Entrepreneur Navya Naveli Nanda has often spoken about the strong influence of the women in her family, and she recently opened up about how her mother Shweta Bachchan, grandmother Jaya Bachchan and paternal grandmother Ritu Nanda shaped her perspective on work and entrepreneurship.Navya reflected on her childhood in Delhi and revealed that Ritu Nanda, the eldest daughter of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, was particularly influential in encouraging her to pursue entrepreneurship. Growing up around her grandmother and watching her work gave Navya an early example of what it meant for a woman to build a career of her own.“The role of women is very important. The role of a mother is very important,” she said, recalling her childhood with her grandmother in Delhi.“I am actually a girl from Delhi. I have seen my Dadi working many times, and I have got a lot of motivation from her in doing entrepreneurship because she was also an entrepreneur,” Navya said in an interview with ANI.She also acknowledged the collective support she received from the women in her family, adding, “My mother, my aunt, my grandmother, all the women in my family, they have motivated me a lot and supported me a lot. I think because of that, I also want to make them proud.”Navya’s advocacy for women’s empowerment, however, goes beyond her personal experiences. She also spoke about the importance of preparing young women for a rapidly evolving professional landscape, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life and workplaces.“We want our daughters to be ready for AI. We want them to learn the benefits of using AI on their own, on their jobs, in their daily lives through our programme so that they can take our country forward and build their careers,” she said.Having spent the past five years working closely with women, Navya believes the avenues available for employment and entrepreneurship have expanded significantly. She pointed to the internet and digital platforms as important tools that can help women find employment, acquire new skills and create professional opportunities for themselves.She further emphasised that women already possess several skills that can prove valuable in professional environments. From managing multiple responsibilities and supporting their families to finding solutions to everyday challenges, she believes these abilities can translate effectively into the workplace.“They can do a thousand things. I feel that these skills are in women from birth. Women will move forward with men. Women are doing very well, men are also doing very well, and when it comes to equality, both men and women can achieve it together,” she said.Navya made the comments while attending the launch of the GenAI Ready Naari (GenAI Training) Programme, an initiative by Navya and Samyak Chakrabarty’s ‘Nimaya Foundation’, aimed at helping women become better equipped for an increasingly AI-driven professional world.
