You would have to have been living in a cave for a better part of your life if you have never heard of Aditya Birla Group. It is impossible not to be affected by even a single product of this giant conglomerate. ABG caters to such a wide array of consumers with its products that it is now the owner of India’s largest cement company, world’s largest telecom service provider and the leading names in Indian fashion brands.

Personally I have been shopping from Peter England, Van Huesen and Louis Phillipe for quite some time now, but it was only recently that this small logo caught my eye.This logo was following me everywhere I went. Upon further research I found out that it belonged to the ABG and all these brands came under it. This cement making company has done something revolutionary and the way it has done that is noteworthy.

ABG has tried to bridge the gap between upper class and the middle and it has employed fashion as its choice of weapon. For many people including me there was a void when it came to casual or formal apparels.

On one side of this void we had the local products which gave neither the quality nor the style and on the other side were the luxury brands like Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Diesel and many more.

ABG has created a range suitable for the middle, upper middle and the upper class. This for me is the perfect definition of how you should tap and target a market.

I went through a low in my life just like ABG did in 2009. It was a time when nothing was going my way in my mind. Girlfriend broke up, didn’t get into a B-school, someone very close to me moved from Delhi and whatnot. Even a simple situation like cracking of my phone screen would ruin my day for good.

It is very important to note what helped me bounce back. Persistence and a little help from my friends. It takes some time but what you need to do is develop self confidence and build a network that is strong enough to help you achieve your targets. Every day when you go to sleep just think what you added as an asset to yourself and what new you learned today. This minor activity done for a year will tell you at the end of the year what separates you from the rest.

I have come a long way when I look back to where I started, but this journey of self building shouldn’t stop for there is a much longer way yet to discover, explore and conquer. Take inspiration from things around you and transform into something remarkable.

I would like to do with myself what ABG has done from 1857 till now. To expand my horizons to a level which no one thinks is possible. Never had anyone imagined that a cement company would also one day be manufacturing nanoparticles. This is the diversity and the reach I want to achieve in my life.

Ashutosh vishwakarma

ADITYA BIRLA GROUP - THE COMMON MAN’S ENIGMA IIM SIRMAUR