How Navya Naveli Nanda is amping up her fight against gender inequality in India

Inspired by the strong women in her family—in particular, her grandmother, the actor Jaya Bachchan, her mother, the columnist and author Shweta Bachchan Nanda and her aunt, businesswoman Natasha Nanda—superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda is ramping up the fight against gender inequality in India through her recently launched Project Naveli.

“I want to use the resources, people, privilege and platforms that I have to spread awareness and bring change. Studying abroad, I found the women there far more emancipated. I want women in India to feel the same way, to be given similar opportunities. I want them to be masters of their own destiny and take charge of their own lives. I've grown up around working women in my family—it's all I've known. To bring that change, you have to start with education and financial independence. That's where Project Naveli comes in,” says Nanda.

Gender equality is a tall order, admits the 23-year-old, but she is determined to make a difference. “This is something that can be achieved if we, as a whole, as a society, as women, as a nation, come together to make this a reality. However, my primary goal with this initiative is to offer opportunities and resources to women that will allow for economic and social empowerment, providing them with the right tools and access to lead healthier lives, enter the workforce, be independent, and so much more,” she adds.

Project Naveli will work in four specific spheres—education, economic independence, domestic violence, and mental and physical health, all areas in which gender inequality is most prevalent in India, especially after the pandemic. “We will tackle more grassroots issues in rural parts of the country, as well as focus on issues plaguing urban women,” says Nanda.

Currently, she and her team working are working on building ‘period-positive homes’. “This project will combat the age-old custom practised by the Madia/Gond tribes in Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) of banishing women to huts during menstruation, originating from the belief that menstruation is impure. These [period-positive homes] are homes where menstruators are not discriminated against, but empowered with resources and knowledge to lead healthy, dignified lives,” says Nanda. “Our upcoming projects are focused around upskilling and training women to enter the workforce through mentorship programs and knowledge-building workshops,” she says, adding that Project Naveli will also be curating ways through which others can be involved with this cause in the form of campaigns, fundraisers and webinars.

Incidentally, Nanda, who graduated from Fordham University, New York, in May last year with a major in digital technology and UX design, co-founded Aara Health (@aarahealth)—a women-centric health tech company focused on building, creating and providing scientifically backed health products, services and educational resources for Indian women—in March. “We built this company to create a more inclusive, accessible, sustainable and judgement-free healthcare platform for women in India,” she says, informing that Aara Health's e-commerce website will be launching soon.

Not surprisingly, Nanda’s role models outside the family include powerhouses like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Indra Nooyi, Falguni Nayar and Tanya Dubash. “These are women who have shattered glass ceilings. They are the perfect role models not only for women but men too. They have created an impact I can only hope to create in my lifetime, and have not only set an example for women but also instilled a great sense of pride in all Indians as they continue to be the best representation of our country on such a large international scale,” she says, “I’m also deeply inspired by my co-founders, Mallika, Pragya and Ahilya, who really motivate me and push me to do better, work harder and dream bigger. Their work ethic and passion are infectious and they inspire me every single day.”

Of the several causes that she is passionate about, women’s health tops the list. “We have seen women shy away from speaking up about their health needs for far too long. We have seen a cultural and social context that has not given women access to the education, information and resources they deserve in relation to healthcare, and most importantly, we have seen continuous stigmatisation of women’s health topics such as menstruation, menopause, sexual health. Project Naveli and Aara Health are an attempt to fix that—to create a safer, judgement-free and de-stigmatised environment for women’s healthcare in India.”

Nanda has a long list of goals she’d like to achieve, including helping to change policy and support women’s empowerment through her various endeavours. She is, however, gearing up to start working with her father, Nikhil Nanda, in the family business (Escorts Limited) as well. “I would be the fourth generation of the family taking the lead—and the first woman. It is a great sense of pride for me to be carrying forward this incredible legacy left behind by my great-grandfather HP Nanda,” she says.

As she signs off, the feisty crusader says she is happy to see more young women break away from the patriarchal chains that have tied so many down. “Every day there are more and more women starting businesses, breaking records, showing up for one another and exuding independence. I am grateful to be living in a time when women are taking charge. The ball is definitely in our court, and I cannot wait to see all the amazing things we are going to achieve.”

Also read: 

Melinda Gates on finding equality in her marriage & driving real change

8 important lessons we've learnt from successful women in fashion

Your most searched mental health-related questions, answered