Aditya Birla Group has been big in the lives of most families of not only India but also many other countries. Aditya Birla Group with its wide spectrum of offerings has penetrated deep into the lives of the people. From construction to phone screens, from apparel to telecommunication, the conglomerate offers almost everything we want for a qualitative life.
Aditya Birla Group has been an integral part of my life too. When I was in my 6th standard, we were constructing our house back in Hyderabad. I remember my father having an argument with the mason that we had appointed about the brand of cement that was delivered for the construction. My father always used to tell us not to compromise on the quality, both the quality of the products we purchase and the quality of the deeds we do. Being a man who walks his talks, he ensured that the whole house was constructed using UltraTech Cement only. For my family, UltraTech is the only brand of cement to be used in the constructions.
During my graduation, I loved being very funky with my dresses and always preferred casual clothing over professional clothing. But since I am a lazy shopper, I almost always used to go to pantaloons or people to buy my clothes without much thought. Shopping for me is a low involvement purchase and Aditya Birla Group’s Pantaloons and People have ensured that it stays the same throughout my graduation.
There are many other ways in which Aditya Birla Group has been a part of my journey of 23 years of life. My family used to frequent the more retail stores for grocery needs. When I got a call from NMIMS Mumbai for the interview, it was a dream come true and I did not want to compromise on my preparation or my look. I purchased a Van Heusen suit to cover the looks part. With Abof and Skult, Allen Solly and Planet Fashion, Aditya Birla Group has ensured it stays with me throughout my journey so far into NMIMS, Mumbai.
How I overcame challenges to achieve my ambitions in life so far?
I have always been a focused kid in school, curious to know how things worked, exuberant at making new friends and learning more. I never wanted to top my class or school particularly, but all I wanted was to have a satisfaction for myself that I have learned and displayed something worthy enough to have been promoted to the next class. I was determined to get into an IIT after my 10th standard but I wanted to do it differently. I preferred a college whose curriculum gave importance not only to working hard to get a seat in IIT but also to handling stress and keeping the mind cool.
Everything was going absolutely fine until one day in my 12th standard when I fell sick and had a high fever. After so many speculations for over a week, it was confirmed that I was suffering from dengue and my blood platelet count was alarmingly low. I was admitted in the hospital and was treated for over a month and was also asked to rest for another month. During the time I spent in the hospital, I had seen my parents weeping and they were in a state of a shock as they had never dreamt of their only son lying down on the hospital bed fighting for his life. Watching them weep made me afraid of death and I understood that I needed to be mentally strong to give them the strength because they already lost all strength. I told myself that I’d live and become healthy and stay happy and make them happy. I survived and got home safe.
My parents were relieved but my mind was in shambles because I had already missed the college for over 2 months and the IIT exams were not far away. I decided to curb all my negative thoughts and simply start working. I gave my 100% but failed in getting a seat in the college that I wanted to. Due to financial troubles, I had joined a local college to pursue my engineering in computer sciences.
During my graduation, I attended many workshops which were instructed by some budding entrepreneurs. I was also a part of the NGO Friends of Needy Foundation where I worked as a team leader and organized events to create environmental awareness. At one such event, I came across an incident where I witnessed the plight of Indian farmers. My interest towards being a social entrepreneur now became a strong aspiration.
I decided to get into a premier b school and get an understanding of how a business operates at a grass root levels and have an exposure in the relevant industry before venturing into fulfilling my dream. I decided to take the management entrance exams while working. After failing to crack the exams in the first attempt, I doubled my efforts and finally got into one of the most coveted b school of India.