Ananya Birla is an Indian singer, songwriter, mental health advocate and entrepreneur. He is the eldest son of Kumar Mangalm Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. Ananya is the first English language Indian artist to go platinum in India.
Wiki/Biography
Ananyashree Birla was born on 17 July 1994 (age 28 years; in 2022) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He attended the American School of Bombay, Mumbai. Fascinated by music since childhood, Ananya started learning the santoor at the age of eight. After completing his senior secondary education, he went to the University of Oxford, England, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics and management; however, he dropped out of college for his career in music. During her college days, Ananya learned to play the guitar. In an interview, Ananya explained why she decided to drop out of Oxford University and said,
But I think I was too scared about the impact my background would have, because no one was doing what I was doing. When I was at Oxford, it actually helped me get out of this bubble, take a step back and see the world as it really is. That’s when I took a risk because I realized that the only thing stopping me from achieving my dreams was myself. I quit and started my music career. At first, I signed a contract with Universal Music, but then I decided to go independent.”
Childhood photos of Ananya Birla with her mother, Neerja Birla
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 6″
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Black
Body Measurements (approx): 36-24-34
Family
Ananya Birla is the sixth generation of the Birla family.
Parents & Siblings
Ananya Birla’s father, Kumar Mangalam Birla, is the chairman of conglomerate Aditya Birla Group. He is the eighth richest Indian in the 2016 Forbes billionaires list, with a personal fortune of $6.1 billion. His 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, under the Aditya Birla Education Trust (Abet) in December 2021. Ujaas is a non-profit organization that aims to spread awareness about menstrual health and hygiene through school workshops, distributing sanitary napkins in schools, and train girls in sanitary pad making.
Ananya Birla with her family
Wife & Children
Ananya Birla is not married.
Religion/Religious Views
Ananya follows the Hindu religion.
Caste
He belonged to a Baniya Vaishya family of the Maheshwari caste.
Career
Music
While pursuing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University, Ananya learned to play the guitar and began singing at local bars and open mic cafes. In 2017, after dropping out of college, he released his debut 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, he lent his voice and was featured in two music singles titled Hold On and Circles. After that, Ananya has given her voice in many music albums such as Better (2019), Everbody’s Lost (2020), Give Me Up (2021), and Deny Me (2021). He has also lent his voice to many Hindi music albums such as Teri Meri Kahani (2022), Kya Karein (2022), and Yaari (2023).
Ananya Birla in a still from her Hindi music album Teri Meri Kahani (2023)
Business
Ananya, at the age of seventeen, established Svatantra Microfin Private Limited. 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 homeware brand that sells luxury craft products. In 2023, Ananya Birla and her younger brother, Aryaman Vikram Birla were appointed as directors of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, an Indian fashion retail company headquartered in Mumbai.
Campaign Work
Ananya, while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University, learned about a helpline that helps students with depression and anxiety. Soon after she returned to India, Ananya and her mother, Neerja Birla started a mental health care center called MPower; The organization provides mental health care solutions to children, adolescents, young adults and adults. He is an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a US-based non-profit organization that helps individuals with mental illness. In 2020, she started the Ananya Birla Foundation which educates women about menstruation and provides menstrual kits, PPE kits and protective equipment for women and hospitals across Maharashtra. In an interview, Ananya talks about what inspired her to start a mental health care center in India. He said,
While studying at university in England, I interacted with people my own age who suffered from anxiety and depression. The experience awakened something familiar in me. In fact, when someone breaks a leg or has surgery, they get flowers and a get well soon card. But for someone with a mental health-related illness, empathy is sporadic simply because they don’t see the real wound! I co-founded MpowerMinds because it is a cause very close to my heart, to raise public awareness of mental health and alleviate the social stigma associated with those who suffer in silence. At the Mpower centre, we tell people they are not alone and offer a range of confidential services including therapy and psychiatric help.”
