Ananya Birla is an Indian singer, songwriter, mental health advocate and entrepreneur. She is the eldest son of Kumar Mangalm Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group. Ananya is the first Indian English-language artist to achieve a platinum album in India.
Wiki/Biography
Ananyashree Birla was born on 17 July 1994 in Mumbai, Maharashtra (30 years old as of 2024). She was educated at Bombay American School, Mumbai. Ananya has been fascinated by music since childhood and started learning Santur language at the age of eight. After graduating from high school, she went to Oxford University in England to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics and management; however, she dropped out of the university due to her music career. While in college, Ananya learned to play the guitar. In an interview, Ananya explained why she decided to drop out of Oxford University, saying:
But I think, given my background, I was too afraid of the consequences because no one had ever done what I was doing. When I was at Oxford, it actually helped me step out of this bubble and step back and see the world for what it is. That’s when I decided to take the plunge because I realized the only thing stopping me from achieving my dream was myself. I dropped out of school and started my music career. Initially, I was signed to Universal Music, but then I decided to go independent. “
Childhood photos of Ananya Birla and mother Neerja Birla
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair color: blonde
Eye color: black
Body measurements (approximately): 36-24-34
family
Ananya Birla is the sixth generation of the Birla family.
Parents and siblings
Ananya Birla’s father Kumar Mangalam Birla is the chairman of Aditya Birla Group. He is the eighth richest Indian on Forbes’ 2016 billionaire list, with a personal wealth of US$6.1 billion. Her mother Neerja Birla is a philanthropist.
Neerja Birla, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Ananya Birla
Ananya Birla’s younger brother Aryaman Birla is an Indian cricketer and entrepreneur. Her sister Advaitesha Birla founded her non-profit organization Ujaas in December 2021 under the Aditya Birla Educational Trust (Abet). Ujaas is a non-profit organization that aims to spread awareness about menstrual health and hygiene through school workshops, distribute sanitary napkins in schools, and train girls to make sanitary napkins.
Ananya Birla with family
wife and children
Ananya Birla is single.
Religion/Religious Views
Ananya follows Hinduism.
caste
She belongs to the Baniya Vaishya family of Maheshwari caste.
Profession
music
While studying for her undergraduate degree at Oxford University, Ananya learned to play the guitar and began singing in local pubs and outdoor cafes. In 2017, after dropping out of college, she released her first English music album “Livin’ The Life”; the song was co-written and produced by Jim Beanz.
Ananya Birla (centre) in a still from her debut music album Livin’ The Life (2017)
In 2018, she sang and appeared in two music singles “Hold On” and “Circles”. Ananya subsequently lent her vocals in many music albums such as “Better” (2019), “Everbody’s Lost” (2020), “Give Me Up” (2021) and “Deny Me” (2021). She has also lent her voice to many Hindi music albums such as Teri Meri Kahani (2022), Kya Karein (2022) and Yaari (2023).
Stills from Ananya Birla’s Hindi music album Teri Meri Kahani (2023)
Ananya wrote in an Instagram post shared on May 6, 2024, that she decided to quit her music career in order to focus on business.
Ananya Birla posts on Instagram about her decision to quit music
Business
Ananya established Svatantra Microfin Private Limited when she was seventeen. It is a microfinance company that aims to provide financial and non-financial services to rural women entrepreneurs. In 2016, Ananya founded Ikai Asai, a homewares brand selling luxury crafts. In 2023, Ananya Birla and her brother Aryaman Vikram Birla were appointed as directors of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, a Mumbai-based Indian fashion retail company.
campaign work
While studying for her undergraduate degree at Oxford University, Ananya learned about a helpline for students suffering from depression and anxiety. Shortly after returning to India, Ananya and her mother Neerja Birla founded MPower, a mental health center; an organization that provides mental health solutions to children, teenagers, young adults and adults. She is an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to helping people living with mental illness. In 2020, she founded the Ananya Birla Foundation, which educates women about menstruation and provides menstrual kits, PPE kits and protective equipment to women and hospitals in Maharashtra. In an interview, Ananya spoke about what inspired her to start a mental health center in India. She said,
While at university in the UK, I spoke to a number of people my own age who were suffering from anxiety and depression. The experience stirred something familiar in me. In fact, when someone breaks a leg or has surgery, they receive flowers and get well soon cards. But for people with mental health related illnesses, empathy is sporadic because they don’t see the real wounds! I’m a co-founder of MpowerMinds because it’s a cause close to my heart, raising public awareness of mental health and removing the social stigma associated with those who suffer in silence. At Mpower Centres, we let people know they are not alone and offer a range of confidential services, including therapy and psychiatric help. “
Awards
- In 2016, Ananya Birla won the “Trendsetter Young Business Figure Award” from the ET Panache Trendsetter Awards.
