Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and veteran actor and Parliamentarian Jaya Bachchan's granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda enjoys a massive fan following on social media. A diva in her own right, Navya is the co-founder of Aara Health, an online platform for women to discuss health issues. And recently, the 24-year-old also launched a campaign by the name 'Project Naveli', that aims at fighting against gender inequality in India.
Talking about the same, Navya in a recent interview with Vogue India said, "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."
Determined to make a difference to bring about a significant change towards gender equality, Navya said that the goal is achievable if everyone comes together to make it a reality. She said, "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."
Speaking about building 'period-positive homes', a project she is currently working on, Navya told the magazine, "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."
She added, "Our upcoming projects are focused around upskilling and training women to enter the workforce through mentorship programs and knowledge-building workshops."
Revealing who she considers her role models outside the family, she mentioned the names of 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 said.
Navya is ll set to start working with her father, Nikhil Nanda, in the family business (Escorts Limited). Opening up on being the first woman in the family to take over the reins of the business soon, Navya said, "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."
