MPW 2023: Here’s what inspires Neerja Birla in her diverse ventures

By her own admission, Neerja Birla’s professional journey is not typical. “I did not plan for things to move in a particular way; it has all unfolded organically,” she says. Take the case of Aditya Birla World Academy, where she wanted to start a school to provide holistic education instead of the more prevalent academic approach. “What also planted the idea in my mind was that I hadn’t been able to complete my undergraduate education. I knew how education at that level worked, and I could train the mind to take the right decisions and handle pressure.”

Likewise, mental health initiative Mpower had its own genesis. “It was born out of my daughter’s bad patch. Even with money and educated minds, the problem was difficult to solve,” she recalls. “I was at my wits’ end. After a personal experience, you get more devoted to a cause, which is how Mpower was born.” Ananya, her oldest child, asked her to “just do it” at 3 am. Then she contacted the doctors and others involved in the initiative to begin. After so many years, people still look down upon mental health issues. “Questions on whether they will cope with a professional career are asked.” That is of concern to her. “The perception that productivity and mental illness can’t coexist has to change. That is the goal for Mpower and continues to be so.”