Few conglomerates around the world have an impact on our daily lives as the Aditya Birla Group of Companies. Be it connecting with our loved ones or the development of our beloved nation; the group has had its hand in everything. Idea after its merger with Vodafone has become the company with the most extensive customer base in India, Hindalco is one of the most reputed copper and aluminium manufacturing companies of the country, and Ultratech Cement is India’s largest manufacturer of grey and white cement.
The group has been shaping India’s fashion for an extended period with brands offering a wide variety in both styles and affordability. The range starts with in house brands from Pantaloons like Bare, Ajile, Honey and many more. It delves into a relatively premium segment with Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly etc. followed by collaborations with foreign designers by Simon Carter. Aditya Birla Group is also the exclusive partner in India for premium clothing brands like Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Hackett etc.
It is easy to forget that the same conglomerate has created so many of the things that we interact with or use. We talk to our loved ones every day on Vodafone’s vast network, wear clothes out of the incredible variety of brands offered to us by Aditya Birla Group every other day. We see so many buildings made with Ultratech Cement, without ever realising it.
Personally, the group has played a vital role in providing the opportunity to present myself the way I want to, in college, or at work. As a management student at the J D Birla Institute in Kolkata during my Under Graduation, I visited the 6 Sigma certified Jaya Shree Textiles plant in Rishra. There, we were shown the processes involved in making wool ready for production by turning them into huge yarns. As luck would have it, the same group gave me the chance to work as an Intern at one of its premier fashion stores, Pantaloons. More significantly, the oldest Pantaloons store in Kolkata, situated at Gariahat. After interning there for a month as a Visual Merchandiser, I emerged smarter and more informed about the workings of a multidepartmental store. I also learned the importance of creating a uniform atmosphere for all stores of a brand. It helps create a clear perception of a consumer towards the brand.
There is no life without challenge; coming up is one I faced very recently. My sister suffered an ACL tear in December of 2018, just a week before SNAP. She lives alone on the other side of the world altogether, and the only feasible option was for me to go and help her out. The reason behind it was that I had become fluent in driving a car in America owing to my last visit. I could cook and make sure she takes all her medicines on time. This presented me with a dilemma, whether I should leave right away or at least wait for my XAT exam. I had almost booked the tickets when I got a call from my sister’s friend. She told me that Priya (my sister) is feeling extremely bad that I might miss my XAT exam because of her. She assured me that she would take care of my sister and that I should not be too worried and give my XAT before going there. “The surgery would take place in January anyway”, she said.
I boarded the flight a couple of days after giving the entrance test while most of my friends were preparing for the GD, WAT and PI processes for the colleges. I was worried about my sister’s leg here. A more significant challenge was adapting to the frigid weather in Michigan during that point of the year. As a person who has been born and brought up in Kolkata, this was my first experience with sub-zero temperatures. I had to learn to drive on the snow, to scrape snow off of the car. All meanwhile, making sure my sister eats her food and medicines on time and doesn’t put unwarranted stress on her leg. Then came the day of the surgery, scheduled at 9 in the morning, at a hospital 30 miles from home. There was a snowstorm predicted for the day, and fortunately, I made the correct choice of catching a cab rather than driving there myself. It would have been next to impossible for me to drive in those harsh conditions, on standard tyres. Somehow, I got my sister back home in the snow. The difficulty was mainly in getting her out of the car and into her house, which was one storey up in a building with no elevator. I came back to Kolkata a day before my TAPMI interview, and also managed to convert that call. But the real joy came when I converted IIM Ranchi.
In retrospect, I feel glad I am sitting here, and even more pleased that my sister is doing fine and I was able to help her out. In the end, I realised if we stay optimistic and do not lose hope, everything works out just fine.