Part A- Why Aditya Birla Group is big in your life?
The most distant memory I have associated with the Aditya Birla group is of UltraTech cement hoardings. The signature yellow board with a man beaming in a brown coat and cross arms. "Sirf makaan nhi banaiye apni pechan banaiye" I read this over and over again leaning on our Maruti Esteem as my father drove. We frequented a lot from Delhi to Rishikesh, and these bright a yellow hoardings are still a fresh vision in my mind.
Right now, the closest association I have with the ABG group is through apparels. My favorite brand of all is Allen Solly. There basic yet sophisticated clothing line goes well with my style. Of all the clothing I have bought from Allen Solly the most prized one is my first interview formals. Apart from that my go-to brand for casuals and ethnic Kurtis is pantaloons. All my college or home celebrations were marked with pantaloons. Clothes are an understated article in any event. But if you ever look at your clothes in the closet you always remember where you wore it, what happened that day, you go down the memory lane. And this what clothing brands of the ABG group does. Whenever I go to Allen Solly, Pantaloons or Peter England I recollect the old times. The times when I went out with my friends and made changing room corridors a runaway or times when I went with my younger brother to buy a present for Mother’s Day. There are umpteen memories associated with the ABG group and it has touched my life directly or indirectly every day.
Part B- How you overcame challenges to achieve your ambitions in life so far?
Challenges come in various forms. The biggest challenge I see in my life is myself. I have come a long way from what I was to what I am. Though my present may be an average one for some it is gratifying for me. The biggest challenge I have faced is of accepting failures and learning to go with the flow. In high school, I had this idealistic vision of life. I had a habit of taking things in a linear fashion, not realizing that it is not just about coaching and academics. I did not fare well in my ‘JEE’ mains exam. I was considering a drop but after a lot of mulling, I realized there is a very fine line between ambition and delusion. Life is not picture perfect and you need to be more practical. I went ahead with engineering and tried to do things that were outside my comfort zone. I do not have an extraordinary story where I do something life-changing. But in my four years of engineering, I did grow as a person who knew how to face failures. I was an introvert (and still am) but I have learned to be in a group of extroverts. I overcame my fear of public speaking. I always wanted to write and did start writing. I tried looks that I had only imagined. I changed my career line from that of engineering to MBA. For MBA preparation my approach was totally different from what I had for engineering. This time the results were also different. I did pretty well, I got admission in IIM Kashipur. Also, it is not only about achievement but also about the process. During my preparation time, I was not slogging but enjoyed the studies. Also, I did not neglect my other areas of life.
Challenges are not only the problems you face from the outside world but the problems you face from within. I have learned to take a stand for myself. And more importantly, owning my decisions even if they turn out to be a failure.