I didn’t grow up as a shopping enthusiast to be honest. Especially in the area of fashion. Not because I wasn’t into it but probably because I was relatively more sceptical about what would look good on me. The way I saw it, when you try on something new just take a look in the mirror and ask yourself “Is this Me?”. I obviously found more Nos then Yeses. Consequently, I had a fixed line of clothing in my wardrobe until my seventeenth birthday when my mother took me to a brand new Pantaloons store that opened very close to where we lived. Up until then we would have to travel miles to some renowned shopping hub in the city to buy a decent looking pair of apparel only to regret them later. Pantaloons was like a slice of heaven that inundated me with a variety of outfits to choose from for different occasions. I was hooked within seconds. I ended up buying more than what I initially planned and didn’t regret them anymore. I came back in the summers next year to browse the latest collection and was thrilled to see many options available for my taste. Pantaloons never disappointed me the options it presented. I knew I could always trust the brand. So what used to be once in a year affair became a frequent thing. Aditya Birla Group (ABG) also runs in house shopping stores encompassing other brands like Van Heusen, Peter England, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly.
I was shy and reserved as a kid and would mostly keep it to myself. I got my first smart phone when I went on to pursue my under graduate studies. And Idea Cellular was the network service I used to more than compensate for having not so social childhood since it provided me with an opportunity to connect with my old, new and about to be buddies, not to mention my family, relatives and distant relatives, who all lived in different parts of the country at the time, via a very reliable, reachable and affordable service. Today Vodafone Idea controls 31 percent of the market share and has consequently become the largest telecom company in India.
ABG has touched most of our lives in one way or the other. Have you ever been to a Pantaloons store in India and faced the conundrum of picking one apparel over the other because both are equally good? Have you ever been astonished to see constructions of modern real estate going on in full swing? Have you ever felt good about the hot and fresh lunch you carry from your home to your workplace? Have you ever been impressed with the braking capacity of your car or bike and wondered that it had something to do with the quality of the tyre used in your automobile? Well, if you’ve ever had any of those experiences then there’s great possibility that Aditya Birla Group (ABG) has been a big part of your lives. This is because Pantaloons is a fully ABG owned fashion and retail subsidiary. And because ABG owned UltraTech Cement is the largest cement company in India. And because Hindalco, a fully ABG owned company is the leading manufacturer of aluminium in India. And because carbon black produced by ABG is extensively used as a reinforcing material in the tyres of the automobiles we own. Life without ABG is therefore unimaginable.