Aditya Birla Group is household name and everyone has come across a brand which has been owned by Aditya Birla Group knowingly or unknowingly.

My father is a contractor and had construction sites mostly out of my town. I was 4 or 5 years old and Idea was the brand with one of the most reliable telecom networks near his locations. Idea helped me connect with my father. It brought a genuine smile on a 4 year old and now when I look back, that smile was priceless. This is the earliest memory of mine where Aditya Birla Group had an impact on life.

Growing Up, the first time we acknowledge the fact that we are grown up is when we pass 12th class and are ready for the outside world. It is also the first time when most students buy their first formal blazers for their farewell. For such an event, my father took me to Van Heusen showroom. It was a different experience to try new suits, it gave me a feeling of maturity and sense of pride. Whenever I see or wear that suit, it brings all the joy of buying the first suit, happy moments of farewell, and nostalgic feeling of school all over again. So the suit or Aditya Birla Group is very close to my heart and I associate fond memories with it.

My elder brother, after his MBA, started his career with Birla Sun Life Insurance. He gave me and parents gifts from his first salary. The expression on my parents face after receiving the gift was of true happiness, pride and satisfaction. It was a very emotional moment in our family as now we had two bread earners in our family. We went to a restaurant to celebrate.

The biggest challenge I was faced was psychological rather than physical. Growing up in a small town, I was not very fluent in English and during my last year of engineering, I was unable to get placed in the first round. Communication problems, pressure from peers, relatives and society forced me into depression. That was the lowest point in my life. I was unable to concentrate on anything and even the urge to eat died. My weight reduced by 5 kgs and I became extremely lethargic. But then I thought that this could be one of the lowest points in life but not the lowest. I changed my attitude, I started thinking positively. I bought a Louis Philippe suit and the first time when I wore it, I grew in confidence. I started giving my 100 percent and tried to improve my overall personality. I worked on my communication skills, posture and way of thinking. As a result, I was placed in Deloitte. It was one of the top companies that visited our campus and the company where most students aspire to get placed. After this incident, I understood that it is never too late to start and if we work hard, we can achieve anything. It is all about perception and self confidence.

Chahat Bhatia

Growing Up!

ABG - A Household Name - Chahat Bhatia, MDI Gurgaon