Aditya Birla Group is ‘BIG’ on everything it does. A Vibrant and dynamic conglomerate having its presence in 5 continents, spanning 34 countries. The group has a total of 38 Companies under its umbrella active across 14 sectors and offers products and services from microscopic Birla Carbon nanoparticles to projects as massive as the construction of Mumbai’s Bandra- Worli Sealink.
Aditya Birla Group has been an indispensable part of my life and continues to do so on multiple tangible and intangible levels. Vodafone-Idea limited was my very first network and continues to be my primary network on account of its excellent customer service and network coverage. Vodafone-Idea has helped me stay connected to my ancestral village which is in the remote hinterlands, 25km from Aurangabad. ABFRL brands including Van Heusen, Louis Philippe and Peter England were my go-to brands for all things formal for my Pre-MBA shopping. I have always identified with Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Louis Philippe as these brands complement my personality and I feel comfortable with myself in them. My Childhood house which has witnessed all my sweet memories continues to grow beautifully even after 25 years. Freshwrapp has been responsible for keeping my food Fresh and hot throughout my school and college life. Aditya Birla is the Global leader in Aluminium rolling, Viscose staple fibre. It is also the 2nd biggest telecom company and the 3rd largest manufacturer of cement in the world.
Aditya Birla gives special emphasis to its CSR initiative reaching 7.5 million people. As a part of its CSR programme, It works with the Government on various schemes like Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan, MGNREGA, Swach Bharat Abhiyan to name a few, reaching and making a difference in the lives of the people living in the lower reaches of the Indian Society.
‘Big in your life’. This statement resonates with me as it does with ABG. I have always considered myself as an ambitious person. Being amongst the topper of my school during the 10th Standard, I expected bigger things from me going forward. Then came 11th and with it came a sense of freedom and liberty, I lost focus during this phase and as a result failed miserably in 12th and subsequent Engineering Entrance exams. This was a pivotal event as after that I became more focused on my Engineering and academics and everything that I did. I resolved to not repeat my mistakes and to make it Big and to get into a Top B-School in India. But the journey was not a smooth one. I could not make the cut in my first attempt despite preparing very hard. During my second attempt, I prepared very hard and secured Interview calls from top B-Schools. But it was not to be and I could get into only a tier 2 college. There were instances where in, I was about to give up but I persisted and decided to give it one final try. I worked pretty hard and was proverbially third time lucky, securing a seat in the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
My journey so far has taught me to look at failures as a stepping stone rather than setbacks. Moving forward I do not fear failures and strongly believe in the words of Chairman Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, “Failure is not fatal, Failure is inevitable. If you don’t fail, it perhaps means you aren’t taking enough risks”.