Almost 8-9 years ago, when Aditya Birla Group was cementing its leadership across various sectors, I was studying intermediate and we never had any other recreation (from the stressful entrance exam preparations) than discussing about the happening things, movies, fashion and etc., During those discussions, few of my friends use to pull my leg saying that I already own a company and it runs under my name. Yes, they were talking about ‘Aditya’ Birla Group. Though I am not from the Birla’s, I still used to feel proud and motivated to establish one such company in the future. The impact of the brand did not stop there, it is still with me and will be forever.

Engineering was such a rage back then, that having a costly cell phone will automatically make you the most attractive in the college. Well, the same immaturity of mine had forced my dad to buy me a phone. Now, comes another important thing in looking ‘cool’ i.e, a fancy phone number with a good internet connection. I did not find any other option better than ‘Idea’ which was and still the biggest company in the telecom industry. On the cover of the sim card, I could see the brand ‘Aditya Birla Group’ which made me realize that it is one of the biggest conglomerates in our country. Being a Civil Engineering Student, it is obvious that I would have encountered another ABG product i.e, ‘Ultra Tech Cement’ the third largest producer of cement globally. Internships and Project Works had given me an opportunity to work closely with some of the biggest construction companies i.e, L&T and TATA projects where ‘Ultra Tech’ is rewarded very high for its quality and reliability. The other common influence on the youth is the Fashion and Retail chain of the group, where you will find options catering to the needs of all the sections of society. Trendy clothes are no more a privilege of the higher income people, it all became possible with companies like Aditya Birla Group.

Aditya Birla Group with 50 years of history, operating in 34 countries and 5 continents with businesses in almost 11 completely different sectors, has a ubiquitous influence on almost all the citizens of our country.

Part B

Life without challenges is monotonous. You need some motivation to wake up from your bed every day, right? I want to describe one of my significant challenges that I have been facing since I started speaking to the world that is when I was 2-3 years old. I have a problem with speaking and I use to stammer a lot until my B.Tech. Mockery was a routine in my life since I got used to friends making fun of it and the embarrassment when I start addressing even a bunch of people from stage. Because of which, I was called an introvert and I hardly made any friends out of my class room.

I had the constant urge to develop myself and work on my communication skills. The only solution is to speak more and more. But it needs to move out from my comfort zone and start interacting with people. Knowing the importance of communication and networking, I decided to put all my fears, inhibitions in the back seat and just face the situations with confidence. I use to read newspapers loudly, speak to myself in front of mirrors and many other ways to overcome stuttering. I knew that I have the confidence and content to speak but was waiting for an opportunity to break the ice. Started to participate in college MUN’s, gave presentations, organizing fests and lot more which gave me a chance to just speak to people. Initially I failed, couldn’t speak properly for more than 2 mins, faced embarrassments but that didn’t stop me from reaching my ambition. Gradually, I picked up and now I can speak without much problem.

And now, I am about to pursue my dream of doing MBA and become a successful manager which requires good communication skills and the ability to attract people with your words. I feel immensely proud to reach where I’m today and still have a long way to go. There were many inspiring personalities who just made my problem look insignificant from theirs and proved that nothing can stop when you have the will to achieve. My long-term wish is to become a motivational speaker and help many others who need it.

RAUNAK ROY

Part A