Dr. Manmohan Singh, had this to say about Aditya Birla, "In any Hall of Fame, among the best and the brightest of the century, one name that would shine in resplendent glory is that of Aditya Vikram Birla. He belonged to that rare breed of industrialists who achieved so much in so short a span of life. He was a great visionary who himself set out a bold, uncharted path that proved that Indian businessmen are second to none when it comes to creativity and adventure.”
The Aditya Birla Group has carried forward that legacy.
I had known about the Birla group since childhood. You hear its name associated with premier educational institutes, or while reading the story of Indian independence. You hear the name on charitable hospitals or you hear it when your brilliant friend gets a scholarship.
But there are other things which may seem to be small but have impacted my life in a big way.
When I wanted to go shopping after qualifying an exam, I could not find any showrooms catering to my designs in the price I could afford. Finally, I entered into a Peter England showroom and thought that this would be my last shop. Cut to present, I am one of their most loyal customer. The prices are unmatched for a branded wear of this quality.
When I needed to wear formals for my MBA admission interview, I found a Van Heusen store. They could provide me with a perfect fitting ready-made suit, which increased my confidence manifold.
I have an Idea Sim since 10 years. I experienced smartphone internet for the first time through Idea.
My father invests in Aditya Birla Sunlife Mutual Fund and has got stable returns. We use Hindalco Frehwrapp for aluminium wraps.
The Group’s CSR activities are affecting lives of our fellow citizens and in turn influencing our lives. They have created model villages, homes. They also play a big role in health, education and conduct training workshops so people can create a sustainable livelihood.
Aditya Birla also manufactures Cement and Metals, industrial equipment whose value in our life and to India is difficult to measure. We may not even realize the contribution of Aditya Birla Group to the country’s infrastructure sector.
In recent years, I have come to realise that they play a much bigger role than I thought.
How I overcame my challenges
I hail from a small town in Bihar. Since my childhood, my father always wanted me to become an IAS officer as he had seen the respect they get. I also wanted to do something to directly have an impact on society.
Therefore, I started preparing for the Civil Services during under-graduation. However, I failed in the first stage itself. Many of my friends wanted me to take a job and prepare it afterwards. But it’s not easy to convince someone set on a goal.
I came to Delhi to prepare for it. I studied hard for one year. Notwithstanding my work, I failed again, this time by a very small margin. The frustration and disappointment I felt is hard to describe.
I had a hard choice to make. To try again or to do something else.
I learnt an important lesson from the journey – Don’t restrict your ambitions. I realized that the ambition was never to achieve a designation. It is the work that we can do from there, that is our goal. I may not be able to become an IAS officer in this life but I will achieve my ultimate goal, which is to contribute positively to this world no matter the designation.
I worked hard and got into one of the reputed B-schools of India.
Challenges keep coming in life. You may also fail to achieve your smaller ambitions. But challenges are a great teacher. What matters is that you rise up and focus on achieving the larger ambitions.
I have not achieved my ambition yet. The journey continues.