"Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life."
Aditya Birla Group, the third-largest Indian private sector conglomerate, operates in 35 countries and has a revenue of over 100 billion USD. The group has its interests in viscose staple fibre, metals, cement (largest in India), branded apparel, chemicals, fertilizers, financial services, telecom, BPO and IT services. So it's impossible to imagine a life that has not been touched by ABG directly or indirectly.
Unless living under a rock, one would have clearly seen the rise of the online food industry in India. Getting the desired food items delivered at our doorsteps whenever we need it, without having to go out and get it ourselves, sounded revolutionary even a few years ago. But this blessing did not come without its own share of challenges. Ensuring the quality of food is of prime and utmost importance, and the role of aluminium foils in this regard cannot be discounted. A lot of industries failed because they were a little too early in the market where the necessary tools required for the business to thrive were not available at an economical cost. And the online food industry cannot thank ABG’s subsidiary Hindalco enough for enabling them to carry out their vision of delivering high-quality food at the doorsteps of customers, that remain warm even hours after they arrive. I, for one, am grateful to this company for letting me take care of my late night cravings.
To understand the importance of ABG in the fashion industry, one needs to have clarity regarding the roles that brands play in the market. Customers do not evaluate a product with respect to every parameter while shopping. A psychological approach is required to build faith in the minds of the consumers and make them believe that a particular brand is always associated with top-notch quality. ABG has multiple brands under its umbrella that ensure product quality, thereby gaining trust and customer satisfaction for over decades now. Brands like Van Heusen, Louis Philippe and Allen Solly have become household names in the formal apparel industry. I safely rely on these brands that provide me with a diverse range of the latest, in-fashion and comfortable formalwear to choose from. And ABG has been doing a wonderful job in making these available to us with their more than efficient distribution network. ABG also tends to the needs of the middle-class society with their line of products usually launched under the umbrella of Pantaloons Fashion and Retail, making fashion available to all sections of the society.
ABG also has players in the telecom market. The importance of competition in the telecom industry cannot be stressed enough. ABG’s Idea Cellular, after its merger with Vodafone India, is not only ensuring stiff competition at the top but is also the largest telecom company in terms of subscriber and revenue. Being a faithful Vodafone subscriber myself for over a decade now, I am reaping the benefits of this competition every day, by not having to pay exorbitant prices that I might have had to if there was a single company at the top with no competition whatsoever, deciding the prices themselves and ensuring monopoly over the market.
All of the above constitute just the tip of the iceberg. There are still a plethora of different fields where ABG or its subsidiaries are making a mark. And they have certainly impressed me and have found themselves a loyal customer.
"How I overcame challenges to achieve my ambitions in life so far."
Growing up I came across the term “Calling” quite a number of times. But somehow, the term just didn’t resonate with me. If you want something in your life, you should just go and get it. A young and immature version of myself thought, ‘Who waits for their calling?’. To understand the challenges that I faced in my life, I’d first like to clarify what a life of luxury means: A roof on top of your head, food served four times a day, nice clothes to wrap yourself in, needless to say, I never had to worry about any of them. But what made my life luxurious is that I got to enjoy all these benefits without ever having to pay for any of it. As my father took care of it all. To add to it, I had a job myself to cater to my wants. Life was good.
About two years ago, I lost my father. The primary bread earner of my family was now gone. Devastated, I had to park my sorrows, easier said than done, and steer my family through the hardships. I no longer had the privilege of enjoying the basic necessities of life for free. I made tweaks in my financial plans and worked harder at my job to be able to do all that my father did. Slowly I started gaining financial security and within a year and a half, I started saving. I was now confident of winning in life and going all the way.
It was around that time that NMAT and CAT registrations had begun, and a majority of my friends were appearing and reappearing for these exams. It was also around that time when I started exploring the field of marketing, out of personal interest. This subject reignited a spark within me, something that I had lost due to the life of responsibility that I had undertaken. I was psyched. I finally knew what I wanted to do with my life. Maybe, I finally found my calling. But I was at a crossroad, whether to leave the life of responsibility and pursue my passion or to stay back and look after the family. Fast forward a year, I am studying in one of the most prestigious institutions of the country. I have a loan to take care of my education, my ever-supportive mother continued her job as a teacher to take care of herself and I have my savings to cater to my personal expenses. If there is something that I have learnt from this entire experience, its this: We should never underestimate ourselves. We need to get rid of any shred of self-doubt and keep working towards our goals, come what may. Not a single soul can stop us from achieving what we truly wish to achieve. I have finally found my calling, and I am not letting it go easy!
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