There have been 2 challenges in my life which I have overcome and which have shaped my attitude and personality. The first was when I was 7 years old and used to get bullied by a senior in my school bus. I used to get physically assaulted and humiliated by this boy and despite various complaints, this behaviour continued. Finally I realised that the only way to put a stop to this was to fight back. This was when my parents made me join karate class, which I have been practising for the past 16 years. What started as a simple defence mechanism, ended up being a life-altering lesson.
Many years down the line, I faced my second challenge, when I graduated from engineering college without a good job prospect. I was always clear on doing an MBA at some point in my career but I had to make a choice between going for it now or working in a mediocre job for a couple of years and then making a run at it. This was a real dilemma as I faced a tough choice with limited data and limited knowledge of the future but which would have permanent implications. This was when I had to analyse the situation from an objective point of view and make the call which would maximize my chances of getting into a good college. I reasoned that since I’m in the flow of academics it would be easy for me to prepare for the entrances albeit with the risk of taking a year off. However, I trusted in myself and my abilities and came out of this process with an admission secured in one of the country’s most prestigious B schools.
‘Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life’
Ever since I was a teenager, I have had countless conversations with my father about becoming an entrepreneur and a business tycoon. I have, on multiple occasions cited famous quotes from businessmen from all over the world. Discussing their life stories and their philosophies, all the while thinking that inspiration only lies beyond our shores. One day, during one of these discussions, my father showed me a letter. This was a letter written by Mr Ghanshyamdas Birla to his son, Mr Aditya Birla. At the outset, it just seemed like a preaching sermon, however, upon reading it completely, a whole new perspective on business and wealth, took shape in my mind.
Be it the emphasis on wise spending of hard earned money, on judicious use of resources for the greater good, on considering wealth as a responsibility instead of a luxury and even on the importance of exercising self-discipline and taking care of one’s own health; all these seemed so far from my preconceived notions about being a successful businessman. And yet, this image seemed much more realistic, grounded and sensible; and how could it not be. After all, these deep-rooted values form the bedrock for one of India’s biggest and most sustainable business houses.
Along with trying to show me an example of a homegrown conglomerate which coincidentally happens to belong from the same community as we do, I think my father also intended to impress upon me the importance of the attitude which I should base my future endeavours on. And it is in this sense, that Aditya Birla Group has played a big role in shaping my outlook towards business and life.