Part A: Why Aditya Birla Group is big in your life?
Aditya Birla Group was founded by Seth Shiv Narayan Birla in 1857. I would wonder if someone says that he has not used any sort of ABG’s product. There has always been the presence of ABG in my life. Be it clothing or be it telecom, ABG has touched my life one way or the other.
Being a son of an auto driver it was difficult for me to buy things which I used to like. I always had to think twice before purchasing anything. Once I was shopping with my same-sex partner in Pantaloons back in January 2016. While we were wandering in the store, one salesperson approached us and started showing the new arrivals of the season. Suddenly I found a very beautiful shirt. It was a printed red shirt with a very creative design. I was constantly looking at that shirt. It was costing around 2000 RS. I checked my wallet and kept my desires away. We went shopping for his needs that day.
Few days passed. And on the night of 13th Feb at 11:59 pm he kneeled before me and proposed me. At 12:01 am on Valentine's Day he gave me a gift. I had bought two red velvet pastries, which had the initials of both of us written on it . He insisted me to open the gift there itself. When I was tearing the wrapper in excitement, he was just watching me with a smile. I opened the box and saw the exact same shirt of Pantaloons which I liked the other day. A drop of tear slowly rolled down on my chicks. It was not just about getting a shirt, it was about love. Without saying anything he listened so many things. Since then I have kept that shirt as a souvenir of our relationship.
Part B: How you overcame challenges to achieve your ambitions in life so far?
Being born and brought up in a slum of Mumbai, we have struggled a lot for a living. My father was an auto driver. So fulfilling our family's daily needs was a big task for us. We had to take financial help from other relatives for my sister's and my educational purposes. During my school days, I used to sell newspapers. Those days I dreamt of being a very successful Engineer. I started working toward my goals. But due to failure in JEE, I had to do my engineering from Mumbai University. But I didn’t stop aspiring to be in IIT.
As time passed in engineering college, my aspiration to be in IIT for my further studies grew. To get admission in post-graduation I had to clear one of the toughest exams in India which are known as GATE. So I started preparing for GATE on my own because of our financial condition. Though the slum environment was not feasible to study and grow, I worked hard towards it. I risked my placement in college just to study for GATE. I used to study until 3 A.M. in the morning. I approached my friends and professors for any unclear topic from syllabus. Eventually, after so many hurdles I got into IIT Bombay. In this entire journey, my family stood by my side. Their constant support and faith in me made me confident enough to crack this exam.
When I look back in the past, I wonder how I got through this voyage of life. Maybe the love of family and friends gave me strength to excel in the life. And maybe for the same reason, I could also accomplish my second goal of being in an IIM.