Award
- In 2016, Ananya Birla won the Trendsetting Young Business Person Award at the ET Panache Trendsetter Awards.
- In 2016, she was included in Forbes Asia’s ‘Women to Watch’ list for her business acumen.
- In 2017, he won the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for Music Sensation of the Year.
Ananya Birla after she won the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for Music Sensation of the Year
- In 2018, he was listed among GQ India’s Most Influential.
Car Collection
Ananya Birla’s car collection includes Lamborghini Urus, BMW Z4, Jaguar XF and Porshe Boxter S.
Net worth
As of 2018, Ananya Birla has a net worth of $11.8 billion.
Favourite
- Food: Tabbouleh, Paneer Tikka
- Destination: Rishikesh, Florence
- Musicians: Eminem, Kurt Cobain
Expensive Things
- In an interview, Ananya said that she bought an expensive Burberry jacket and she called it the “Chris Martin Jacket.” Further, in the same interview, he said that there are only two such jackets in the world. Ananya said,
I bought a Burberry jacket that I call my Chris Martin jacket. It’s a bomber and very expensive – there are only two in the world – and I feel very guilty.”
- He bought a Montblanc pen from their collector’s series. The rare and collectible pen is worth about $300,000.
Facts/Trivia
- Anana’s nickname is Anan.
- Ananya, when she was thirteen, started taking music lessons, and the first song she sang in front of her parents was ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ by Bette Midler. In an interview, Ananya recalled this and said that after her parents heard her sing, they realized her interest in music.
- According to Ananya, when she was twelve years old, she started writing poetry.
- During his teenage years, he often changed schools because it was difficult to fit in. In an interview, Ananya spoke about this and said that when she was studying in school, she didn’t like being known by the surname ‘Birla;’ Because of this, Ananya had to drop out of school when she was in high school, and she continued her studies at the high school level through homeschooling. Ananya said,
I changed schools because I couldn’t deal with people not understanding me because of my last name. I then had to drop out of high school to pursue my A levels. By the time I was homeschooling for my A levels, I told myself I had to do something and followed through. That was a turning point in my life. This coupled with my passion for startups and the huge income gap I saw, is how my company Svatantra came about.”
- Ananya loves to collect pens, and according to sources, she has more than 2,000 pens in her collection.
- In an interview, Ananya revealed that her first luxury purchase was a BMW sports car. According to him, he likes to drive his BMW sports car everywhere. In the same discussion, he said,
me‘I’m very possessive of that BMW.”
- In an interview, Ananya talks about who inspires her and says she is influenced by two women in her life, Mother Teresa and her maid Lata. He said,
Lata has been with me since I was six months old. He has lived a very difficult life, yet chooses to remain positive throughout. I really look up to him. Different people inspire me in different ways, and it all boils down to the courage in that person’s heart.”
- A tattoo lover, Ananya has fourteen tattoos on her body. she has inscribed the word “Savtantra’ her first venture on her body. In an interview, Ananya talked about her tattoo and said,
I have five tattoos. One says conquer, another Svatantra, the third mind over matter. I have a heart on my collarbone, and another tattoo says Always Mommy’s Girl. I got these tattoos in different places at different times in my life and they all mean something to me.
- In an interview in 2017, Ananya named Zac Efron as her crush. Further, in the same interview, Ananya revealed that she has a new male crush every day.
- In 2018, she was featured on the cover of Forbes India magazine.
Ananya Birla (left) on the cover of Forbes magazine
- A dog lover, Ananya has three pet dogs. She often posts pictures of her pet dog on various social media platforms.
Ananya Birla (left) in a family photo that also includes her pet dog
- In an interview, he said that he is allergic to spicy food. While discussing the same, Ananya said,
People are quite surprised when I say this because it is common that Indians can handle spicy food but I cannot eat spicy food. Not even up to the spice level, my body can’t accept it. I also don’t like too much masala or oil. I like bland.”
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
