It never occurred to me how much AB Group touched my life till I sat down to write this piece. Sample this, my father’s wardrobe consists exclusively of Louis Philippe garments, we have two idea mobile connections at home, our new house had UltraTech cement used for construction, whenever my mom and myself had gone shopping in a mall, invariably we had ended up strolling into a Pantaloons shop!!!. Not to mention the products like aluminium, copper, VSF, carbon black, etc which all go into a host of products/services which are directly or indirectly consumed every day by all of us.
Imagine that the ABG decides not to market its products/services for one week and think about the chaos it can create for the businesses and the society at large in India. The magnitude of that picture will show how BIG the group influences our life. But for the presence of corporations like ABG, which contributed commendably in building the economy, I believe that India would have continued to remain with the ‘underdeveloped country’ tag forever. Unfortunately, India as a society is yet to appreciate and recognize the dimension of how a private enterprise like ABG is critical and important to the daily life of a common man.
So it is clear that ABG has a BIG role in my life, but it can still be BIGGER if I get an opportunity to contribute as a professional to the group after I pass out of IMT. The kind of exposure a young mind can get through the sheer presence of the group in a wide range of domains could be unparalleled. I would like to draw an analogy with the Civil Services where bright minds get opportunities to move across various domains and handle great responsibilities. ABG could be one of the very few organisations offering such wonderful opportunities.
How I overcame my challenges.
I still remember the day before my CAT Exam. With every corner of my heart filled with anxiousness, I coaxed myself, “One challenge and thereafter, the beginning of my transformation!”. I’d been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember. My CAT preparation journey had been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. But this journey was one, that taught me the most.
A challenge, a term I often used for CAT, made me realize my strengths, my weaknesses, and changed me in a way, I could never have imagined. All the superpowers used by me, to overcome this challenge, were inculcated in me since childhood. My Alma Mater, my school, which laid the building blocks of my personality, has made me the person I am today. I feel powerful when I say that I had learnt some of the most important life values while I was a kid at school.
‘Discipline’, the value that made me find comfort in chaos, also taught me the importance of being consistent with my commitments. Late night studies were never an excuse for skipping a single class at 6 in the morning. ‘Persistence’ made me balance my college chores like exams and submissions, parallel with Cat preparation. ‘Determination’ to overcome this challenge and discover what lay ahead, was the key motivation throughout this enriching learning experience. The fear of failure constantly haunted me, gave me a number of sleepless nights, but my firm resolve of ‘never giving up’, kept me going. I kept fighting back with all the strength I had to realize my ambition- ‘Admission in a prestigious B-school‘.
Every experience is orchestrated in life to teach us something. This experience taught me that, even when you try to escape challenges, you never really can because life and challenges are intertwined. What you can do is, face challenges head on, grow with them and learn from them. So from now on, my only objective is to learn.
