back to life. Due to this power and skill they are sometimes regarded as Gods by some. But, people forget that they are also human beings.

Why I am saying this is because while that surgery was happening, the doctor in-charge accidentally cut a very important nerve of my body. That nerve was so important that, while in its absence it lead to three side effects, out of which, two I still face. 

These side effects had a toll on my physical as well as mental health throughout my childhood. I never understood why it happened to me. Why out of billions of people in this entire world, it happened to me. I started weighing myself less than others. I couldn’t convince myself that I was equal to others. I never participated in any of the activities happening around me, which were out of my comfort zone. I started to think that people are against me and they will judge me. I had a perception that they wouldn't want me to be involved in these activities. I used to cry in the corner cursing God, why he did this to me. “Why me?”.

But this mentality didn’t help me. I saw that my friends were achieving so much in life. And if not achieving at least they were trying. And here I was scolding God for what he has done to my life. As I was growing up I became more mature, I started to look at my situation in a different manner. 

I realized that it’s not only me that has problems but everyone around me have their own set of problems. Some have financial problems, some have cultural or religious problems, while some even have more severe health problems. A problem doesn’t define who you are but the way you deal with it makes you different. The person who has the courage to accept his problems and move forward is the true winner.

I always wanted to study and make my family's life better who have stood strong and motivated me throughout my life. They never made me feel that I was incompetent, but made me understand that I have to accept what I have and move forward. 

So I made up my mind that if I want to achieve something, I have to start now. So I started focusing on my studies and started taking part in different activities. Even though I wasn’t selected in some events, but I atleast tried. This gave me confidence that I can achieve whatever I want. And this inturn helped me improve my academics. And now I am here in this prestigious institute, learning how to be a good leader and influence people.

“If you must doubt something, doubt your limits” - Price Pritchett.