At 28, Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda works with her father Nikhil Nanda at Kubota Escorts for Rs 32,500; says ‘I would never want to restrict my identity’ beyond Bachchan-Nanda legacy |
At age 28, Navya Naveli Nanda’s business journey began in an environment far removed from the usual image associated with her famous family: tractors and heavy agricultural machinery. Currently, the businesswoman works alongside her father, Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director of Escorts Kubota, the listed engineering and tractor company with a market value of approximately Rs 32.5 billion.But Navya Naveli Nanda is determined to forge an identity beyond the Bachchan-Nanda surname. The businesswoman, daughter of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Nikhil Nanda and granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has expressed her desire to build a career and life defined by her own work.
Speaking at the launch of Aparajita, the Hindi edition of former State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya’s memoir Indomitable, Navya spoke about the changing priorities of Generation Z.“Young people don’t just want profit; they want purpose,” she said, describing what she sees as a strong desire among her generation to contribute to society, women and themselves.Bhattacharya, who also participated in the conversation, dismissed the stereotype that Generation Z is entitled or unwilling to work, calling the perception “completely wrong.”
Navya did not claim that her generation has faced greater difficulties than previous generations. Instead, he said technology has eliminated some of the challenges that previous generations experienced, while creating new uncertainties of its own.One of the biggest concerns, he noted, is artificial intelligence and its potential impact on jobs and careers.Despite those uncertainties, Nanda believes Generation Z is developing resilience through a stronger sense of purpose. He described young people’s commitment to contributing to society as “very, very strong.”
The entrepreneur also spoke about gender equality and how young people increasingly see men and women as equals.According to Nanda, seeing the person across the table as an equal gives young women more confidence to express their opinions. However, he acknowledged that stereotypes and structural barriers continue to exist.For her, gender equality should not simply mean that women try to catch up with men.“I think it’s about creating our own plan,” she said, referring to how women should be able to decide how they want to live and contribute.Nanda also highlighted that men have an important role to play as partners, fathers and brothers in creating a more equal society.
The question of identity is particularly personal for Navya, who comes from two prominent Indian families.His maternal grandparents are Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, while his paternal grandparents were the late industrialist Rajan Nanda and businessman Ritu Nanda. Her father, Nikhil Nanda, runs Escorts Kubota, while her mother, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, is a writer and businesswoman.During the conversation, Navya was asked how she separates her own identity from the last name she was born with and if heritage comes with additional pressure.Navya acknowledged the responsibility that comes with having a prominent surname.“Everyone has a last name,” he said, adding that he believes everyone has an equal responsibility to live up to that name.At the same time, he made it clear that he doesn’t want his identity to be defined solely by his family.“I would never want to restrict my identity to just my last name,” she said, adding that she doesn’t want to be defined solely by her roles as a daughter, granddaughter, sister or friend.She said that women are “far beyond those labels” and expressed her desire to build an identity through both her professional and personal life.
Among the women who influenced Navya’s ambitions, her late grandmother Ritu Nanda occupies a particularly significant place.Ritu Nanda, the eldest daughter of legendary filmmaker and actor Raj Kapoor, was an entrepreneur and businesswoman. Navya recalled growing up surrounded by her grandmother’s business life and being fascinated by the enthusiasm with which she talked about her work.While friends sometimes teased Navya for being so interested in business, she said her grandmother’s enthusiasm made the business world seem “the most exciting place imaginable.”“A lot of my dad’s ambition, a lot of his strength, a lot of what he did when he was younger and what I saw growing up,” Navya said, “has led me to be sitting here on this stage sharing that with you today.”He also credited his mother, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and grandmother Jaya Bachchan as important role models while growing up.
Although Navya works alongside her father at Kubota Escorts, her professional interests go beyond the family business.She co-founded Aara Health, a women-focused health and wellness platform, and founded Project Naveli, a non-profit initiative focused on gender equality and creating opportunities for women.She is also the co-author of The Map, a forthcoming book from HarperCollins India that explores and challenges stereotypes surrounding Generation Z.For Nanda, the question is not whether he can escape the legacy he was born into, but how he can build something of his own by recognizing where he comes from.“I think what they have passed on to me is much more than I could ever achieve in my life,” he said.
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