Since then, I’ve never looked back. I strongly believe the hurdles in life are temporary and just a tool to test one’s resilience. Conceding to difficulties is never an option in my life. During my B.Tech, I was a part of the Anti-Drug Abuse/Depression team headed by Ms. Prema Aiyyer (Student Affairs & Well Being Consultant UPES). As a team, our goal was to motivate and support students who fell in the trap of drug abuse due to academics and peer pressure. As a result of constant counselling and mentoring of the victims, that we successfully managed to put a curb on drug abuse and depression significantly.
My mantra for life is simple yet effective; One’s aspirations should be large enough to overpower the obstacles in life. Every set of challenges make us more future ready to take on a newer set of challenges, and in this process, we refine ourselves constantly.
How ABG Has Had An Impact On My Life
The roots of the Aditya Birla Group go back to almost a century before India’s independence from colonial rule. Indeed, its role in India’s economic history is tied inextricably with the nation’s quest for political freedom. The foundation of the Birla business empire, which was eventually divided among the members of the subsequent generations, was laid by Shiv Narayan Birla, who started cotton trading in Pilani, Rajasthan, in 1857.
Today, many of the group firms are in the league of Fortune 500 companies. It has over 120,000 employees from 42 nations and operates in 36 countries. Notably, 50% of the Aditya Birla Group’s revenue comes from its overseas operations. The group has a presence in non-ferrous metals, cement, textiles, chemicals, agri-business, carbon black, mining, wind power, insulators, telecommunications, financial services, retail and trading solutions. The group owns one of the top three telecom companies in India, the nation’s largest cement manufacturer and one of its top retailers.
The Aditya Birla Group works in 5,000 villages, reaching out to 7.5 million people annually through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development with over a million patients treated at 5,000 medical camps and our 20 hospitals annually. At their 56 schools across India, they provide quality education to 46,500 children. Merit Scholarships are given to 32,000 children from the interiors. Over 28,000 children in the hinterland of India are being taught conversational English to build their confidence. The Vocational Training Centres and the Aditya Birla Rural Technology Park accord training in sustainable livelihood projects to 95,000 people.
Across the country, the group has helped build community halls, school blocks, playgrounds, approach roads, solar lights, water harvesting structures, installed hand pumps, facilitated village drainage systems, impacting the lives of nearly 500,000 people. The ABG is engaged in creating model villages in rural India. This is a game-changing transformative project for which they have chosen 300 villages.
In a five-year timeframe, the villages will be self-reliant in every aspect, moving out of the ‘below the poverty line’ status. So far, more than 90 villages in India's hinterland have already reached the level of model villages. These are located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Comments
Neelesh Kumar
I am an Academician, a management professional and a Researcher.
Good sharing Upasna! I teach at NMIMS in School of Commerce. Prof. Neelesh Kumar
5 Jul 2019, 11.27 AM