‘I have seen my Dadi working’: Navya Nanda credits grandmom Ritu Nanda for inspiring her entrepreneurial journey

FARIDABAD: Entrepreneur Navya Naveli Nanda, who has often spoken about the influence of the women in her family, credited her mother Shweta Bachchan, ‘nani’ Jaya Bachchan, and her ‘dadi’ Ritu Nanda for shaping her outlook towards entrepreneurship and encouraging her to build a career of her own.

Reflecting on her upbringing in Delhi, Navya said her ‘Dadi’ (paternal grandmother), Ritu Nanda, the eldest daughter of the legendary Raj Kapoor, played a particularly important role in inspiring her entrepreneurial ambitions.

“The role of women is very important. The role of a mother is very important,” she said, recalling how she grew up 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.

“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,” she added.

, shares how — the future-forward nonprofit she co-founded with — is changing the way young women learn, work, and lead. But what moment from their AI program truly shows how empowerment spreads beyond classrooms and into entire communities? pic.twitter.com/eV85cyjEqm

— Navya Naveli Nanda (@navyananda3atp) August 15, 2026

Navya’s views on women’s empowerment extend beyond her own family experience. Speaking about the need to prepare women for a rapidly changing workplace, she highlighted the importance of equipping young women with the skills needed to navigate an increasingly AI-driven world.

“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 worked with women for the past five years, Navya believes that opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship are becoming increasingly accessible. She pointed to the internet and platforms where people can discover jobs, learn new skills and build careers.

Navya highlighted that women routinely manage multiple responsibilities, support their families and solve problems, demonstrating abilities that can also translate 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 Naveli Nanda was present at the launch of the GenAI Ready Naari (GenAI Training) Programme, an initiative from Navya and Samyak Chakrabarty’s ‘Nimaya Foundation’. (ANI)