Founded in 1857, Aditya Birla Group is 162 years old. It is the third largest Indian multinational conglomerate. Seth Shiv Narayan Birla, the founder, anchored Aditya Birla Group in 34 countries and has the strength of 120,000 employees. ABG has managed to touch millions of lives. Being a conglomerate, it is highly unlikely that you have gone without using any ABG products in your life. Its interests spread across viscose staple fiber, metals, cement (largest in India), viscose filament yarn, branded apparel, carbon black, chemicals, fertilizers, insulators, financial services, telecom, BPO, and IT services. The subsidiaries are UltraTech Cement, Grasim Industries, Aditya Birla Capital, Vodafone Idea, Hindalco Industries, and Pantaloons Fashion & Retail. ABG runs over five values- integrity, commitment, speed, seamlessness, and passion.
At the age of 10, I was sent to a boarding school. I was reluctant to go and even begged my parents not to send me. I had never lived away from my parents before. My dad was in the Army at that time. He had his posting in Assam. My brother was two years old. Mom had a difficult time in managing the house and two kids all by herself. So she decided to send me to a boarding school. I was a shy kid since elementary school. I spoke when only I was asked. In every report card, all my teachers had just one comment – ‘SHY.’ I had a hard time making friends when I was in boarding school. As the saying goes, “ Birds of the same feather flock together,” I managed to make three friends who stood by me and supported me through thick and thin. Although we had different characters, we were like a kaleidoscope.
By the time I entered high school, I had realized that I need to change myself. I have to be more outgoing. So I started participating in co-curricular activities and sports and began to show people my presence. I had made up my mind to come out of my shell. Every day I used to remind myself that I can do this. Nobody knows whether I am a shy person or an outgoing one. It is up to me how I present myself in front of the world. I started to talk to people, have small conversations, greet or smile to people when they pass by. It was no cakewalk. Every day I had to come out of my comfort zone and face everybody. I had a tough time adjusting to this new version of me. I would often break down into tears and stop talking or even make eye contact with people. It takes 66 days to change one's habit. However, it takes months and years to change one's nature. I have a long journey to travel. I can never change who I am, but the difference is that now I can address a room full of people because shyness no longer controls me. I and my personality won’t fit inside the confines of shyness. Nor will they fit inside a closet. I am no longer ‘That One Shy Girl.’