Trailblazer And New Age Entrepreneur

Ananya Birla, at a young age of 17, founded her first start-up, Svatantra Microfin Pvt. Ltd., a microfinance institution (MFI). This maiden entrepreneurial venture demonstrated her aptitude and potential to recognise the need for women to be financially independent and encourage their entrepreneurial spirit by extending differential banking solutions. One of the fastest-growing MFIs promoting financial inclusion, Svatantra provides micro-loans to rural women entrepreneurs to become economically self-sustainable. The loans are used for business requirements such as working capital and other setup costs.

Under Ananya’s leadership, the company has played a significant role in bringing about change in the microfinance industry through constant innovations and improving its offerings. In just over three years as the Chairperson and Managing Director, the young entrepreneur wrote her success story by creating a financial service entity that could create value for its stakeholders. The portfolio includes over 5 million clients across 100,000 villages, with disbursements in excess of Rs 21,500 crore since inception, or a CAGR of 67 percent in the FY18–23 period. Ananya Birla is the Chairperson of Svatantra Micro Housing Finance Corporation and Co-Chairperson of ASSOCHAM’s Microfinance Council of India.

Amongst various other noteworthy titles, Ananya was conferred by the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, for her role in empowering more than 500,000 rural Indian women and pioneering 100% cashless disbursal since the beginning of Svatantra’s operation. Expanding the scope of work, with the recent acquisition of Chaitanya India Fin Credit, Svatantra has become the second-largest NBFC MFI in India.

Recently, Ananya and her brother Aryaman Vikram, children of billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla, joined the boards of Aditya Birla Management Corporation, Grasim Industries, and Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail. Their nuanced understanding of new-age business models and emerging shifts in consumer behaviour will infuse fresh energy into the board of Aditya Birla Fashion as they take responsibility for taking the business to greater heights.

A multifaceted personality, Ananya Birla is a singer who pursues her music seriously, and it was a moment of pride when her English single ‘Meant to Be’ made the platinum list in India. Another of her artistic endeavours is designing. Her passion for artforms has led to the creation of Ikai Asai, an artisanal home décor and tableware brand. In an attempt to create soulful handmade crafts connecting to the past legacy, she has built a community of craftsmen, designers, and artists to thrive. From ceramics and tableware to furniture, lighting, and floor coverings, Ikai Asai champions distinctive decorative objects that make the experience of aesthetic living possible. An alumnus of the University of Oxford, Ananya leads a constantly expanding team, relentlessly working towards providing solutions. With innovation at the core of the business, she has launched her own e-commerce venture, Curocarte.

During the pandemic, she founded the Ananya Birla Foundation with the aim of ‘forging a realm of compassion, equality, and inclusivity’. It has a program to provide resources across sectors—mental health, equality, education, financial inclusion, climate change, and humanitarian relief efforts. Ananya also co-founded the Mpower movement, an awareness initiative that works towards eliminating the stigma associated with mental health illnesses.

Her management style revolves around strength identification, thought building, nurturing ideas, and empowering people. Undeterred by obstacles, Ananya loves a challenge, and her breakthrough ideas, coupled with her perseverance, make her a thought leader of this generation.