Tracing its roots from the grandiose Haveli in Rajasthan, the Birla Family has worked meticulously over the ages to become one of Asia's richest families. Starting as a small cotton trader in the later half of 19th century, Shiva Narayan Birla would have scarcely imagined that his descendants would help create an empire so vast and so influential, that it would not just make a mark on history but also help change its course!
GD Birla was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi spent the last few months of his life as a guest of Mr. GD Birla. For a brief while, he was even editing the Hindi edition of 'Harijan'.
The core of his value, which he shared with others whenever asked, was to be honest and to be diligent. Often, he would conclude with 'Do your best.'
Coming to the present, it is evident that the family has done well to nurture these values. One only needs to experience Aditya Birla Group's 'The Power of Five' which includes Integrity, Commitment, Passion, Seamlessness and Speed. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla has further reiterated the importance of these values to his organisation saying, "Our values provide us with our roots and they provide us with our wings."
Truly, these wings have helped the group soar to new unimaginable heights. Take a good look around wherever you are and there is a good chance that there's something or someone that has been influenced by the Aditya Birla Group in one way or another. And when you step outside pay close attention to the mesmerising cacophony of experiences shaped by the Group's products. From hearing a ten year old kid wishing his father on his birthday over the phone(with Vodafone cellular service) to making small conversation with a recently retired man talking proudly about the new home(its strength provided by Ultratech Cement) he has built for his family. There is no shortage of stories such as these.
In other words, Aditya Birla Group has provided the foundation over which the dreams of many Indians are built.
The Importance Of Drive
Fate's tumultuous tempest has a habit of knocking most people off of their horse's back. The only real struggle is to get back on. And yet, I found it difficult to. Right after graduation I experienced a sense of burnout, the likes of which I had never felt before. Lost and without anybody to turn to, I contented myself with my then place in life and wandered about without any real sense of direction or purpose. There was no drive and consequently the bland ether that I found myself surrounded by refused to go away.
In hindsight, had I known then what I know now I would have dealt with the situation in a much more efficient manner. However, I would have lost a lot of valuable discoveries and learnings I made on the way. Lessons such as the surprising effectiveness of simplicity in everything, looking for greater depth in ideas than originally perceived, nurturing clarity of thought, the importance of building and retaining the core value system etc.
With these lessons in my bag, I determined to push myself to learn something new everyday. Eventually, I was able to secure a really good percentile in CAT, made substantial improvements to my technical know-how and was invigorated to learn new and greater things. In essence, I had rediscovered my drive to learn and the lesson to never take even a single day for granted.
When asked about what advice he would give to young people, GD Birla said, "Be honest and work hard. Do your best."
The greatest Aditya Birla Group contribution isn't just the product but also the values that have been nurtured and passed down. And to this end not only I but also hundreds of millions of others will remain eternally grateful.