Most of my schooling was in Saudi Arabia. I had a close-knit group of friends from various parts of the world. I shifted to Mumbai in my 9
th grade. It was an entirely different world for me. The sheer number of people everywhere – the strength of each class in the school, the sudden competition and the pressure of fitting in; it was all very overwhelming for a person coming from a small school in a remote area of Saudi Arabia and a much watered down curriculum. Inherently I am an optimist and love challenges. I took this as just another challenge and stood my ground. I did not let the pressure get to me and made a mark for myself in the school. It is here that I realized that I just have to be myself and play to my strengths and success will follow.
Many such challenges came and went by at various points in my life but the biggest yet was in 2017. At 23 years, I had a stroke caused by brain hemorrhage. I would call this the turning point in my life. I have always been ambitious. I was working in TCS at the time and preparing for MBA exams at the same time while my parents lived abroad. I believed I had the capability to achieve great things and worked relentlessly towards it. It was at this juncture that I was robbed of all the control over my body and speech. I had to re-learn everything from walking to eating by myself to speaking. What surprised me the most however, was that I stayed infectiously positive through it all, was extremely determined and took this as just another challenge. I was back at office in two months. I realised that lack of time is just an excuse that we create in our minds; everybody is given 24 hours in a day. It’s about how we make the best use of it. It’s about setting priorities. Lastly but most importantly it’s about giving due respect to our bodies physically and mentally. I joined guitar class to pursue my passion and held onto my MBA dream as I continued working in TCS and here I am at NMIMS chasing the dream!
Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life
I love shopping. So the first time I had to go for a job interview, the idea of shopping for office formal wear was definitely something I looked forward to. Its only when I ventured out for this task that I realized that finding the right size was not easy. More than that, it was extremely disheartening to see the paucity in women’s formal wear; a grim and subtle reminder of how the corporate world was still a man’s world. I remember walking into Allen Solly expecting to see the same state of affairs. Not only was I surprised, I was delighted to find the store divided into half for men and the other half for women and that the clothes were a perfect fit. I fell in love with the brand and continue to be a loyalist to this day. Similar are the stories of countless others whose lives have been touched by Aditya Birla Group. The sheer diversity of brands under this umbrella makes sure of that – be it Pantaloons, UltraTech Cement, Hindalco aluminium, Birla Sun Life Insurance, Liva and so on.
It has always amazed me how so many brands become a part of our life and influence us. I believe this happens only when you connect with a company’s underlying values or its culture appeals to you. The 162-year legacy is a testimony of how people have embraced the company’s values and that of customer satisfaction. The CSR initiatives under Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development headed by Mrs. Rajashree Birla have helped to make large number of lives to the tunes of 7.5 million annually, lead a better life.
An organization is successful only when its employees breathe its values and it shines through their work. I am fortunate enough to be a part of an institute that understands just this and began our MBA journey with an inspiring session by Mr. Venkatesh Maheshwari, Senior VP, Aditya Birla Fashions and Retail Ltd. He spoke of finding and conquering our own Everest with consistent, effective hard work and meticulous planning and preparation. He also showed how we must have a practical approach to problems. It was notable how he received immense support from his colleagues and maintained an excellent work-life balance. This interaction was apt for the first day of MBA - with his exceptional and unforgettable personal journey. Instances such as these are proof of how each individual contributes to how an organization can influence and inspire people.
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