There are certain things in life which you can’t escape, which are inevitable, like fate. Something similar, especially to us Indians, is the Aditya Birla Group. Their presence is so vast that it is almost unthinkable of us to not have used any of their products at some point or the other in our life.

Since its inception in 1857, the Aditya Birla Group has become a legacy and has its reach all over the world. With products spanning across innumerable verticles and industries spanning across merchandising, telecommunication, metals, retail, finance and software being a few among the many, the Aditya Birla Group has become a household name, by making a difference and by providing value to lakhs of consumers each day.

As a plus sized woman, it has always been a challenge for me to find clothes, especially formal wear, that fit me well AND look good on me. Earlier, there was no concept of inclusivity. There were just a couple of brands whose clothes could fit those who were larger than the average. I still remember getting my formal shirt stitched 3 years ago, which is so uncommon nowadays, only because I wasn’t able to find my size in regular stores. And then I found Allen Solly, the only brand out of the numerous ones I’d tried which had sizes running up to XXXL, which trust me, is no easy feat. I had hunted down brand stores across Hyderabad trying to find well-fitting, smart looking formal clothes. But it was only when a friend told me to try Allen Solly that I found my perfect fit. Pantaloons shares a similar emotional connect with me. It has now become common for mainstream brands to carry clothing lines that ran in sizes larger than the usual. However, Pantaloons came out with larger sizes before it became the norm and that is when I’d fallen in love with Pantaloons as well.

It is this connection that I have with a lot of the brands of Aditya Birla Group that makes them special to me. At the end of the day, it’s all about how a consumer connects with a brand emotionally that makes the brand dear to them. And this is my story.

Challenges I’ve had to overcome to achieve my ambitions

I know I speak for many when I say that being an Indian comes with the additional responsibility of having to satisfy our parents at every step of our lives.

Something running along these lines is my story.

I was pursuing CA after Class 12. I cleared CPT and underwent rather strenuous coaching for IPCC for 9 months after CPT. It’s one thing to do something you love and one thing to do something you don’t. And it is bound to take a toll on your mental and physical health, especially if you’re sitting on a bench, listening to people from 7 AM to 6 PM, about subjects that just don’t ring any excitement for you. I knew it during the course of those 9 months, that what I was trying to do, was wrong - not just to me, but to my parents as well. As much as I wanted to make my parents happy by helping my dad out with his firm, given that he is a CA, I realised it had pushed me into severe depression. It was a month before my exams that I finally gathered the courage and confronted my parents about this and told them that I couldn’t continue CA and that my interests lay elsewhere.

The months that followed this confrontation were possibly some of the most emotionally draining times I had had. I suffered from depression for over 2-2.5 years and was able to find my calling in Marketing only when I came across the subject during my final year of graduation. My confidence in everything I did fell, even more, when I gave my first CAT attempt in 2017 and couldn’t do well. I graduated in 2018 and the months up to that November for my second attempt were just gruesome. Every step that I took, I questioned myself. I questioned myself for having wasted so much of my parents’ money. I questioned myself for not being firm since Day 1. I questioned myself for having wasted my time and effort.

It is, however, important to never give up hope. And after giving all the exams a second time, destiny finally helped me and landed me here at NMIMS Bangalore. The road from here isn’t easy at all. I’ve dealt with immense stress and anxiety issues over the last few years, thanks to all these events, which caused the confidence I have in myself to waiver. The college has already gotten very arduous and it has barely been a month. But I know I am finally pursuing something that interests me and drives me. There’s no hard and fast rule of overcoming challenges in life, but all I know is that it’s a constant struggle in life always, and no matter what, it is important to not lose faith and to know that better things are always around the corner.

Kondapalli Aparajitha

Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life and challenges I've had to overcome | Kondapalli Aparajitha | NMIMS Bangalore