A
Aditya Birla Group, a name so powerful that it can bring a sense of pride in an Indian and a sensation of fear in its rivals. There is not doubt about ABG’s contribution in shaping the modern India, Birla group has revolutionized numerous industries with decades of hard work and excellence.
It would be a lie to say that I am not aware about ABG and its brands. Without even knowing, I have been using their products for so many years. But, the first instance of association with the group that comes to my mind after reading the topic is 2008 movie ‘Ghajini. The action movie starring Amir Khan portrayed him as a successful businessman in dapper and sophisticated clothes. I forced my parents to take me to Van Heusen store and buy similar clothes. It might be a small instance, but it shows that ABG has not only changed the game in manufacturing industry but also transformed fashion industry along with so many other industries.
The other thing that really make me appreciate ABG is their CSR efforts. Being a member of the CSR club at IIM Raipur, I constantly research about such initiatives and ABG has done a transformative work in this domain. From hospitals and schools to providing mid-day meals to thousands of students, ABGs work is beyond appreciation. This is why, Aditya Birla Group is big in my life as I feel our goals of changing society are aligned.
B
After graduating as a mechanical engineer, I had no clue where I needed to go and what I wanted from my life. The dilemma of assessing career paths and choosing the right direction was a nightmare, I had three options: go for higher education, search for a job or pursue my lifelong dream of starting a start up in the domain of sustainable development. It was a constant fight among my dreams and the external factors affecting my decision and the result was constant tension and depression.
To my luck, I was offered a role in a start-up started by the undergraduate school, where I got the opportunity to work as a project engineer. This job helped me shape my thoughts about my aspirations from life and gave me the opportunity & support to work on my personal start up project. After one and a half year of hard work, the outcome was not that fruitful and career choice dilemma resurfaced. A failed start up attempt and an interesting job with no growth was not the future that I aimed for. The struggle of internal satisfaction and survival combined with the societal pressure again started to take a toll on my mental health.
After giving a careful thought, I planned to go for MBA but getting admission in a premier B-school in a country like India was the next challenge. After two attempts, finally I landed into one of the most prestigious B-schools of the country, IIM Raipur. Being an average student with no academic accolades, getting into an IIM was like a dream come true. This is the story of every other Indian student, but back to back hurdles, failures and challenges made me a strong individual.