The famous Chilean writer Isabel Allende once said, ‘Roots are not in landscape or a country, or people, they are inside you'. Such has been my association with the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) - My Grandfather worked in Grasim Industries, Nagda until retirement and stayed in the staff quarters there. My mother completed her schooling from Birla School in the city. Thus, began my association with one of the biggest Groups in the World. Years have passed since and the impact and involvement of ABG has never diminished in my life. It has been an integral part of being alive every day.
Since the start of the journey to being here at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, one product has been a constant – Freshwrapp. From packing school tiffin boxes to packing small meals for office, the aluminium Foil Brand has been there through and through. Besides, one of India's most trusted Fashions and Retail Company i.e. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. has always been a part of my wardrobe through its various brands like Peter England, Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, People and Allen Solly. The largest Telecom Operator in India Vodafone Idea Ltd. has also been a product I've been using since I had a Mobile Phone.
Also, the social impact that the group makes has directly/indirectly reached and impacted our lives for decades now. The group contributes in a huge way to the GDP of the country and provides employment to a total no of people exceeding 1,00,000. My peers and relatives have been associated with ABG companies like Aadyam Handwoven & Aditya Birla Capital. Initiatives towards healthcare, education, Infrastructure and sustained livelihood have impacted the lives of many and continues to do so through its CSR initiatives. ABG has set-up 5,000 medical Camps along with 20 Hospitals improving community health in Rural as well as Urban Areas. They have also set up 56 schools all over India and Scholarships to achievers for Higher Studies.
Challenges are a part of everyday life of an individual. Most of the times, they make you stronger and without them, life becomes somewhat meaningless as we have nothing to compare the good times to. Every challenge brings about a different change in one's personality and it helps a person Evolve. Ever since the time LPG was introduced Companies faced challenge after challenge, but few companies managed to stand the test of time, one of them - the Aditya Birla Group. Ever since Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla took over in 1995, the company has scaled new heights and has managed to score big in the Global Market.
Perhaps the biggest challenge that I've faced in life was when I was 6-year-old. I was diagnosed with a Vertical Squint in my left Eye – a condition wherein one eye is misaligned in the Vertical direction – a rare condition that needed me to Visit the AIIMS in Delhi because Medical Practitioners in my Hometown of Indore were unable to prescribe the treatment for the same. After getting the Eyes checked it came to the notice of the Doctor that I didn't have any vision in my left eye at all. So, after performing the necessary operation for curing the Squint, I was asked to undergo a medical process used by Ophthalmologists for retinal disorders called Occlusion in which I had to keep my working Right Eye entirely closed for 6 days a week straight for the next 1.5 years. This is when life went from perfectly colourful and sharp to a blurred image of its past in an instant for me. I did face a lot of problems coping with children from the Batch and being updated on what was going around. But I did not lose hope and went about my business in the usual way albeit all the hardships surrounding me. I appeared for my assessments orally and cleared all the exams successfully.
Another such incident was when I failed to clear the CA Final Examination in the very first go. That was my first notable academic failure in the 18-year span of getting there. I was distraught and inconsolable at the point. But then I realized a little more efforts and focus was all that was needed to get over the line eventually. So, I stuck at it and worked tirelessly until I was able to fulfil my dreams.
There have a lot of challenges in the way so far but something that can be taken away from those challenges is that Hard Work and perseverance are the keys to eventually achieving whatever you want.