Employing as many as 1,20,000 employees, spanning 34 countries and belonging to 42 nationalities, Aditya Birla Group has truly made #BigInMYLife. From the t-shirt I’m wearing right now, to the internet connection I’m using currently, Aditya Birla Group has a big-time presence in my life. Forever 21, my favorite brand, provides me with unique out-of-the-box outfits and is a part of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. Aditya Birla Group uses 100% natural and eco-friendly fabrics where two of its garments are sold every second which isn’t a minor feat.
Being a student at the MBA program at IIFT, formals are an inevitable part of my life, and my go to brands for the same are Van Heusen and Allen Solly. Also the internet connection I use, Vodafone Idea is the best of the lot. After all, It is the 2nd largest telecom operator in the country.
Not just in fashion and telecommunication, we can feel the presence of Aditya Birla Group in various other ways. Every 3rd aluminium can that we use, is made from Novelis Aluminium. We use vehicles for transportation on a daily basis and the tire in every 2nd car in the world has Birla Carbon. From the cement used in our houses, to the fertilizers used in farming, from insulators, to chemicals, Aditya Birla Group has its presence almost everywhere. Aditya Birla Group is also the 3rd largest Non Banking Financial Company in India. So, Aditya Birla in my life? Everywhere.
My mother is somebody who has always had a passion for fashion designing. She started a very small venture, wherein, she would design customized outfits for people and put them for sale as per orders. Slowly and gradually, word started spreading in the neighborhood about this. I, because of my family background, have always been a business enthusiast. I could see the potential of opening up a boutique. But the customer base that we had and the amount of awareness that people had was still not sufficient to take such a big leap and make such a big decision.
Moreover, it is a very tough job, to start any venture with negligible funds. Yet, my mom and I were very much determined to make it work. The biggest challenge was how to make people aware of the start-up and get the business running in the neighborhood.
We felt that to make our products known, we would have to create a brand that everyone would remember. We started advertising our products on the internet and I suggested various other basic, low cost marketing strategies. We set up a strategy of putting up exhibitions for marketing our products. This helped us market our products at minimum marketing cost, since the visitors could not only get acquainted to the brand there, but could also shop at the same time. This helped us build up a huge and loyal customer base. So now, we have a boutique, named Be-Kasida Haat, one of the best local designer store in the city.
Life is not easy, especially the corporate world. My challenging journey, especially one for my family has taught how to survive the difficult, the crucial and the vital phases of life.