Aditya Birla Group is present in my life. It is present in the cement that built our home, the cellular network I’ve been using ever since I got my first phone, the clothing I pick when I need to make a mark, also most probably in the tires that drive my family around and the cans of my favourite drinks. So, yeah it’s presence is big as well. But ABG is not just products, it’s memories too. I remember my childhood filled with the humming of “walk and talk, talk and walk”. I remember forcing my dad off the couch when he was on the phone.
But there’s more. When I grew up, I had to face the inevitable harsh realities that life has to offer. I saw children surviving on their own, with no hope. I realised that opportunities are only for the privileged in the truest sense. That made me rethink my achievements. That made me think about giving back to the society and this is where ABG is really big in my life. There are brands we love and then there are brands we respect. For me ABG is respect. ABG touches 7.5 million lives a year. They fill the tummies of over 60,000 children. They operate in 5000 villages and run 20 hospitals, 5000 medical camps. They operate 56 schools across the country and donate a future to around 50,000 children, the children who will grow up to become the society, who will reinforce our economy, who will bring in their ideas and innovations to the forefront because ABG gave them a chance. And most importantly they promote the culture of giving back. They lead by example and stand behind people like me to say it is possible. And thus, for me ABG is assurance and it was felt when I had to come out of my comfort zone to help the underprivileged children. I joined an NGO named UPAY (www.upay.org.in) because I saw them work hard to give the underprivileged children around them a fighting chance. And when you see someone work so hard you start to redefine your limits. You start realising new dreams.
I was always in awe of the people who participated and completed long distance cycle marathons but I myself never had the courage to pick one up until I finally did. They say a marathon is more mental than physical. It shows our inner strength and It is the place where muscles might fall but hearts can get you past. The marathon was for 150 km and here’s a man who’s never gone above 10 km. I do a trial run for 50 Km with my bike and realise, with my average speed, I am never making it in time and if 50 Km can be so intense, what about the 150 that’s coming up. I buy a new bike to give myself a fighting chance and start using it for my everyday needs and literally all of them. Even those that spanned for tens of kilometres, because the need to reach somewhere can be a great motivation. And I finally end my practice with a Sunday that involved, me travelling from Dwaraka to Connaught place to Rohini Sec-11 and then back to Dwaraka. That was a day when a cycle was completely able to replace metro for me. On the day of the marathon, I was still nervous because my highest distance travelled was still only half of what I was expected to do that day. I start my journey, I brave back ache and saddle sores to reach the halfway point only to realize that one of my brakes has been slightly rubbing off on the wheel all this while and ‘slightly’ in a marathon doesn’t carry the same meaning. I sat down to repair but soon realized my toolkit was not prepared for this and since time was of the essence, I decided to continue. Although the thought of needing to work harder than what it takes scared me, I had no choice. This time I was more focused. I drove past the others as fast as I could because I wasn’t sure about the future. I prayed for my cycle to not breakdown. I saw people slowing down despite their best efforts and I learned to say no and move ahead if I felt I was being slowed down. And I reached the finish line. I reached it in 8hrs 47mins (just 13 minutes before the deadline) with reduced consciousness and a dead battery. Now when I look back at those 13 minutes, I realize every minute was earned by me with the research I did, the trial runs I made, the cycle I bought, the habits I developed, the determination I showed and the decisions I took. The medal now hangs on my wall and reminds me everyday of what I am and can become capable of.
Thus ABG was there in my past, it is there in my present and I am proud to say that it will be there in my future because their deeds have returns that are exponential in nature and impacts that might never get traced back to them. Their actions might have inspired millions of youngsters around the world and I’m one of them.
Thank you ABG for my favourite hum, thank you for most of my favourite clothes and thank you for being powerful yet soft. And yes, “I still walk and talk, talk and walk” and you guys are to blame for the impulse I feel to get up and walk off whenever I receive a call.
Thank you ABG for being big in my life.