From cement to textile to day to day products, The Aditya Birla Group has influenced my life in various ways. From the silver foil I wrapped my lunch in as a kid to the formal clothes I wore for my interviews as an adult, ABG is practically everywhere!

So, let me focus only on one module of the entire market, I will focus only on Readymade garments.

From the basic middle-class shopping to the most premium brands, ABG gives us everything and that is what I love about it. It provides me a wide range of products in a very affordable price range and needless to say, the reliability that comes with the brand name is unquestioned. I am very grateful for having ABG always on my aid. From formal interview attire shopping in Van Heusen to party wears by Pantaloons to accessories and bags by Allen Solly, ABG is a huge part of my wardrobe and UI can’t imagine a market without them.

How I overcame the challenges in my life:

The most difficult to fight are the demons within ourselves. Everyone has their own demons, so did I. Mine was Glossophobia (or stage fright, as it is commonly known). Most people have it to some extent but for me it was mind-numbingly huge! I remember an incident from my middle school when my English teacher asked me to recite the poem I had written for my assignment. She thought it was beautiful and everyone should hear it. So, she called me to the front and asked me to read it. Although I loved that poem and knew it by heart, yet all I could do was stand there, all nervous and sweaty, with the write-up in my hand shivering uncontrollably!

I totally gave up on public speaking that day and it was not until the 2^nd year of college that I took it up again. We had a program called “one-minute speech” specially designed to help people get over the anxiety of facing the audience. It was not a formal platform and you were not competing with anyone but yourself, what was the worst that could happen? So, I decided to give it a try. It took me 7 sessions - 7 one-minute speeches - that is just 7 minutes to get over the biggest fear of my life! They say it’s important to face your fear, but I think more important is the decision to do something about it because first steps are the hardest to take!

HIMANSHI BHATNAGAR

Impact of the Aditya Birla Group on my life