ABGLP: A Feather In My Cap | Rukhsar Choudhary, IIM Visakhapatnam

From being a girl who hardly stood up for what was right for her to emerge like a phoenix after a long journey of self-realization, ABGLP has been a part of my major life decisions. ABGLP has been making a difference in society since 1857. This corporate giant hasn't left even a single stone unturned and has transcended the conventional boundaries of business when it comes to giving back to society. Aditya Birla group never shies away from coming face to face with the real-world problems. It has done a commendable job when it comes to Madurai fashion & Limited launching the micro manufacturing scheme for women, thereby enabling them to set up small garment manufacturing units and rose from simple ranks of the supervisor to become the entrepreneurs.

Aditya Birla Group has been since its inception appeared to me as someone who never runs away from giving back to the society which it operates in. Aditya Birla Group has made it a point not to let the right of education of any student suffer due to economic constraints and thereby started the Aditya Birla Scholarships that grants scholarships to 500 achievers for higher studies. It has also set its foot in the retail business where it owns most of the brands that I as a girl has always shopped for and loves to revisit the store without even giving it a second thought. Right from Allen Solly to Peter England ABG never lets down its customer or question the quality that they buy or the variety that the stores offer. Its telecom services have also brought enough connectivity to be in contact with the loved ones seems to be more accessible.

Apart from what roles ABG plays in my life when it comes to providing me with comfort, sense of belongingness and the whole of the pampering is that one truly understands how thankful I’m to ABG for making me what I’m today. I did my winter training with Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance during my Second year of graduation. A month-long session of learning from Mr. Zaman Akhtar has changed me completely as a person and also gave me a chance to gain some knowledge in the fields of Portfolio Management, Equity Research, Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis, Mutual Funds, Life Insurance, etc. I remember walking into Birla Sun life Insurance all naïve without any confidence in putting forward my thoughts in front of people. The sessions at the winter training of Public Speaking, Team Building, Negotiation and Sales, etc. helped me develop as a peoples' person that I'm today. The immense guidance that was provided to me in month-long endeavor with Birla Sun Life Insurance gives me pleasure and pride to rightfully call this as Aditya Birla spreading its magic touch and changing lives of people.

PART B

"Life isn't a bed of roses."

Every person in his/her life faces certain situations where they wish to give up on everything that they have in life. Even I have faced similar situations in life. But the attitude with which the person shoots back at these problems is what makes the difference.

I belong to a much conservative family where the idea of higher education to the girls isn't entirely accepted. My ambitions to get into an MBA institute collided with my father's sense of living a content life. He was always of the opinion that I shouldn't be this stressed in life running around for my studies, taking n number of mocks, staying away from the family. My ambition to get into an MBA institute got me a lot of criticism from my father, who never wanted me to burden myself or challenge my capabilities. But I never gave up on my dreams and showed how hard work pays off.

You look for acceptance and belongingness from your parents when it comes to important life decisions. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case in my situation. I had to make extra efforts to get permissions regarding my studies from my parents. But eventually, I tried to overcome this challenge by making my parents understand how vital an MBA is for me. I assured my parents to make every possible attempt to make them proud and how this is the way I want to prove myself.

Another challenge that I faced in my life was difficulty in organizing the fests during college. We had some issues with the Admin Department of my college regarding the permissions, and they weren't allowing the stage to be arranged for the fest. It took me immense courage and convincing skills to tell them that all permissions were in place. The conflict resolution was a lengthy task and took so much time, but at last, I was able to convince them to put up the stage for the performances. The overall event was quite successful and taught me how important it is to be persistent even when things aren't going the way they should be.