In India, a typical day cannot begin without remembering our gods, similarly, the story of the great Indian Business Families cannot be told without the mention of Tata-Birla-Ambani.
The conception of the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) conglomerate dates back to the 19th Century in Pilani, Rajasthan where the pioneer (Late) Mr. Seth Shiv Narayan Birla started as trading in cotton. Though the country lost its first fight for independence the Aditya Birla Group grew from strength to strength. Be it showing nationalistic fervor against the British through blending entrepreneurship with pro-activism or contributing to nation building by establishing country’s finest higher education institutions in Engineering and Management fields or starting a pan India newspaper publication etc. it was hence clear that the Sun was just rising for them. In the newly independent India, being Indian was synonymous with the group values. Aditya Birla Group has a household presence as almost all the millennial owe their first house, first car or bike, and many other firsts’ to its various brands. I still recall putting on my first set of business formals of Louis Philippe and feeling sharp and empowered. I felt that the 2 piece was a power suit. I guess, this is what anyone feels when they get associated with the brand and hence continue to be a part of the legacy. A legacy of unrelenting and unparalleled pursuit in touching people’s lives and making a difference in them through all the means possible.
I could never forget the evening of 7th March 2006. As my exams were to begin the day after I was visiting the Sankat Mochan, Hanuman Temple with my parents. Also, one of my friends who were my classmates too used to stay in the same neighborhood as of the temple and I decided to visit him later. My parents dropped me at his place and told me that they will pick me up in an hour or so. It had been roughly twenty minutes since they had left when I heard a loud explosion. We all were confused and scared as what exactly had happened when we heard another explosion which was not that far. My friend’s father then told us to stay inside while he finds out what exactly happened. Those ten minutes of silence were eerily scary for me. He came back and told us they were bomb blasts that happened near the temple. Hearing those words I got deeply scared and worried about my parents and instantly asked for uncle’s cellphone. Every bell ringing was sinking me lower. I was unable to reach out to them and was begging and crying for uncle to please drop me at my place. However, the area being cordoned off it was impossible for me to leave. Ten minutes later, my friend’s father got a call and to my utter relief, it was my father calling. They had stopped at a Planet Fashion store to look for some shirts and because of no signal there could not connect so were calling from the store’s phone and were fine. Recalling this incident sends chills every time through my body.