Not every Chairman of a business group would dare to say this in a world where growth, more growth, and relentless growth appear to be the lone mantra. Today, that relentless pursuit has led to skeletons in the form of multi-billion dollars worth of Non-Performing Assets for the Indian Banks and a large number of companies ending up in NCLT. This is where the words of the Chairman of ABG attains significance and proven by the presence of ABG in the top ten business groups of the country consistently over many decades even as many had fallen by wayside.
It never occurred to me how much AB Group touched my life till I sat down to write this piece. Sample this, my father’s wardrobe consists exclusively of Louis Philippe garments, we have two idea mobile connections at home, our new house had UltraTech cement used for construction, whenever my mom and myself had gone shopping in a mall, invariably we had ended up strolling into a Pantaloons shop!!!. Not to mention the products like aluminium, copper, VSF, carbon black, etc which all go into a host of products/services which are directly or indirectly consumed every day by all of us.
ABG branched out to many countries even when the concept of Indian MNC was alien to the country, proving it was much ahead of its times and peers. Post-liberalisation, many Indian business groups followed the path, but failed miserably, making ABG stand apart in the crowd. Today, it is a matter of pride for us that it stands tall as a USD 44 billion group and respected around the world.
Imagine that the ABG decides not to market its products/services for one week and think about the chaos it can create for the businesses and the society at large in India. The magnitude of that picture will show how BIG the group influences our life. But for the presence of corporations like ABG, which contributed commendably in building the economy, I believe that India would have continued to remain with the ‘underdeveloped country’ tag forever. Unfortunately, India as a society is yet to appreciate and recognise the dimension of how a private enterprise like ABG is critical and important to the daily life of a common man.
So it is clear that ABG has a BIG role in my life, but it can still be BIGGER if I get an opportunity to contribute as a professional to the group after I pass out of IIMT. The kind of exposure a young mind can get through the sheer presence of the group in a wide range of domains could be unparallel. I would like to draw an analogy with the Civil Services where bright minds get opportunities to move across various domains and handle great responsibilities. ABG could be one of the very few organisations offering such wonderful opportunities.
How I overcame my challenges.
As I stood in the balcony of my hostel room, collecting ideas to write this article, the beautifully lit campus of IIM Trichy caught my attention and brought me back to the present. The realization that I have made it to an IIM is still sinking. And it was not an easy journey.
Two years back, I was at College, preparing for my final exams and placements, completely devoid of any idea what my future was or what I wanted it to be. I had also written CAT and ended up with a score not so great. Later, I got placed with TCS and though it was one of the most coveted companies out there, I was sure that I did not want to be one among the thousands writing codes. When I expressed this to my parents, they surprised me by supporting me. I told them I wanted to do MBA and planned to appear for CAT again. Next six months, I toiled and was confident of scoring well in CAT 2017, but the result was the opposite. My percentile was nowhere near good for me to get into the best schools. I was devastated that my second shot also didn't hit the target. For the first time, I wondered whether the idea of giving up the job at TCS was the right one, but my parents stood by me. They advised me to go for it again and I complied. But I did not want to waste an entire year on CAT 2018 preparation. I joined a full time job at my hometown. My days there made me realize how different the life of a student was from that of a working professional, with the former so much easy-going. Preparing for CAT along with a full-time job was a bigger task than I imagined it to be. Though at an entry-level, my responsibilities and workload were nowhere lesser. But I was determined to fight. I spent almost every night doing sample tests or practicing questions. When the results were out, I aced it with flying colors. The rest of the processes involving interviews went by fast. And here I am, at IIM Trichy, one of the most premium B-schools of the country.
I believed in myself, my dream of getting into an IIM and worked hard towards it. Self-doubts used to poke its head many a time in my mind, but I fought hard to overcome it so as not to lose hope and confidence. I persevered and succeeded.
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