Neerja Birla
Founder & Chairperson, Aditya Birla Education TrustAbout
Neerja Birla is defying taboos. In fact, the trajectory of Mpower, her mental health foundation launched in 2016, traces how far India has come. Mpower has touched 3.5 million lives to date. In 2025, India saw a 31% rise in individuals seeking help. Next, Birla wants to normalise conversations around menstrual hygiene and menopause through her NGO, Ujaas, spearheaded by her younger daughter, Advaitesha. “Nobody talks about peri-menopause and menopause; it is a bigger taboo,” Birla says. Menopause is a key reason why women exit the workforce and shy away from leadership roles, she believes. Through Period Sakhi, Ujaas is also making women financially independent by setting up reusable sanitary pad-making units run by self-help groups. In FY25, these units produced over 63,000 menstrual pads, generating ₹55 lakh in revenue.
