Ultratech, Grasim, Hindalco, Idea and Pantaloons. These are not just one of India’s largest conglomerate’s brands. They signify much more than that. They represent independent India’s diverse values: modern without sacrificing traditional values, fulfilling their economic responsibility towards shareholders without surrendering the sense of public duty, gracious to invited guests and strangers alike.
The Birla group, right from its genesis and evolution, has deeply imbued its business philosophy with Gandhi’s socio-economic concept of trusteeship. Since the early 2000’s, the group has been following an inorganic growth strategy by building scale through acquisitions and cementing leadership positions in relevant sectors. Today, a US $44.3 billion corporation, ABG is active in 14 industry sectors and has achieved global and national leadership in several businesses.
The group understands the changing dynamics and mercurial nature of current business environment. For this purpose, it has developed a robust innovation platform which is Aditya Birla Science and Technology Company Private Limited (ABSTCPL). It continually innovates to meet the needs of customers and the market. For instance, Birla Cellulose' Liva is a new age fabric made from natural fibres produced from wood pulp, a natural renewable resource. Novelis holds over 130 patents in the development of aluminum products for the automotive industry. UltraTech Cement has innovated new ways of making cement manufacturing more sustainable.
These innovations are impacting us through all spectrums by meeting the ever growing demands of the millennials and at the same time shifting focus from the traditional non renewable sources to unorthodox sources which are friendly to the environment. Hence, it instills values of compassion and ingenuity in me and drives me to work harder each day.
Similarly, facing challenges is all about building resilience and having a far sighted vision. At the end of the day, the outcome doesn’t matter as much as the process through which one undergoes to surmount the hard times. It is these challenges which develop a strong character and a mindset that makes us ready for the ultimate battles in life.
I have been through a lot of failures in my life. However, what I consider failure is very subjective. Some people won’t consider it as failing but everyone has a different perspective and benchmarks. When I was 13, my father enrolled me for Karate classes. I hated it. I considered it a drag, notwithstanding the physical burden it put on my body. There used to be grading tests after every few months, depending upon your den (Karate jargon for belt level). These tests used to be tough; the instructors making you go through a series of activities like doing sit-ups to engaging in hard core fights. These tests took a toll on me because I was never an athletic guy .But slowly, I realised it was more about perseverance than being physically fit. I managed to reach the 8th den by the time I was 15; but alas, at my 9th grading test, I broke my toe nails of both foot and was not able to do karate anymore. I had failed to reach my destination (The 10th den i.e. Black belt); however, in a span of two years, I was a completely different person. I was not afraid of taking challenges any more, knowing that it was something which needed to be done no matter what the cost.
I carried this mindset in all spheres of my life. The irony is that even with such a mindset, I still kept on failing. However, with each challenge, I became more dauntless. I was not afraid of taking initiatives and did what needed to be done. Now that I am in final year of MBA, the pressure sometimes feels insurmountable. But my experience of dealing with challenges is helping me a lot and I am sure that I will reap the fruits at the end of the day.
