Trust the timing of the universe: 40u40 2024 Ananya Birla's advice to younger self

Ananya Birla, featured in the 2024 edition of Fortune India's 40Under40 list, opens up about finding confidence in strengths and weaknesses. The elder daughter of Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, the 29-year-old Ananya is a singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. She is also the director of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. She started her music career in 2016. Her latest song ‘24’ was released on April 26, 2024.

"I would tell my younger self to trust the timing of the universe. To not get disheartened by the small blips, to trust that if I am working hard with the right intention, then the outcome will be met," says Ananya Birla.

Speaking about her perspective on life, Birla says: "As soon as I began to love myself more, as soon as I became more confident with my own skills, I began seeing a difference in my outer, professional world as well. As I understood my inner workings, my strengths and weaknesses, when I started embracing myself fully, working on my skillsets and knowledge, that's when I really began seeing the change in my outer world."

She says she doesn't think she has "arrived" at all. "There's so much work to do. It also depends on how one defines the word 'arrived'. Some days, making sure I am regular with my meditation makes me feel like I have arrived. But, when it comes to my professional life, I personally view it as a journey, which is a beautiful journey and there's a long way to go."

In a social media post this month, Ananya Birla said she was quitting as a musician to focus on the business. The $75 billion Aditya Birla group is one of the biggest business houses in India, whose interests span across cement, metals, clothing & fashion, finance, retail and telecom. "Guys, this has been the hardest decision. I've reached a stage where balancing both the businesses I run and am building and music is becoming near impossible and it's taking a toll on me in ways that I can't express."