For my post engineering trip, I decided to trek around Ooty with two of my friends. On the way to Ooty, we made an impulsive decision to go explore Coonoor, a tiny village close to Ooty, instead of our original destination. Since no one really spoke Hindi or English very well, we had to use the GPS on our phones to find a spot close to Coonoor, where we stopped the bus and got off. After hiking through a trail for a few hours, we came across a small dirt road in the middle of the forest. All of a sudden, my friend who had the only working phone suddenly lost his balance and fell, breaking his phone in the process. The other two of us hadn’t gotten a chance to charge our phones and power banks, so we were stuck in the middle of nowhere without any directions. We decided to continue in the same direction, but after an hour we still hadn’t seen a single person and were beginning to panic. Due to the high altitude, we lost our breath very quickly, but we kept trying to motivate each other and kept a watch out for any wild animals. Finally, just as the sun was about to set, we came across a bigger road, where we were able to hitch a ride to Coonoor. Looking back, I realized how important my friends had been in a dangerous situation like that, and how essential it is to have a good assortment of people around you, if you want to succeed. This is something I will always keep in mind as I embark upon a new chapter of my life, which is my MBA journey at IIFT.
Why is the Aditya Birla Group big in my life?
I knew that the Aditya Birla Group owned several firms whose products I used on a daily basis such as Vodafone-Idea, Allen Solly or even Ultratech Cement, but it is only recently that I realized just how big a role the ABG group has played in my life. However, I will first be talking about Pantaloons here. Ever since I was a child, I have always been someone who doesn’t really know what to wear. However, with the huge range of clothes available in Pantaloons, it was always my first place to visit along with my mother, so I have a lot of memories of Pantaloons. In fact, I still visit Pantaloons whenever I want to buy clothes. For instance, the extremely comfortable joggers that I bought recently, are from Pantaloons and I wear them every other day. I also have been using an Idea sim card since I first got a phone, and I have used it ever since. I often go on solo camping trips in Maharashtra, which is why it is essential for me to make sure that I am always connected to someone in case of an unforeseen emergency where I urgently need to get help of some sort. Also, internet access is a must since I often need to use the GPS to find my way around unfamiliar places. It has never let me down, which is why I am extremely happy with the Vodafone-Idea sim card that I own. All in all, the Aditya Birla Group is one who has played a huge role in shaping modern India, and I am extremely grateful for that.