Truth be told, there was a time that when I heard the words ‘Aditya Birla’, my mind would involuntarily jump to ‘UltraTech Cement’. I believed it was highly unlikely that a person like me would have any consumer – producer relationship with ABG, given that the conglomerate operates on producing the most basic of things; the building blocks like cement, tyres, to fulfilling metal requirements for aluminium windows or railways. Like many others, I have always found clothes befitting me at brands like Louis Philippe; I’ve seen the stag that carries the weight of Allen Solly for many years. But like many others, I was blissfully ignorant that they all came under the umbrella of Aditya Birla Group. Finally, something for the everyday man, something I could say would set me in their consumer base, for good.
And it did. The names which I had heard of existing in US, UK, are opening their franchise stores in India, and I am sold. Setting them up in almost every crucial sector, worldwide, ABG has hit runs, both at home, and internationally by becoming the coveted private sector conglomerate with revenue over US$44 billion last year. For a company that has existed in our country for over one hundred and sixty two years, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that it all started from cotton trade, a humble beginning, to a great empire. The more I learn about ABG, the more intrigued I get. And then I wonder what it would be like to be an integral part of this empire, to work with minds that have shaped much of the industrialization phase of our nation.
Everything has its fair share of challenges; be it setting up a venture or whatever that holds you back in your life. So did I. Since a young age, I suffered from obesity. What some fail to understand is that obesity doesn’t just affect your appearance, but it plays with your mental health too. In my formative years, it limited my interactions and it made me recede into a bubble. It wasn’t before I started playing cricket that I started getting better, bolder and coming out of the bubble of safety I had created for myself. I represented my school on several occasions, and then in university. I felt a difference through this episode. I understood that the first person who can help you is yourself. I started working towards my goals. I started working out and I kept my grades high. I participated in bodybuilding competitions and maintained my grades. I graduated from my college with a high GPA of 8.
During my corporate life, I never let it all go. In 2017, it was the first time I became Mr. India. This was my success. This was me, beating my fear of going back into the bubble. The next year, at Byju’s, I was among the 40 employees out of 2500 across India, to have completed a sale of over 26 lakhs under six months. And then, for the second time I participated in Mr. India competition for deadlift, and I did it again. It was my feat and it inspired my colleagues to invest in their health. I was humbled then.
I won’t say that I have defeated all my fears that are something I fight daily. I fight because it is the consistency of my efforts that differentiates me. I fight because my belief to go on has got me through tough times, got me here, another platform to prove myself. It is a little thing if you think about it, but the ripples are big. And that is what I want to convey today, that little things make up big in our lives. And they might go unnoticed, but they shape our future.