Coming from a small town Mysore, joining Merchant Navy was a big step when the general trend and buzz was going abroad for masters. There was a lot of criticism when I told everyone that I had decided to join Shipping. But I wanted to stick to my decision of doing what nobody else would do and didn't want to just follow the bandwagon or the herd mentality. So as I went to the Maritime academy for training as a fresher, there were 120 others like me, beaming with confidence. The rigor seems effortless when you have a group to fall back on and that is the truth. Soon after training, we were put in foreign going ships and till then reality had not me. I joined M.T Unique Fidelity in Ulsan, South Korea. Reality hits and hits hard - no internet, no connectivity, no friends or family, new work environment(completely different from corporate setup). Initial month was the most difficult part. As a seafarer I take great pride in saying, the endurance and the hardships you face on board the ship is the biggest leveler you can meet. More than the physical challenge, it's about the mental challenge as to how you'll overcome the difficulties because on land, no matter what you're facing, you'll have someone to talk to or something which releases your tension. Out there, you have to learn to live with yourself for 6 months straight. There were 2 choices ahead of me - either to withdraw and go back home immediately from the next port or survive there, clear your exams and become an officer. I chose the latter and never looked back.
I put in the extra hours, went up the ranks from an Engine cadet, to Junior Engineer, to Junior Engineer Watch keeper, to Fourth engineer in a span of 2.5 years which is a rarity as it is not easy to go up the ladder that quickly. I performed my duties exceedingly well in front of Port State authorities, was in-charge of life boat and rescue boat, which is one of the most important equipment in times of distress. There was an oil leak in the duct keel of our ship, which is a threat to the safety of the ship. It was troubleshooted by me and rectified by our engine team.
Coming to the interesting part of visiting countries and interacting with people of different cultures, this was one of my main agendas when I joined Merchant Navy. I got to visit 15-20 countries in my tenure which was the fruit of the hardships faced in the initial few months and the criticism by the conservative mindset of our society. So no matter what people say, when you know you can do it, go for it.
Aditya Birla Group - at every walk of my life
Let me come straight to the point. I wear and live only on Aditya Birla Group's brands. Why do I say live on their brand? I have worn my Peter England shirt to my Every single interview. I wore it for my Merchant Navy interview and for my B school interview. Now one may wonder I may consider that as my lucky shirt. But that's only the partial truth, the truth is, it looks elegant and authentic. It portrays my character as it is. Every person associates himself with a brand and for me it is Peter England. It is the most trusted and responsible brand for young professionals like me. The suit in my profile picture is also from Peter England. That is the heights to which I love that brand.
It is not just the fabrics. It is the values of the company which is visible here. As soon as Aditya Birla Group acquired Peter England in 2000, it went on to become India's leading Menswear Brand. Be it any of the showrooms among Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Pantaloons, the customer care is right up there at the top which makes me want to buy only their products. My first phone connection was also Idea cellular. Honestly, I don't know the cement used while building the house as it was during childhood, but when I was 18 of age, commercial space was being developed and I clearly remember it was Ultratech cement. Aditya Birla Group's chemicals' Pearl brand of phosphates are used in improving texture and water retention capacity of seafood. In shipping, our frozen containers carrying seafood use this product. So my livelihood was a part of Aditya Birla Group again. This is the way in which Aditya Birla Group has been there in every walk of my life and will continue to play a big role.