Being a small-town kid, I never had the experience of growing trends in metropolitan cities. On visiting Patiala for the first time, wandering in small market lanes along with my family, I saw a shiny orange board. This shop was standing out among the other shops, people bustling about here and there. Instantly I had to go inside this place, which seemed like a mystery to me. Dragging my parents along with me, what I found inside the shop was like a dream. A place which served ice creams, chocolates and toys all under the same roof. My happiness knew no bounds!

My other experience was in the Pantaloons outlet in South City mall in Kolkata. For a shopaholic like me, having a mall at less than 1 km can be disastrous. This is the place where I saw the huge pantaloons store where one gets lost. The huge collection of clothes and accessories is enough to make a person like me go crazy. It became a ritual for me to visit this store almost daily, just to see if the new stock has arrived. The Impact that ABG has on the lives of people and their subtle contribution to making everyone’s lives better & happier is an inspiration I will carry with me forever. The best part about the company is how seamlessly it affects everyone’s life. From Cement to e-commerce to telecom to carbon black, the company has aced the market!

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Being a single child, I was always shy and an introvert kid. Always buried in books and finding innovative ways to keep myself occupied, my parent,s pampered me. When I joined the engineering college, it was the first time I was away from home. Not accustomed to being alone, it was a turning point in my life. The initial few months were a little difficult to adjust. But with a resolve to change myself, I started to interact with more and more people possible. I got into AIESEC, a non-profit organization which was a platform for me to evolve into a new person altogether. For a shy person that I was, I was given a role in Outgoing Exchange team. This required me to talk to new people every-day and convince them for the exchange program of AIESEC. After this, there was no turning back!

I also organized a week-long event for which I was responsible for getting the sponsorships. Making regular calls, meeting new people every-day, coming up with strategies with a different set of people pushed me out of my comfort zone.

I have realized that the only way to escape your fear to face the challenges head-on. It refines you as a person. Now I am an independent person who loves to handle her problems. I readily mix up with people and connect easily. MBA being everything about learning in a diverse environment and networking, I think I will now make the most of the two years and shine in the future.

VEDIKA VEDIKA

Confessions of a Shopaholic!IIM Nagpur