I would say I became associated with Aditya Birla Group since the day I was born. I say that because my father got an opportunity to work with Hindalco just 2 days after I was born. My mother still tells me how the celebrations were twice the scale, and happiness that surrounded. I obviously never had a clue about what Hindalco and ABG were all about till the time my father started telling me stories of the Birla’s and how they, with sheer hard work, dedication and by targeting the correct opportunities became the leaders they are today.
I belong to a city which is better called the City of Oranges, Nagpur. Nagpur started to develop at a rapid pace since the last 10 years. But I still remember the times when I used to visit my uncle in Mumbai during summers and crib about not having a single shopping mall in Nagpur, the one with perfect lighting and the best clothes to offer. After a short while, Nagpur got its first shopping mall, a pretty big Pantaloons store in our vicinity. Pantaloons was my introduction to fashion. The fashion I knew as a teenager, was what the store taught me, and trust me, it has been quite a merry journey with Pantaloons and fashion together. My journey with Pantaloons is still going strong, I must say, but now there have been additions to the list, as I moved to Hyderabad and started to earn. I remember the first time I had to buy formal clothes for myself. I rushed to a nearby Allen Solly and Van Heusen store and they had everything I needed, from clothes to shoes. I then started stocking up my Party clothes from Forever 21 eventually, and the journey with fashion thus continued.
I now realize ABG has been around me, always. While I write this article, I am talking to my mother through our Idea Cellular family sim card networks, as I head to buy my father a Peter England shirt, the one he loves the most, for his birthday tomorrow. Such is the influence of the Aditya Birla Group in my life!
Talking about the challenges I faced in my life, I consider myself lucky to not have been going through any life-threatening situations. There have been times when I thought I will not be able to make it through, but according to me its just the will that drives you from within.
One such incident happened to me whilst I was a teenager, preparing diligently for my JEE exam, day in and day out. It was just a while ago that I had learned to drive a scooty, by consistently cribbing to my father about it. I used to drive myself to the tuition classes. Since the JEE exam was just around the corner, 10 days ahead, I was pulling off "all-nighters" and attending classes simultaneously. One such morning while I was heading for my classes, I met with an accident that fractured my knee. The first thought that came to my mind was just that I needed to appear for the exam, somehow. My left leg was plastered, with some bruises here and there. My parents were my only source of motivation and energy in those 10 days. Ignoring the pain was the toughest things to do, apart from the fact that I had to switch between my visits to the doctor and classes simultaneously. Of course, there were people to help, but it was the willpower that made me go ahead. On the D-day, it was the people at the exam centre who were very helpful, they actually anchored me through. That was the day I realized how lucky I am to be born without any physical disabilities, and how we always forget to thank nature for empowering us, our heart and brain to go through the most difficult times. I realized that no being and no part of our body should we take for granted because we never really know what nature has in store for us. What we always take for granted teaches us the most in life. Some champions overcome the physical challenges they face with vigour and optimism and that is what we can learn from nature and people around us. Challenges are faced by many, but graced by a few, is what we can surely decipher!