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The board of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL), at its meeting held on Monday, inducted Ananya Birla and Aryaman Vikram Birla as directors. 

“The ABFRL platform is now poised for a new wave of exponential growth. Ananya and Aryaman’s individual achievements in their chosen fields and early success with their independent entrepreneurial ventures set them up well for larger responsibilities,” Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said. “Their nuanced understanding of new-age business models and emerging shifts in consumer behaviour will infuse fresh energy to the board of ABFRL.”

Ananya and Aryaman were recently inducted as directors on the board of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt Ltd, the apex body that provides strategic direction to the Aditya Birla Group’s businesses. 

Ananya’s first company, Svatantra Microfin Pvt Ltd, which she founded at the age of 17, claims to have crossed $1 billion in Asset Under Management (AUM) and has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 120% (2015-2022). Svatantra, which has over 7,000 employees, also acquired Micro Housing Finance Corporation Ltd in 2018. 

She is also the founder of the design-led home decor brand Ikai Asai. 

On the social front, Ananya has co-founded the mental health organisation Mpower, and advocates the need for conversations around mental health in India. She is also the founder of the Ananya Birla Foundation which researches mental health and its social impact. 

Meanwhile, Aryaman’s experience includes entrepreneurship, VC investing, and professional sport. As per a release, Aryaman is closely involved with several businesses of the Aditya Birla Group. In consultation with the Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, the company said he is actively championing the group’s foray into new-age businesses. Aryaman helped incubate the Group’s D2C platform, TMRW, and is a director on its board. 

His maiden entrepreneurial foray was in the hospitality business. Aryaman is also spearheading the Group’s venture capital fund, Aditya Birla Ventures.