Ananya Birla

Last updated

Ananya Birla
Birth nameAnanyashree Birla
Born (1994-07-17) 17 July 1994 (age 31)
Mumbai, Maharashtra India
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
Years active2016–present
Labels Universal Music India
Website Official website

Ananyashree Birla [1] (born 17 July 1994) is an Indian billionaire businesswoman and artist. She is the daughter of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla. [2]

Contents

Early life

Ananya Birla is the eldest daughter of Kumar Mangalam Birla and Neerja Birla. She is a sixth-generation scion of the Birla family, whose place of origin is Pilani. She developed an interest in music at an early age, learning to play the santoor at the age of eleven. [3] She attended American School of Bombay, and later studied economics and management at the University of Oxford for her bachelor's degree, which she was awarded in 2011. [4]

Career

Business career

Birla founded Svatantra Microfin Private Limited at the age of 17. [5] [ unreliable source? ]

In 2016, Birla became[ how? ] the founder and CEO of Ikai Asai, [6] a luxury e-commerce platform. [7] The same year, Forbes named her one of Asia's Women to Watch. [8]

Music career

While at university, Birla started singing and playing the guitar at pubs and clubs. She also began writing her own music. [9] Her debut single, "Livin’ the Life", was co-written, and produced, by JimBeanz (who previously collaborated with Nelly Furtado, Cheryl Tweedy and Demi Lovato) and was recorded and produced at a studio in Philadelphia. [10] A remix by Dutch DJ Afrojack of "Livin’ the Life" makes Birla the first Indian artist to get a worldwide release through PM:AM Recordings and hit over 14 million views on YouTube as of June 2017. [11] [12] Her songs have been topping the music charts in 2019.

She released her next single "Meant to be" in July 2017 which was subsequently certified Platinum as per the Indian Music Industry (IMI) recognised criteria for certifications. This makes Birla the first Indian artist with an English single to go platinum. [13] In January 2017, she supported Coldplay at the Global Citizen Festival. [14]

She released her single "Hold On" on 1 March 2018. [15] On 7 June 2018, she released her fourth single "Circles". [16] On 17 January 2019, she released her 5th single and 1st song of 2019 "Better", which was viewed 4 million times on YouTube within 2 days of its release. [17]

She released her debut EP Fingerprint in May 2019, via UMG and Island Records UK. It included "Blackout" featuring Vector and Wurld, which was one of the first collaborations between major artists from India and Nigeria. [18]

In September 2019, Birla released ‘Day Goes By’ with Sean Kingston, who she met when they toured in India together. [19]

In 2020 she signed with Maverick Management in Los Angeles. [20] Later that year, she released “Let There Be Love” [21] and “Everybody's Lost” [22] becoming the first Indian artist to be featured on an American national top 40 pop radio show, Sirius XM Hits. [21]

She has performed at some of the biggest music events in Asia including Global Citizen, Oktoberfest, and Sunburn, [23] Asia's biggest electronic music festival, and has toured with Wiz Khalifa. [19]

Birla's "Hindustani Way" is the official CHEER SONG for the Indian Olympic at the 2021 Olympics, composed by A. R. Rahman. [24]

Acting career

In 2022, Birla made her acting debut after being featured in the song "Inaam" from Rudra: The Edge of Darkness , a streaming television series. [25] She made her full-fledged acting debut in 2023, with a spy thriller titled Shlok: The Desi Sherloc, directed by Kunal Kohli. [26]

Artistry

Musical style

Her work is often characterized[ by whom? ] as dance-pop and EDM. However, she has experimented with different music genres. She has stated, "Music is not a career for me. It’s who I am. It’s the most honest part of me." [27]

Influences

Early in her career, she cited the works of Eminem and Kurt Cobain as influences—for both their work and the way they performed, as well as the impact they had on an audience. She said, "Cobain and Eminem are worlds apart, but they share the ability to be brutally honest in their music." [28]

Songwriting

Birla’s musical journey began as a child with the santoor. At 13, she had switched to singing, and around the same time she started writing poetry, which led to songwriting. During her college days at Oxford, she taught herself the guitar, calling it "a great companion during a tough time." She was enrolled in an economics and management programme during the day and performed at London open mics at night. "I realised this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Seeing people react to my singing was so satisfying and addictive." [29]

Campaign work

While in England, Birla became aware of a student helpline that helped young people suffering from anxiety and depression. [30] After university, she returned to India and, along with her mother, set up a mental health initiative called MPower aiming to stamp out the stigma towards people with mental illness across India. MPower is also responsible for opening a treatment centre for children suffering from mental health conditions. [31]

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mpower tied up with the Government of Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to launch a 24x7 free helpline. [32] 45 thousand people had called within 2 months of the launch. [33]

She is an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, [23] The United States’ largest grassroots mental health organisation dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. [34]

She launched the Ananya Birla Foundation in 2020 [35] with a COVID-19 relief project that involved providing menstruation kits, PPE kits, and protective equipment to women and hospitals across Maharashtra. The Foundation also worked to provide essentials to migrant workers during the pandemic. [36]

