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Ananya Birla

About Ananya Birla

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Who is Ananya Birla?

Ananya Birla or Ananyashree Birla, the eldest child of Kumar Mangalam Birla has recently been inducted as the director of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd along with her brother Aryaman Vikram Birla.
 
The 28-year-old is a singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur.

Marking the entry of the fifth generation of Birla family in the $60 billion business empire, ABFRL in a statement said the company will benefit from the siblings’ “new-age insights and business acumen”
 
"Ananya Birla and Aryaman Vikram Birla come with rich and varied experience straddling entrepreneurship and business building. The board believes that ABFRL will benefit from their new-age insights and business acumen," ABFRL said.
 
Music career

Introduced to music at the age of 11 when she learnt to play the santoor, Ananya Birla released her debut single in 2016 and has collaborated with popular artists including Mood Melodies, Sean Kingston, and Afrojack.
 
She is the first Indian artist of English language to go platinum in India. In 2020, she became the first Indian to sign with Maverick Management in Los Angeles.
 
Till date, Ananya's songs have reached over 350 million streams.
 
Among the many first, the 28-year old is also the first Indian to be featured on major top 40 pop radio stations such as Sirius Hits 1 and Radio Disney,
 
Currently, Ananya is shooting with Bobby Deol for Kunal Kohli’s thriller series 'The Desi Sherlock'.
 
Educational Qualification

Ananya Birla completed her schooling from American School of Bombay, Mumbai.

She then went on to study at the University of Oxford, England.
 
Entrepreneurial ventures

At only 17 years of age, Ananya undertook her first entrepreneurial venture with Svatantra Microfin, a firm which provides microfinance to rural women entrepreneurs. It is the first microfin firm to get an NBFC-microfinance institution licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
 
In 2020, she founded the Ananya Birla Foundation, and co-founded a mental health foundation 'Mpower' with her mother Neerja Birla.
 
Ananya is also working with LSE on research work for mental health in rural India.
 
Awards and recognitions
 
Ananya Birla has won the ET Panache Trendsetters of 2016 award for Young Business Person.
 
At 21, she was included in Forbes Asia's list of 'Women to Watch Out For in 2016' for her business acumen.
 
She was also listed as one of GQs Most Influential Indians of 2018.

Latest Updates on Ananya Birla

India's Gen Z billionaires lose interest in legacy family businesses

Gen Z heirs of India's business families are increasingly opting out of legacy roles, choosing personal passions over boardrooms

Updated On: 23 Jul 2025 | 10:30 AM IST

Ananya Birla launches LOVETC to tap premium cosmetics market in India

"This strategic expansion follows Birla Cosmetics' launch of Contraband earlier this year," the company said in a release

Updated On: 15 Apr 2025 | 9:38 PM IST

Ananya Birla marks entry into beauty, cosmetics industry with new venture

The products will have differentiated packaging, international quality, and a commitment to celebrating individuality, it said, adding a global footprint for the new venture

Updated On: 05 Feb 2025 | 7:53 PM IST

'Hardest decision', says Ananya Birla as she quits music for business

Ananya Birla is the founder of microfinance company Svatantra Microfin and design house Ikai Asai; she is the elder daughter of Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla

Updated On: 07 May 2024 | 2:14 PM IST

A new dawn for microfinance

There are many contributing factors to the growth and new-found enthusiasm for microfinance

Updated On: 17 Sep 2023 | 6:45 PM IST

Svatantra Microfin-Chaitanya deal not trailer of M&A wave in MFI space

Huge business prospects for all players to grow

Updated On: 09 Aug 2023 | 11:50 PM IST

Ananya Birla's Svatantra MFI to acquire Chaitanya India Fin for Rs 1,479 cr

Combined entity to become 2nd-largest MFI player

Updated On: 08 Aug 2023 | 10:11 PM IST

Ananya Birla's Svatantra to acquire Navi Group's Chaitanya for Rs 1,479 cr

The acquisition is set to position Svatantra as the second largest NBFC-MFI in India, fostering a boost to microfinance reach and impact

Updated On: 08 Aug 2023 | 7:53 PM IST

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TMS Ep366: Oil and gas, Ananya and Aryaman Birla, Mark Mobius, public float

Have India's oil and gas ambitions hit a tax wall? Ananya and Aryaman: Who are the new Birlas? What does Mark Mobius think of the Adani - Hindenburg saga? What is public or free float? Answers here

Updated On: 10 Feb 2023 | 8:00 AM IST

Birla scions Ananya & Aryaman join Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Board

Ananya Birla is a business woman and platinum selling artist. She founded her first company, Svatantra Microfin at the age of 17 which is amongst India's fastest growing MFI's

Updated On: 30 Jan 2023 | 11:32 PM IST

'Literally threw my family out': Ananya Birla slams US restaurant

The singer and artist, daughter of Kumar Mangalam Birla and Neerja Birla, took to Twitter to share her ordeal, saying "this is not okay"

Updated On: 26 Oct 2020 | 11:54 PM IST

Ananya Birla is on her way to becoming a chart-busting pop sensation

Successful pop musician and busy entrepreneur Ananya Birla talks about the privileges and tribulations of being a scion of one of India's most prominent industrialist families

Updated On: 02 Jun 2018 | 12:27 AM IST

Meet Ananya Birla, a young entrepreneur looking to strike gold as a musician

The 22-year-old CEO of Svatantra Microfin and daughter of K M Birla has just launched her debut single

Updated On: 13 Nov 2016 | 7:55 PM IST