ELLE Impact Cover Star: Business, Music And Meaning—Ananya Birla Is What The New Age of Leadership Looks Like

Before you meet Ananya Birla, you’ll probably hear about her—through a headline, a song, a business success story, or a heartfelt Instagram caption that’s gone viral for all the right reasons. A singer-songwriter with millions of streams, the founder of one of India’s largest microfinance institutions, and the force behind a growing wellness and lifestyle empire, she isn't a woman you can slot into a single box.

Between writing lyrics on her iPhone and pitching growth strategies for a billion-dollar microfinance business, Birla finds herself in the quiet space between hustle and harmony. It’s a rhythm that doesn’t fit neatly into society’s expectation of “either-or.” But then again, she has never followed the script. Her life, so far, has been a careful improvisation—a little music, a little strategy, a lot of contradictions.

“I’m a sensitive soul. A hopeless romantic, really. I’m obsessed with what I do and pour everything into it. I’m also deeply invested in my friends and family, cherishing those relationships. I love life's simple pleasures, but I also believe in treating myself to the things that bring me joy. I guess I’m a big, walking contradiction, but that’s how I would describe myself,” she adds. It’s not a persona; it’s a personality. And it’s working.

The Empire In Progress 

At 17, Birla founded Svatantra Microfin, a financial services company aimed at empowering women in rural India. Today, it’s the second-largest microfinance company in the country. At first glance, this origin story might sound like the plotline of a Netflix biopic—a privileged girl decides to give back. But the reality is far more textured. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” she admits. “But I was obsessed with solving a real problem. I saw women in villages borrowing at insane interest rates, unable to escape the debt cycle. It didn’t make sense to me. So I dived in.”

What followed was years of learning, often the hard way. “People didn’t take me seriously in the beginning. I was this young girl from a well-known family, walking into rooms with mostly middle-aged men in suits. I had to fight to be heard.” She didn’t just get heard—she made them listen. Her approach was personal and obsessive. Putting the well-being of the women of the villages before anything else kept her grounded. That grounding is critical for someone born into a legacy as colossal as the Birla name. While she doesn’t shy away from her privilege, she carries it with an unspoken sense of accountability. “There’s this quiet guilt that comes with privilege,” she reflects. “I constantly feel like I have to earn my place, prove that I belong.”

The Voice That Travels

Just when the business world began to accept her as a force to reckon with, she pivoted to music. If business is where she strategises, music is where she surrenders: “Music is not a career for me. It’s who I am. It’s the most honest part of me.” Birla’s music is emotional and slick, full of pop production and soul-searching lyrics. She’s collaborated with international artists, performed globally, and cultivated a fanbase that sends her DMs about how a line in a song helped them.  

“It’s funny. Many people think that business is the serious side of things and that music is fun. But to me, both are vulnerable. Both require you to put your heart on the line.” Birla recalls cringing at her first song, “I was like—this is so basic. But hey, it got me started. Now, when I write, it feels like I’m in a flow state. Time disappears.”

Her vulnerability becomes the listener’s language. While her songs have gone platinum and taken her to global stages, her success as an artist is measured differently. “If someone tells me that a song helped them get through something—that’s the win.” That, for her, is Impact.

The Rhythm Of Duality 

What does a day in Birla’s life look like? There’s no one answer—because there’s no one version of her. Some days are electric with strategy—she’s deep in meetings, mapping business growth, and navigating go-to-market (GTM) decisions. On others, she flows into her studio—a soundproof cocoon nestled inside her office, where she chases melodies over random beats, writing music from pure instinct. And then there are the quieter days. The ones that feel just as fulfilling— where she hits 10,000 steps circling her living room, engrossed in a book, ending the evening with warm conversations, friends, and a perfectly brewed cup of chai. “For me, the concept of ‘perfect’ is very relative—and in a sense, also non-existent. It can be a GTM strategy clicking into place, or it can be a moment of solitude. It’s all about presence,” she adds.

In a world that often celebrates constant motion, Birla has cultivated her own rhythm—one that honours both pace and pause. Her ability to show up with clarity, whether on stage or in a boardroom, comes from a deep commitment to resetting herself, often and intentionally. “Resetting is essential, especially in a world constantly bombarded with information and stimulation. I’ve realised I need those moments to clear the mental clutter.”

Her tools are simple but sacred: long walks that ground her, deep belly breaths that reconnect her to her body and mind, early-morning journaling to declutter her thoughts, focused workouts to strengthen her resolve, and therapy—an anchor she credits with helping her stay in tune with her truest self. “My well-being practices are the reason I can do everything I do. I believe in energy. I believe in intention.”

The pressure isn’t absent. If anything, it’s internalised. There’s also the quieter pressure—the kind that doesn't come from headlines or haters but from love and legacy. “There’s this constant strain I put on myself—not to make a mistake, not to do anything that would damage the trust my family has built over generations. It’s not something my parents impose. It’s something I carry,” she states.

What keeps her from crumbling under that weight is the circle she surrounds herself with—friends who celebrate her sensitivity and remind her she doesn’t always have to be achieving to be worthy.  “They see me, for me. And that makes all the difference,” she adds.

Carving Space in Every Room

Birla walks into every room already being watched. She knows it, feels it—and no longer fears it. She admits, “I’ve had to prove myself in every space I’ve entered. In business, they thought I was too young, too sheltered. In music, they thought I was trying out a hobby.”

But she’s not here to fit in—she’s here to expand the space. What makes her journey especially compelling isn’t just the scale of her ambition—it’s the sincerity with which she carries her doubt. Despite everything she’s achieved, there’s a lingering inner voice. One that wonders whether the world will ever fully accept both versions of her: “There’s always that concern about whether people will take me seriously as a business person if I go back to releasing music.”

It’s a tension she navigates daily—between perception and truth, between legacy and individuality. And while her audience may be astute, while her numbers may speak louder than words—she still pauses to question. Not because she lacks conviction, but because she cares deeply.  “I know what matters most is doing what makes me happy and leveraging my business acumen to its fullest. But I still question it from time to time.” 

Still, none of this stops her from showing up, fully and unapologetically. “I’m not trying to be one thing. I’m trying to be myself. And I’ve stopped apologising for that.” 

The Vision Ahead 

What’s next for someone who’s done so much before turning 30? For Birla, it’s not about ticking boxes—it’s about deepening impact. She dreams of creating a global brand that blends well-being, beauty, and Indian heritage in a modern voice. Something that transcends product or platform—something that feels like purpose. “The same vision applies to music—whether it’s my own work or an artist I’m supporting. It’s time to take India to the global stage,” she adds

And as she maps out her next decade—of music, impact, and business evolution—she’s letting both ambition and alignment lead. Birla’s story, so far, is not about fitting into one role or chasing a singular form of success. It’s about wholeness.  She’s building a life that allows for reinvention, redirection, and rest. While the world may still try to define her by her last name or the spaces she dares to enter, she knows the only label worth holding onto is the one she chooses for herself. She’s not here to follow the script. She’s here to write her own story—and she’s only just getting started.