In July 2024, Ananya Birla collaborated with the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) to enhance mental health and career support for students in Delhi. This initiative trained psychologists in therapeutic techniques, including art-based therapy, enabling children to express themselves through creative outlets. The program aimed to reach over 30,000 students by March 2025 [37]

In April 2025, the Ananya Birla Foundation organized the 'Mpowering Minds Summit 2025' to drive urgent reforms in youth mental health. The summit aimed to strengthen mental health infrastructure, eliminate stigma, and integrate mental health education into school curricula. [38]

Discography

Extended plays

List of extended plays
TitleDetailsTracklisting
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
Fingerprint1.“Blackout” (featuring Vector and WurlD)2:21
2."All Night Long"3:44
3."Love Suicide"3:25
4."Disappear"3:13
Total length:12:44

Singles

Studio albums

Film

References

  1. ↑ Thacker, Shruti (19 December 2016). "Why Ananya Birla—business tycoon and musician—isn't your average 22-year-old". Vogue India . Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  2. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (5 April 2019). "Ananya Birla Talks the Rise of Pop Music In India, Her New Song 'Unstoppable' & Female Empowerment". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. ↑ "Birla heiress hits the high note with musical debut". Business Line. 25 October 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Meet India's Young & Successful Heiresses". Pursuitist. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ananya Birla paves her own path". IndianCEO. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Pereira, Beverly (27 February 2020). "Indian home décor brands of the moment that are here to stay". Design Pataki. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Ananya Birla ventures into luxury ecommerce business with CuroCarte". Forbes India. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Asia's Women to Watch 2016". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
  9. ↑ "Ananya Birla is India's newest musician on the block". Vogue India. 11 November 2016. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2017. Sponsored
  10. ↑ "Ananya Birla launched a single in collaboration with Afrojack and Jim Beanz". Hindustan Times. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  11. ↑ George, Nina C (13 March 2017). "I love making history". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Livin' the Life by Ananya Birla (Afrojack remix)". 17 March 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2017– via YouTube.
  13. ↑ "Ananya Birla's 'Meant to be' certified platinum". Business Standard. IANS. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "Coldplay Concert Live Updates: Global Citizen Festival has an all star lineup". The Times of India. 29 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "English music is my calling: Ananya Birla". The Statesman. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "Singer-entrepreneur Ananya Birla releases her fourth single 'Circles'". The Economic Times. 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  17. ↑ "Ananya Birla Biography, Education, Music, Videos – The Official Website". Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Ananya Birla". Music-News.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  19. 1 2 Graff, Gary (18 September 2019). "Ananya Birla Shares 'Day Goes By' Video ft. Sean Kingston: Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Ananya Birla: It feels amazing to now officially be a part of the Maverick Family". radioandmusic.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  21. 1 2 "Ananya Birla announces a new upcoming song, Let There Be Love". indulgexpress.com. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  22. ↑ Brow, Jason (6 November 2020). "Ananya Finds The 'Strength' To Pursue Her Dreams In Empowering New Song 'Everybody's Lost'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  23. 1 2 "Ananya Birla / Overcoming Stereotypes, Stigma & New Single "Let There Be Love"". Flaunt. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "AR Rahman and Ananya Birla launch Tokyo Olympics cheer song 'Hindustani Way'". The Indian Express. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  25. ↑ "Ananya Birla croons for Ajay Devgn's OTT debut "Rudra", adds a haunting & dark quality to the track 'Inaam". Economic Times. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  26. ↑ "Bobby Deol and Ananya Birla start shooting for Kunal Kohli's next "Shlok - The Desi Sherlock."". Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  27. ↑ Inamdar, Anamm (8 April 2025). "ELLE Impact Cover Star: Business, Music And Meaning—Ananya Birla Is What The New Age of Leadership Looks Like". Elle India. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  28. ↑ Singh, Deepali. "Rhythm divine! Ananya Birla on her musical influences". DNA India. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  29. ↑ Shah, Rishna (9 April 2021). "Ananya Birla on carving her own career, entrepreneurship, and mental health: "Music made me feel like I fit in somewhere"". Vogue India. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "What's in a name: I want to build my own legacy says Ananya Birla". India Today. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  31. ↑ "Mpower homepage". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  32. ↑ Mishra, Lalatendu (3 April 2020). "Coronavirus | Maharashtra, BMC, Mpower tie up to launch mental health helpline". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  33. ↑ Anand, Aditya (4 June 2020). "45,000 dial mental health helpline in 2 months". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  34. ↑ Cook, Mike (28 January 2021). "Free education program is for those dealing with adults with mental illness". Las Cruces Bulletin. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  35. ↑ Purkayastha, Pallabi Dey. "Ananya Birla: My foundation has donated to save the children with masks; I'm trying my best to do my bit". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  36. ↑ "ImagineAR Announces Agreement with Indian Superstar Singer Ananya Birla – Company Announcement – FT.com". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  37. ↑ Standard, Business. "Ananya Birla & IHBAS are on the Frontline Bringing Mental Health Awareness Directly to Our School Campuses". www.business-standard.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2025.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  38. ↑ "Mpowering Minds Summit 2025 To Drive Urgent Reforms In Youth Mental Health - BW Healthcare World". BW Health. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
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