What is “BIG”? Being “BIG” is delivering a fecund value to the people. It is being responsible enough to shoulder the expectations of the people around you. Aditya Birla Group is one such colossal entity that comes immediately to mind when you hear the term “BIG”. Aditya Birla Group has made a niche place for itself in the lives of almost all Indian households. Their products have mingled so much in our lives that we sometimes forget about them and their presence for granted. My life too like others is impacted by the ABG brand and its products and services.
Starting from the Idea & Vodafone Limited which is the leading telecom service provider in India. Being a Vodafone and Idea customer enables me to communicate with my family as an when I get time. Talking to my mother every day is something that I prioritize in the evenings and tell her about my day calms me down. Also, when I am feeling low, I talk to my family and loved ones in order to clear my headspace and move on. It makes distances disappear.
The mobiles phones that we are all so addicted to using consist of aluminium frames made from the aluminium supplied by the Hindalco Industries. This is what is meant by having “BIG in your palm”. Freshpakk and Freshwrapp are products which are being used in every household. Wrapping up lunch for school in the aluminium sheets to keep it warm longer and then using the sheet for making an aluminium ball for playing cricket is something that we have all done.
We very frequently see the advertisement of UltraTech cement on our televisions and radios. It is undoubtedly the “Engineers choice” whether be in use for making huge flyovers or commercial housing.
The Aditya Birla Group is India's first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats. The group caters to the needs of all segments of the Indian market. Buying value for money clothing from brands like PEOPLE, Planet Fashion and Peter England during the undergrad days when there used to be a lot of budget constraints is something I have done extensively. The journey from these brands to brands like Louis Phillipe and Van Heusen after getting into professional life has been really enjoyable though brands like Ted Baker and Simon Carter sometimes still feel out of reach.
After having done my engineering, I started working as a software developer a leading IT service-based company. Even though I enjoyed my stint there, I always knew that doing an MBA was something I had always hoped to achieve. It was one of the major independent decisions I had taken for myself and therefore I knew I had to work hard to achieve it. Although a little push was needed as I had gotten comfortable with my job and life of a developer. This was around the time when the IT service industry was going through a slump and a lot of people were being handed the pink slips. My organization was no different and as one of the junior-most and newest members in probation period in the organization, I thought I would be fired. This made me leave my comfort zone and then I started preparing for various MBA entrance examinations. The desire to be in a premium B-school along with the fear of getting laid off really pushed me to work hard and achieve my goals. After a few months, my probation period got over and I was confirmed as an Associate in the organization. But then the results of my first attempt came and they were below expectations. I knew that I would not be able to fulfil my dream that year. This is when I really started to think about the seriousness of my dream and the amount of dedication and perseverance it required from my side. I decided to give it another try and planned accordingly. This time the approach was going to be more systematic and regular. Meanwhile, I also learned the art of managing my work and studies and got promoted in my organization but I knew that the job was still incomplete. I kept my blinkers on and worked religiously. And then one fine day the results came and I got calls from some of the best B-schools of the country. I was happy, excited and nervous all at the same time. I knew I had to make it count in the interview processes as well. After having finished all the processes, I somewhere deep down knew that I would make it this time around. And in the month of April I got the mail I was waiting eagerly for from SIBM, Pune. I had been selected for the 2-year MBA regular course. A feeling of having achieved my goal had sunk in by then. I knew that an exciting and even more challenging journey is awaiting me in the beautiful hilltop campus at Lavale.