ANANYA BIRLA
Musician, Entrepreneur, and Founder, Ikai Asai
“All around the world, there is an age-old myth that women can’t be trusted with money. That we are frivolous over-spenders, incapable of managing the family budgets. It’s a centuries-old stereotype, with its roots in the patriarchal division of labour: men are breadwinners, while women belong at home, with a child on each hip. We are excluded from money matters far too often—dependent on men, and financially illiterate.
Personally, good spending habits were inculcated in me from a young age…even if it was just with my pocket money. My parents instilled in me the habit of prioritising and saving, and the importance of financial education. I remember my first ever earning was prize money in a chess tournament.
“The first step to financial independence, in my opinion, is to start keeping a budget.”
Investing, for me, is about more than profit. I like to put my money into start-ups that have a positive impact. It can be risky, but I like to make my money work towards something good, where it can also hopefully achieve a strong return. I also feel that the best investment anyone can make is in people.
The more you surround yourself with good people, the more you grow.
When I was 17, I set up Svatantra, which has now provided loans to over 2.5 million women in rural areas, to help them grow their businesses and take control of their own finances. To me, female financial independence is the single most important step forward in gender equality. When women participate in economic activities, not only do their lives improve, so do the lives of their families and communities. Even with Ikai Asai, we
