Women are often undermined in the world of business, their judgments are questioned, and their leadership skills often raise eyebrows. But Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), is a firm believer in gender equality in the workplace and asserts that employing women in positions of leadership can bring better outcomes for the organisation. She is also the wife of one of the leading billionaire industrialists and philanthropists, Kumar Mangalam Birla. She has carved out a niche for herself has been the leading force of ABET and has made significant progress in advocating for women and their rights in the workplace.
Neerja Birla early life and career
Neerja Birla was born in 1971 and was the first Indian representative to be on the International Advisory Board of Headspace. At the G100, a distinguished group of the top 100 female leaders in the world with a vision for the future to encourage diversity and the economic and social empowerment of women around the world, Birla now holds the Global Chair Mental Health. She is also a member of the Asia Gender Network and serves as a trustee of the Mumbai Police Foundation.
Neerja is also a proud recipient of Changemaker of the Year at the 2022 Woman Achievers Awards. Her work in the area of women’s mental well-being, and their rights at the workplace has been monumental. She has through her work been vocal about how companies can make policies that ensure more opportunities for its female employees. Neerja, once in an exclusive interview with Outlook Business, talked about how there should be different policies and leaves scheduled for female employees during menstruation, flexibility of hybrid work options, and affordable childcare opportunities.
Neerja tied the knot with Kumar Mangalam Birla in 1989. He heads one of India’s greatest international corporations and is a wealthy industrialist, philanthropist, and head of the Aditya Birla Group. He served as the former Chairman of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and is currently the chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Pilani. His net worth at present, according to Forbes is $16.7 billion. Neerja’s two children, Ananya and Aryaman Birla are the directors of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited and have established themselves as successful business figures. Ananya is also a singer and songwriter who has over 350 million streams.
The opulent Jatia House
In Mumbai’s largest-ever real estate transaction, Kumar Mangalam Birla, head of the $41 billion Aditya Birla Group, outbid competitors to win the bid for the sea-facing Jatia House, as per an Economic Times report. After a day-long auction, Birla decided to spend Rs 425 crore to purchase the two-story home in the upscale Malabar Hill neighbourhood of the city. For the 30,000-square-foot bungalow, Birla outbid five bids, including Piramal Realty, owned by Ajay Piramal. The Birla family resides in this opulent property.