The Aditya Birla Group (ABG) is a name which evokes awe as well as trust at the same time. It has a rich legacy of 158 years with the group spread over 35 countries. It has spearheaded the growth of India’s industry from Hindalco Aluminium industry, Ultra Tech Cement Ltd, Vodafone - Idea cellular Ltd. to Aditya Birla Retail.
I have been a part of the rich influence of the Aditya Birla Group since a long time. From the time when my father worked in Hindalco to the time I went to do my masters in chemistry from BITS, Pilani. From the foil in which I packed my food to one of my favourite cloth brands like Forever 21 are brands of the esteemed ABG. The time when I used the Vodafone-Idea mobile network to contact my parents to the time I did my first mutual fund investment and when I purchased my formal suits of clothes from brands like Van Heusen and Peter England.
The Aditya Birla Group has always given back to society. It runs medical camps, hospitals, schools and skill training centres. Through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, aid in conditions like disability, cleft lips, blindness and cataract has been provided. Immunization drives against polio and awareness about mother-child health are held. Facilities for reverse osmosis plants and toilets have been built in villages, working alongside with the government schemes.
The Birla Group cannot be more aptly described as in the words of the chairman, Mr.Kumar Mangalam Birla, "One feels very blessed to be born into a family like the Birla family, which is a household name in India, which stands for tradition, is yet contemporary, stands for trust.”
ABG is known for having a core of resiliency in its people who leave a mark in spite of the challenges and hardships they face. This is something that I can relate to. I have worked as a probationary officer at State Bank of India. Juggling MBA coaching with dedicated hours of study along with a demanding 12-hour bank job was not easy. Life was tough. I was staying in rented accommodation with 2 roommates, frequent electricity failures and the continuous noise of a busy city center.
I used to attend the coaching classes in the weekends and woke up at 4 am to study as that was the only time when I would not be disturbed. This was followed by a 12-hour work day. After coming back, I had only the minimum energy of solving a few questions. This continued till October 2018. I had made significant progress in my MBA preparation but was nowhere up to the mark. I decided to resign so that I could focus on my studies. Hell broke loose in my family. Leaving a well-paying public-sector job to study for a two-year degree was something unheard of in my family. I was labelled a fool but with the support of my mother, I resigned and started preparing for the examinations with full zeal. There was a continuous fear of failure but I persisted. I achieved my ambition in life when I got selected in Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata.