I Love My Grandparents: a Personal Journey of Hardships

Introduction

The Aditya Birla Group, a colossal conglomerate deeply rooted in India's industrial landscape, has woven its influence into the fabric of society. Its operations, spanning over a century, have left an indelible mark on various sectors, from textiles and metals to education and healthcare. The group's commitment to excellence and innovation has not only transformed industries but has also touched the lives of countless individuals, including mine. As I reflect on the subtle and profound ways the Aditya Birla Group has impacted my journey, I am reminded of the intricate connections between business endeavors, personal experiences, and aspirations. This essay delves into how the group's presence has shaped my perspective and the pivotal role my grandparents have played in motivating me through challenging times for I love my grandparents. Through these reflections, the essay seeks to explore the symbiotic relationship between external influences and internal resilience, highlighting the power of determination and the ripple effects of inspiration.

Impact of Aditya Birla Group on My Life

Aditya Birla Group is one of India’s biggest conglomerate providing jobs to roughly 1.2 lakh people and services to people with or without them knowing it. Ever since the Birla group started its operations in the 1800s, the conglomerate has sought out to reach excellence in whatever it plans to do and continues to do so. The Birla group currently operates in over 35 countries and has an annual revenue of close to $44 billion USD only behind the Tata group and the Reliance India Limited conglomerates. The group owns some the largest textile, carbon black, aluminium, cement in countries worldwide including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Philippines, India, Spain and many more. In India, the conglomerate apart from owning some of the largest industries like the Ultratech Cement industry, Vodafone Idea Limited, etc., it also has built many famous educational institutions like the BITS Pilani for technical education, The Aditya Birla Public School, M P Birla Library for avid readers and researchers, M P Birla Planetarium, M P Birla Institute of Fundamental Research for R&D, M P Birla Heart Research Centre, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, CK Birla Hospitals and many Medical Camps for health and medicine, and also has built many spiritual centres and religious centres.

The Aditya Birla Group has influenced me many ways knowingly or unknowingly. Maybe Ultratech cement was used to build the house I stay at, or the clothing I wear, or the vehicle I drive, or some of the aluminium products I use, but the most noticeable impact the group has had on me is by the Vodafone Idea Limited. The telecom service they provide is one of the best in the country with a very good connectivity across the country and provides a tough competition to its competitors to stay at the top in the market. Back when I opted for the telecom subscription, the company was called the Idea Cellular Limited and the primary reason for me opting for the service was because of the connectivity it was providing at an affordable cost when none of its competitors had yet arrived at. Either the cost of subscription was affordable at the cost of connectivity or vice versa. The company came up with a solution to this matter which concerned the general public and marketed the idea in one most creative way with its catch phrase “What an Idea Sirji!!!”. I have using the service ever since and it has been nearly 8 years of me using the service and there has not been a single day where I experienced data or connectivity issues and also the customer service is one of the best with them listening to and dealing with the customer’s problem in a very professional way and ensuring they have solved it even though it might take some time. Opting for the Idea service has been one the best decisions I have taken when it comes to telecom subscription with no major problem ever face by me.

Life, for all, even though they may agree to or not is always a path of stones with some smooth curves here and there. But even with such hardships, people have overcome them to achieve their goals in the past, are still able to and will still be able to in the future. My ambition in life is to become a good manager in an MNC who can handle any situation that he is presented with and help the company to reach high standards. As of now, I am on the path that will lead me to my ambition but the path that has led me to where I am now was not an easy one.

My Grandparents as Motivation

One of the most difficult hardships that I faced was during my preparation for the CAT exam during my undergraduate program. It was during the pre-final year of my undergraduate program, at the time when my CAT preparation was going well was when I reached my lowest point. Both my grandparents were diagnosed with cancer of different types in succession and, I was studying away from home. This hit me so hard at that point in time that I didn’t know what to do and I almost slipped into depression as I looked up to them and they were the victim of the worst possible ailment mankind has ever faced. I also faced pressure from college side regarding assignments, quizzes and exams that I had left preparing for CAT as it felt like life had reached a dead end and taking a reverse or an alternate route seemed nearly impossible. This went on for a couple of months and I had lost weight and was anaemic since I ate only to stay alive. The grief had accumulated so much to a point that I wanted to quit everything, go back home and see my grandparents walking happily again. I could not express my grief to anyone as I my parents with whom I usually share my pain were already in pain and were working hard in getting best of the treatment available to my grandparents. This went on for a few months and finally I got a chance to visit my home due to a series of long holidays. I visited my grandparents and had an exchange of talks and I was surprised to see them more confident than I was. They were undergoing treatment and showed signs of improvement and assured me that they would come out victorious and that I should focus on my career and not anything else as that was not my cup of tea to worry about.

During my return journey, I thought and thought about it and realised that my parents are trying their best to provide my grandparents with the best treatment available and they would continue to do that, but with me being depressed and not focusing on my career would put an additional burden on them and also I would be ruining my career which neither my grandparents nor my parents wanted. That was the point where I came to a decision that I would stop worrying as my grandparents had given me their word that they would come out victorious and focus on my goal of cracking the CAT exam and joining one of the most coveted B-schools in the country which is what my parents, grandparents and most importantly me wanted at the end of the day. Days passed and soon months passed too, and my preparation and focus on studies at the same time was back on track and my grandparents were showing signs of improvement too. That gave me a lot of confidence and strength to keep my focus strong though there were some days where I would sink in to the dark world but that promise made by my grandparents was the light that used to guide me back to my focus and keep the preparation going.

Conclusion

Today, my grandparents though not declared cancer free officially are on the verge of being declared cancer free thanks to the treatment they got and that amazing will power they have and here I am in one of the most coveted B-school of the country, the IIM and my journey towards my goal continues.