Navya Nanda says watching her mother and grandmothers work shaped her views on ambition and independence

Navya Naveli Nanda has spoken about the women in her family who influenced her approach to work, entrepreneurship and independence. From watching her late grandmother Ritu Nanda run a business to receiving encouragement from her mother Shweta Bachchan and grandmother Jaya Bachchan, Navya says these experiences shaped the way she thinks about building a career.

For Navya Naveli Nanda, the idea of professional independence was something she witnessed long before she began building a career of her own.

The entrepreneur and granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan recently reflected on the influence of the working women in her family, particularly her late paternal grandmother Ritu Nanda. Speaking to ANI, Navya recalled seeing her grandmother work while growing up in Delhi and said that experience became an early source of inspiration for her own entrepreneurial ambitions.

“I am actually a girl from Delhi. I have seen my Dadi working many times, and I have got a lot of motivation from her in doing entrepreneurship because she was also an entrepreneur,” Navya said.

Ritu Nanda became an early inspiration for Navya

Ritu Nanda, the eldest daughter of legendary filmmaker-actor Raj Kapoor, established a career in the insurance sector through Ritu Nanda Insurance Service Private Ltd.

For Navya, seeing her grandmother maintain a professional identity provided a practical example of what ambition and independence could look like.

Rather than learning about entrepreneurship only as an abstract career concept, Navya grew up watching someone close to her manage a business and professional responsibilities.

That experience, she suggested, stayed with her as she eventually began exploring entrepreneurship herself.

Navya also credits Shweta Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan

Navya said her inspiration was not limited to one member of the family. She highlighted the encouragement she received from her mother Shweta Bachchan, maternal grandmother Jaya Bachchan, aunt and other women around her.

“My mother, my aunt, my grandmother, all the women in my family, they have motivated me a lot and supported me a lot. I think because of that, I also want to make them proud,” she said.

Her comments underline how professional confidence can often develop within families through everyday examples and encouragement.

For Navya, watching different generations of women navigate work and family life helped establish the idea that ambition and personal responsibilities do not necessarily have to exist separately.

Navya believes women already develop valuable skills

While discussing women’s participation in professional life, Navya pointed to the many responsibilities women often manage in their everyday lives.

“They can do a thousand things. I feel that these skills are in women from birth. Women will move forward with men… when it comes to equality, both men and women can achieve it together,” she said.

Her observation also speaks to the broader relationship between skills developed at home and those required in professional environments. Organisation, communication, decision-making, adaptability and problem-solving can all become valuable professional abilities.

Why working role models matter for young women

Navya’s experience offers a broader lesson about how young people develop their understanding of careers.

Children often learn about ambition by observing the adults around them. A working parent or grandparent can demonstrate independence through everyday actions, while family encouragement can give young people the confidence to explore their own interests.

For young women in particular, seeing women occupy professional roles can help challenge the idea that career ambitions must come at the expense of family or personal relationships.

Independence can coexist with family support

Navya’s comments also present a more nuanced view of independence. Building an independent career does not necessarily mean rejecting support from family.

Her own experience shows that encouragement and professional ambition can exist side by side. Having a strong support system can give someone the confidence to take risks, develop skills and pursue a career path that feels personally meaningful.

At the same time, professional independence can help women develop an identity beyond traditional family roles.

Building a career does not have to follow one path

Navya’s journey also highlights the changing ways young people approach professional life. Entrepreneurship is one route, but independence can take many forms, from developing professional skills and understanding finances to pursuing employment, creative work or a business idea.

The important element is having the confidence to make informed choices about one’s future.

For Navya, that confidence appears to have been shaped partly by the women she watched growing up. Her grandmother’s business career, her mother’s example and the encouragement of the women around her all contributed to a broader understanding of what she could aspire to.

Her reflections ultimately point to a simple idea: sometimes the most influential career role models are not people we discover later in professional life, but the women we grow up watching every day.