A couple of years back, I visited a temple in the Connaught Place area of Delhi. It has been there since 1930s and I have been in Delhi since 28th March, 1997 but it was my first visit to this temple. I don't believe in the concept of religion and I went there just to spend a nice evening with my family. Connaught Place on a Sunday evening turns into a sea of people and I didn't expect any less from a temple situated in the heart of Delhi. But it was not like that. It was one of the most peaceful evening I had ever spent. I sat down there and I felt as if I have left behind all my worries at the entrance. I reflected upon the most important questions of our existence, where do we come from? Where are we going? The experience for me was something that you would feel if you meditate with your eyes wide open. It is a beautiful place, filled with warmth, serenity and love. I asked my father why is it called Birla Temple? He told me that it was built by Baldeo Das Birla, son of the founder of the prestigious Birla Group. It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Now I could see it. The temple was a reflection of Mahatma Gandhi's idea of religion. He believed in meditation and offering prayers in the purest form. It seemed as if the place had not changed an inch in the past eighty years. This I believe is what makes Aditya Birla Group take India to the World. To build a strong organization is one thing, to sustain that organization for 162 years and counting is one thing, but to dedicate your organization to building a country is just another thing. The values of this great nation sparkles in each and every operation of Aditya Birla Group like the colors in a kaleidoscope. Aditya Birla Group as an organization upholds the gold standard of Corporate Culture. No wonder, when the financial system was plagued with scams, it was KM Birla under whose guidance Corporate Governance reforms were unleashed with full-steam. The recommendations of the KM Birla Committee were taught to us under both Business Ethics and Corporate Governance. When I read about his contribution, I believe, my faith in the Financial System found a new voice. I am someone with a strong value system based on integrity, equality and honesty. Would I have pursued Finance had there not been these set of reforms, I highly doubt it. I recently watched a documentary on 2008 Financial Crisis. I was deeply disturbed after getting a detailed perspective on what transpired in 2008. Then, I looked up on the internet and saw Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund is among the top performing mutual funds in India. There would be many companies, but the rich legacy of Aditya Birla Group reaffirms the belief of prospective managers like me that there are companies that will help you add value to your ethical framework as well as set a strong foundation for a successful career.
I had decided in class 11th only that I wanted to do MBA after graduation. I appeared for CAT in the final year of my graduation. I had worked really hard for over an year and a half. I was a Senior Executive in the Commerce Society of my college, I was the Chief-Editor of the annual magazine of the Commerce Department and I was the Vice-president of the Debating Society of my college. I was a very strong contender for the post of the President of both the Societies. Yet, I choose to end my association with both the societies so that I could focus on CAT. I had a single aim in mind to crack the CAT and land into a leading B-School. But I failed. I got a very low percentile. I had no interview calls from any college. I appeared for a couple of Job Interviews, my confidence was so low that I failed in those interviews miserably.
But I never gave up. It never even crossed my mind. I accepted the verdict gracefully and was determined to make a dent the next time. In order to add to my knowledge, I applied for CFA Level-1. I passed the exam and it helped me develop a genuine interest in the field of Finance. Now it was time to start preparing for CAT. I knew I had failed the last time because of my fear of being wrong. This time I knew that I had to conquer my fear and stop second guessing myself. I backed myself and secured a percentile high enough to secure calls from many of the leading B-Schools.
I was relieved. I took admission at IIM Ranchi. I was supposed to appear for CFA Level-2 a day before coming to Ranchi for the start of my program. I didn't have sufficient time for shopping but I managed to find some time because I wanted to buy a nice business formal suit. I went to many a stores in Delhi but I had this particular problem that I am comfortable with different size option for the Blazer and Trouser. So, none of the stores were willing to provide me that. Then after a long day, I went to Van Heusen. I found a beautiful piece of black formal suit. I told the sales person about my size preference to which he agreed. I tried the suit and I stood in front of the mirror. There, there. It was a perfect fit. I am very fond of black suits. I still remember I didn't buy as much as a handkerchief for an entire year so that I could buy a decent tuxedo for my school farewell. But this time it had to be even more special as I was buying a suit for the induction programme of IIM Ranchi.
However, what surprised me was the fact that a foreign brand had offered such flexibility in size preference as such brands usually follow standardization. Then I looked up on the internet about Van Heusen and there it was the inevitable Birla connection to high customer satisfaction.
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