Navya Naveli Nanda on building her own identity beyond the Bachchan-Nanda family legacy.

At 28, Navya Naveli Nanda's corporate journey began in an environment far removed from the usual image associated with her famous family - around tractors and heavy farm machinery. Today, the entrepreneur works alongside her father, Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director of Escorts Kubota, the listed tractor and engineering company with a market value of roughly Rs 32,500 crore.But Navya Naveli Nanda is determined to carve out an identity beyond the Bachchan-Nanda surname. The entrepreneur, who is the daughter of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Nikhil Nanda and granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has been vocal about building a career and life defined by her own work.

Navya Naveli Nanda on Gen Z

Speaking at the launch of Aparajita, the Hindi edition of former State Bank of India Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya's memoir Indomitable, Navya discussed the changing priorities of Gen 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 was also part of the conversation, dismissed the stereotype that Gen Z is entitled or unwilling to work, calling the perception “totally wrong.”

Navya on the uncertainty surrounding AI

Navya did not claim that her generation has faced greater hardships than previous generations. Instead, she said technology has eliminated some of the challenges that earlier generations experienced, while creating new uncertainties of its own.One of the biggest concerns, she noted, is artificial intelligence and its potential impact on jobs and careers.Despite those uncertainties, Nanda believes Gen Z is developing resilience through a stronger sense of purpose. She described the commitment among young people to contributing to society as “very, very strong”.

Navya Naveli Nanda on women's equality

The entrepreneur also spoke about gender equality and how young people increasingly view men and women as equals.According to Nanda, seeing the person across the table as an equal gives young women greater confidence to express their opinions. However, she acknowledged that stereotypes and structural barriers continue to exist.For her, gender equality should not simply mean women trying to catch up with men.“I think it’s about creating our own blueprint,” she said, referring to how women should be able to decide how they want to live and contribute.Nanda also stressed that men have an important role to play as partners, fathers and brothers in creating a more equal society.

Navya Naveli Nanda on her famous surname

The question of identity is particularly personal for Navya, who comes from two prominent Indian families.Her maternal grandparents are Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, while her paternal grandparents were the late industrialist Rajan Nanda and entrepreneur Ritu Nanda. Her father, Nikhil Nanda, heads Escorts Kubota, while her mother, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, is a writer and entrepreneur.During the conversation, Navya was asked how she separates her own identity from the surname she was born into and whether the legacy comes with additional pressure.Navya acknowledged the responsibility that comes with having a prominent family name.“Everyone has a surname,” she said, adding that she believes everyone has an equal responsibility to live up to that name.At the same time, she made it clear that she does not want her identity to be defined solely by her family.“I would never want to restrict my identity to just my last name,” she said, adding that she does not want to be defined only by her roles as a daughter, granddaughter, sister or friend.She said women are “far beyond those labels” and expressed her desire to build an identity through both her professional and personal life.

Ritu Nanda's influence on Navya's career

Among the women who influenced Navya's ambitions, her late grandmother Ritu Nanda holds 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 around her grandmother's business life and being fascinated by the excitement with which she spoke about her work.While friends would sometimes tease Navya for being so interested in business, she said her grandmother's enthusiasm made the corporate world seem like “the most exciting place imaginable.”“A lot of my dadi's ambition, a lot of her strength, a lot of what she did when she 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.”She also credited her mother, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and grandmother Jaya Bachchan as important role models while growing up.

Navya Naveli Nanda's work beyond the family business

While Navya works alongside her father at Escorts Kubota, her professional interests extend 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 co-authoring The Map, a forthcoming book from HarperCollins India that explores and challenges stereotypes surrounding Gen Z.For Nanda, the question is not whether she can escape the legacy she was born into, but how she can build something of her own while acknowledging where she comes from.“I think what has been passed around me is far more than what I might even achieve in my life,” she said.