Ours was a joint family where the only person earning was my father. These were the ending years of my teenage. There was a PEOPLE store at Sadar Bazar in Jhansi where I along with my childhood buddies visited for shopping. The foremost attraction was that the brand offered T-shirts that were in the latest trend. I remember the storekeeper Proudly told us that this an exceptional offering in the market from India's leading business group, the Aditya Birla Group (ABG).
We used to buy 2-3 T-shirts each, these were mainly to wear for the tuition classes. The PEOPLE store helped us to be in trend and look smart. These were affordable and hence we good manage to get them without giving a lot of burden to the parents.
The best part which I realize now is the range of products in different colors made us feel lively in the youth. The right color combination plays a significant role in shaping our behavior and personality. This brand of ABG has really groomed me as a forward-looking person who is ready to take a risk for a better future.
Now when I grew and joined IIT Patna, I carried the same attitude developed at a young age. I vividly remember when I was heading the Cultural team of my college's Festival, I suggested the idea to expand the fest from a regional level to the national level. For promoting the fest at a new level it was necessary to hold some regional level elimination rounds in different cities. There were some reservations from a few of the members but then finally we decided to target 3 cities Indore, Lucknow & Kolkata.
The plan of action was decided and the preparatory activities were lined up as follows: First to freeze venue & logistics at minimum cost in the new city; Second was to get leads about the probable participants and getting them registered; Finally confirming eminent personality to judge the elimination rounds.
I was in the Core-Committee member but I decided to go along with my execution team to organize the first auditions in Indore. We manage the getting a Venue & Judge but drastically failed in getting the participants. The option of on-spot registration was explored and we could manage to somehow run the show.
Although it was our first try to move out of the state for expanding the festival but the expectation of the team was high as far as the participation was concerned. As a result, the plan to conduct additional rounds was in danger. I convinced the team and they allowed me to go ahead for the Lucknow auditions. We worked well in advance to tie-up with the State Engineering Colleges and ensured a good number of participants. There was some issue still faced as the mall owner refused to give the middle space in the mall and rather suggested to organize in a dead-end of the mall. We informed all the participants accordingly and it was a great success. The last auditions at Kolkata were even flawless since we already signed MoU with the Mall administration beforehand.
The college fest is one of the biggest festivals among the IITs and me silently within myself recognize that it was me who is partly a reason for this growth; this which gives tremendous satisfaction. The initiative and the success achieved through a lot of hardships gave me the confidence to set trends where ever I go.