ABG in my life!

It is humanly impossible to stay ignorant of a conglomerate that has presence in over 34 countries pan world. The Aditya Birla Group has not only firmly placed India on the global map, it has also ingrained itself in our lives with businesses in 14 sectors. The expanse of these sectors, from Carbon Black to Finance must give an idea of their massive potential and the discipline with which they operate.

With an electrical engineering degree, I appreciate their dominating presence in the world of insulators, and being a woman, I know that most of my favourite clothes to dress up in came from a brand belonging to them. So basically, they keep me and my electrical grid dressed. Such is the realm of their rule.

But I am more than my gender and my qualification. I am a person with deep empathy.

Just like me, Aditya Birla Group is not just a sum of its business ventures. It is much more. The number of C.S.R. initiatives this conglomerate has undertaken paints a picture of hope. A commodity that is rare in today’s market. 5000 villages have received their attention and intention to do well. 70 million children have been immunized against polio and 5000 medical camps have been run under their watchful presence. Their dedication to aiding education in a clean way has led to 450,000 school children receiving solar lamps.

The one of its kind Sustainable Business Framework that they have developed, with climate change in mind is a giant leap forward that other businesses could definitely learn from. Their dedication to adhering to legal compliance and making conscious strategies to keep the global temperature increase to under 2 degree Celsius is a landmark move.

With the Aditya Birla group venturing into India’s first “Circular Apparel Innovation Factory”, a platform for promoting sustainability at every stage of the apparel and textile industry, their core commitment “ReEarth” has taken on a whole new depth and sincerity.

The world is a different place now than it was a hundred years ago. The priorities of the world have had to change.

They have a vision to give back to the community, to save the environment and be leaders of the business world, all at the same time. As a future manager, this perfect balance of sustainability with achievement inspires me and is why the Aditya Birla Group is big in my life.

I stumble but I get up!

Growing up in a very small town, despite giving you a sense of kinship, comes with constant judgement and stereotypes. Right from my inclination towards subjects like English over Chemistry to other thought processes, I was judged.

Reading a lot on every one of my passions helped me build confidence in these choices. I also taught myself to focus on what felt right rather than what was perceived to be right.

I have always been a socially sensitive person and wished to do my part for the underprivileged, something of my own without any help from my parents. In my 3rd year of college, I finally volunteered with an NGO. I was asked to teach English to 7th and 8th standard students of a government school in Bengaluru. Upon entering the classroom for the 7th standard students, I realized something. Ninety percent of them didn’t even have a command of the English alphabet. They were unable to understand a single syllable I uttered in English and only about eighty percent of what I was saying in Hindi. My presence was of no help to them. Disappointed but not defeated, I dedicated that day to identify the ten percent of the students who did understand me.

The next day, I formed groups in the class. I made sure that each group had a student who could comprehend my instructions and act as their respective group’s communication relays. As a part of my lesson plans, I spent a lot of time on activity based and verbal approaches instead of simply writing or reading and this effort paid off. This is how I overcame this challenge to help a group of kids who just wanted to learn.

As a person, my goals have always been short term and have evolved with time. This latest goal , of obtaining an MBA degree, was not an easy one to achieve. It included a tough decision like leaving my job with a Big Four and a major surgery that unexpectedly extended my break. Instead of succumbing to the gloom, I took it in my stride. I stuck to my original plan and used this break to work on myself and on every aspect of my well-being. In the eyes of many I lost a year. My perspective is that I gifted myself precious time to cope and to become even more resilient. The deeper understanding I gained of myself during this time will guide me all through my life.

These are a few challenges that I have faced in my relatively short life that have taught me the most. I hope to learn a lot more from the challenges I will face in the future and keep improving upon myself.

#ABGLP, #ABG WOO ME-SEASON 2, #ABGLP WOO ME COMPETITION, #ABGLP WOOME SEASON 2 – XIMB-XAHR, #XIMB-XAHR

Mudita Ghosh

ABG, A legacy of pride and faith, Mudita Ghosh, XIMB-XAHR