IIM Sirmaur : No Compromise (An ABGL Article)

Though I looked up to him, it always bothered me that I did not seem to share that trait. My brother had seemed to have inherited that charisma from our father, but I had always felt that it was amiss in my character. That was until they took me out to buy my first suit.

For my 12^th standard graduation, my family took me out to buy my first suit. We drove past all the showrooms in our proximity to the store I had visited many times albeit to buy suits for other members of my family. We went to a Louis Philippe Showroom. That is when I learned that my brother hadn’t just been handed his confident personality. He had earned it. And though it was a long journey, the suit definitely lent a boost in the right direction!

My encounter with Aditya Birla Group happened when I was at the checkout counter. I looked up to see the iconic logo of the Aditya Birla Group displayed over the counter. I knew its name, but never knew the significance it held until the car ride home.

I asked my father why he insisted on buying only Louis Philippe suits for important occasions. ABG had introduced this global brand in India and it was arguably the most prestigious brand around the world, but I was still puzzled as to why our family was so loyal to it.

In reply to my query, my father asked me “When was the first time you came across the logo?”. This got me thinking, and to my surprise, I realized that I had always somehow known it, right from a very young age.

My father smiled and continued, “When you were 4, we constructed the house you are living in now. That day I vowed never to compromise on quality. My family deserved the best. You remember the logo because you loved to run around the construction site, and it was all over our cement bags”.

That is when it hit me. UltraTech Cement (by Aditya Birla Group) was used to build the home I grew up in. For every major event, my father always trusted ABG until it had become a tradition. Some things are too important to compromise on. That simple understanding has shaped the type of person I am today.

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Part B:

I was always passionate about science. While almost all my friends chose to pursue engineering, I decided to take the brave step of venturing into Physical Sciences.

My family lent me their unwavering support. Though they were concerned about the scope of BSc Physics in India’s landscape today, they didn’t think twice when I told them I was sure of my choice.

But I got worn down. Into my second year, my passion had waned due to the constant judgments passed upon me by outsiders. I took BSc by choice, but everyone assumed I ‘Landed up in BSc because I wasn’t good enough to be an engineer’. Even my teachers repeatedly said echoed that sentiment, treating us like a bunch of engineering-rejects.

This marked a gray area in my life. Unsure of my future, I just stuck to studying in the present and soldier on. I knew if I stuck to the path and not breakdown, something will open up.

5 months before graduating, I heard about CAT (luckily 5 days before registrations closed, Phew! ). Once I applied, I analyzed what CAT stood for in depth. I had limited time to study, I had no intention of shelling out money for tuitions. All I could do was put in 2 months of dedicated effort and learn to be self-sufficient. Keep my priorities straight.

And the fact that I am writing an article on InsideIIM as a proud member of IIM Sirmaur is kind of like a spoiler for this stories ending. But in those 2 months, I learned: It is not the quantity of time you have remaining, but the quality you decide to imbibe into it that makes all the difference.