- In 2016, she was named to Forbes Asia’s “Women to Watch” list for her business acumen.
- In 2017, she received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Excellence in Music Sensation of the Year.
Ananya Birla wins ‘Music Sensation of the Year’ Dadasaheb Phalke Award of Excellence
- In 2018, she was named one of the most influential Indians by GQ magazine.
car collection
Ananya Birla’s car collection includes Lamborghini Urus, BMW Z4, Jaguar XF and Porsche Boxter S.
net worth
As of 2018, Ananya Birla’s net worth is $11.8 billion.
Favorites
- Food: Tabbouleh, Paneer
- Destination: Rishikesh, Florence
- Musicians: Eminem, Kurt Cobain
expensive stuff
- Ananya said in an interview that she bought an expensive Burberry jacket, which she called the “Chris Martin Jacket.” Additionally, in the same interview, she stated that there are only two such jackets in the world. Ananya said,
I bought a Burberry jacket that I call the Chris Martin jacket. It was a bomber, and it was very expensive – there were only two of them in the world – and I felt very guilty. ”
- She bought a Montblanc pen from their collection. This rare and collectible pen is worth approximately $300,000.
Facts/Trivia
- Ananya’s nickname is Anan.
- Ananya started taking music lessons when she was thirteen, and the first song she sang in front of her parents was “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. Ananya recalled the incident in an interview and said her parents discovered her interest in music after hearing her sing.
- According to Ananya, she began writing poetry when she was twelve years old.
- As a teenager, she frequently moved schools because she had difficulty fitting in. Ananya spoke about this in an interview and said that when she was in school, she did not like being recognized by the surname “Birla”; therefore, Ananya was forced to drop out of high school and homeschool way to receive a high school education. Ananya said,
I transferred schools because I couldn’t stand people who couldn’t understand me because of my last name. Then I was forced to drop out of high school and study for A-levels. Around the time I was studying for my A-levels at home, I told myself I had to do something and follow through. That was a turning point in my life. Combined with my passion for startups and the huge income disparity I saw, my company Svatantra was born. “
- Ananya loves collecting pens. According to sources, she has a collection of more than 2,000 pens.
- Ananya revealed in an interview that the first luxury item she bought was a BMW sports car. According to her, she likes to go anywhere in her BMW sports car. In the same discussion she said,
I‘I am very possessive about BMW cars. “
- In an interview, Ananya talked about who inspired her and said she was influenced by two women in her life, Mother Teresa and her maid Lata. She said,
Lata has been with me since I was six months old. Her life was very difficult but she chose to always stay positive. I really respect her. Different people inspire me in different ways and it all comes down to the courage within each person. ”
- Ananya is a tattoo enthusiast and has fourteen tattoos on her body. She had her first entrepreneurial project “Savtantra” tattooed on her body. Ananya spoke about her tattoos in an interview and said;
I have five tattoos. One says conquest, another Svatantra, the third mind transcends matter. I have a heart on my collarbone and a tattoo that says “Always a Mommy’s Girl.” I got these tattoos in different places at different times in my life and they all have meaning to me. “
- In a 2017 interview, Ananya called Zac Efron her crush. Additionally, in the same interview, Ananya revealed that she has a crush on a new man every day.
- In 2018, she appeared on the cover of Forbes India magazine.
Ananya Birla (left) appears on the cover of Forbes magazine
- Ananya is a dog lover and has three pet dogs. She often posts pictures of her pet dogs on various social media platforms.
Ananya Birla (left) in a family photo that also includes her pet dog
- She said in an interview that she was allergic to spicy food. While discussing the same issue, Ananya said,
People are a little shocked when I say that because it’s very common for Indians to be able to eat spicy food, but I just can’t eat spicy food. There wasn’t even a hint of spiciness and my body couldn’t handle it. I also don’t like too much masala or oil. I like it light. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education