Hailing from the capital town of Ranchi, My father was posted in Mines and Geology Department, Government of Jharkhand. I used to hear about
Hindalco often as a near acquaintance of mine, Niraj Uncle used to work there stationed at Muri at a mere distance of 65 kms from Ranchi. He would proudly state that the Muri Works of
Hindalco India’s first alumina refinery commissioned in 1948 by the erstwhile Indian Aluminium Company (INDAL). In 2005, Hindalco merged the plant with itself after acquiring INDAL which made big news in the corporate arena.
During school days at Delhi Public School, Ranchi, my favourite moment used to be the lunch time, when all of our friends would unwrap the
Freshwrapp (brand of aluminium foils) from their food. All we knew was that the food is warmer and tastier due to the action of this
Freshwrapp, totally unaware of the science behind it. I still remember, one day while in class 5, a friend of mine, Kumar Ayush told me that it is the property of the aluminium foil that keeps the food fresh. However, due to lack of my knowledge about the existence of any such element as aluminium, I was adamant that it was
Freshwrapp and not aluminium. After having a heated debate in the class, I came back home and found that Niraj Uncle had come for a visit. I shared the happenings of the day to him and he smiled and said “ Beta,
Freshwrapp is actually aluminium foil and it is manufactured by Hindalco which is a brand of Aditya Birla Group. We started with a capacity of 4 KTPA and have reached the capacity of around 400 KTPA at Muri.” That was the moment of epiphany and I still remember how impressed I was.
I graduated as a civil engineer from SRM University, Chennai and got placed in L&T Construction. My first project was 400/220 kV Power Substation by PGCIL (Power Grid Corporation Of India Limited), where after various rounds of discussions on all the existing alternatives, finally a go ahead was granted for Ultratech Cement for its optimum quality and reasonable price. Little did I know that it was just a start and I will encounter various products from the ambit of Aditya Birla Group in the upcoming future. Allahabad is a tourist city famous for its beautiful Sangam. First job gave me financial independence to explore my wants in the world of fashion. I started going for shopping and movie at various malls in Allahabad on Sundays. I still remember to buy
Peter England shirt,
Allen SollyChinos,
Louis Philippe Jeans,
Van Heusen Blazer and casuals from Pantaloons. My pre conceived notion about all these brands was that they are foreign brands. I still remember the heated discussion with my colleague in L&T, Srutadipta Roy, who actually busted the myth and made me aware that it was the same Aditya Birla Group which is the owner of all these brands. And I still remember how awestruck was I and proud at the same time of being associated with such a brand. All the clothes bought during various phases of my career are still in good shape and this has further bolstered my trust in the brand ABG.
Little did I know that in the upcoming days of my professional span at L&T, I will be using various brands under the Aditya Birla Group such as
Eternia Windows and
Dr. Fixit,
Nitco tiles,
Sintex Tanks in 3×660 MW Thermal Power Plant Project at Lalitpur and
Fosroc cement admixtures,
AstralPipes at Under Ground Cabling Project at Visakhapatnam under Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project (APDRP) funded by World Bank. All these projects are of national importance and I feel so proud for being a witness to the vital roles that this $ 44.3 billion Indian Conglomerate play dedicated to the service of the nation.
B)
How Have You Made An Impact ?
I would describe my formative years as a constant struggle to prove myself in whatever step I took. Be it shifting from a Hindi medium Primary school to the likes of highly sophisticated Delhi Public School, Ranchi or taking part in activities such as music, recitation, extempore, aerobics, march past, etc. I have taken a hit in everything I have ever done. I have failed miserably in the first few attempts but I had the tenacious grit to go on. For I have learned that life isn’t about hitting hard but it is about getting up each time after being hit and try harder and smarter. My childhood years have put me through many agonizing tests of victory and loss. I was even subjected to bullying for being a no nonsense guy with spiritual inclination and my reverential attitude towards parents and teachers. However, these experiences have made me stronger and wiser.
In class 12th, I was adjudged the topper of DPS, Ranchi with a state rank of 5 from Jharkhand. Little did I know, that this rise will be followed by such a steep fall which will break me from within. I took a drop year for JEE preparation. Everyone built high expectations from me. Four months before the entrance exams, I suffered serious stomach ailment, which took heavy toll both on my health and studies. I failed miserably in all major entrance exams and became a subject of pity and mockery among friends, relatives and family. This situation of grave embarrassment, shame and agony led to severe depression. My parents left hope due to my ailing physical and mental health. During that time, I motivated myself through spirituality and self-help books to perspire consistently with persistence to finally graduate as a civil engineer from SRM University, Chennai and get placed in the largest engineering and technology MNC of the country, L&T Limited. During my graduation, I was nominated as SRM Career ambassador which involved sharing inspirational ideas and stories to motivate and ignite the awareness among the students towards the need to think high and act in a well-planned manner so as to achieve professional excellence in their career.
During 2nd year in L&T, after giving my best at office, I used to burn the midnight oil and study hard even after being physically and mentally exhausted. But my efforts did not translate into any significant performance in the MBA entrance exams. However, in January 2016, I got a mail from HR stating that I have been nominated to appear for Build India Scholarship Exam on account of acclaimed job performance. The exam went well in February 2016 with due regards to my earlier MBA entrance preparation and I got selected for interview. Later, I performed well at the interview conducted by a panel of experts from IIT Delhi & L&T and finally won the Build India Scholarship 2016 which gave me a chance to do fully sponsored Masters Programme in Construction Technology and Management from IIT Delhi along with countless academic, personal and professional learnings.
I underwent Yes Plus course at IIT Delhi which stands for Youth Empowerment Skills’ Workshop by Art of Living which is a philanthropic organisation serving the cause of holistic health and well-being for humanity across 156 countries. It involved motivating the youth for various yogic kriyas with pranayams and different meditation processes such as Sudarshan Kriya combined along with deep life lessons to promote a healthy and fulfilling life.
I feel fortunate to have been associated with the team AINA (An Initiative for Nation Advancement) at IIT Delhi. Inspired by the thoughts for humanity, we undertook certain initiatives for the betterment of society, some of them includes the following :-
►
Srijan, a weekly teaching program in a Munirka basti/slum near IIT Delhi for the holistic development of kids and basti;
►
Swadesh, a rural exploration trip to various places in India to understand the society and to experience cultural heritage of India
►
Manthan, weekly brainstorming sessions on the important issues pertaining to the development of the country.
After my stint at IIT Delhi, I plan to play my part of giving back to society in my present B school, IIM Ranchi.
I hope that my story of getting up every time life knocked me down and trying harder with more determination and persistence and feeling the joy of giving back to the society in forms of ideas, learnings and actions may inspire some depressed or demotivated child in the remote corner of this country. For
HOPE is a GOOD Thing, May be the BEST of Things and
No GOOD Thing ever DIES. #Peace.