Real empowerment comes in owning your choices and the decisions you make: Navya Nanda

Navya Nanda will be an integral voice for L'Oreal Paris' initiatives and a key spokesperson in the brand's 'I Know My Worth' Campaign. The campaign is based on the internationally acclaimed 'Lessons of Worth' campaign and includes a series of reflective films encouraging women to silence their inner critic and recognise their worth. It features inspiring women leaders in their respective fields who share their incredible stories of self-worth as part of a series of inspirational testimonials, elucidating the brand's historic affirmation "You're Worth It".

Navya Nanda, a young entrepreneur, businesswoman, and social activist, and granddaughter to the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, is an inspiring icon for today's generation as a young woman entrepreneur working to change the landscape for women in India through her own initiatives such as Project Naveli. The brand believes that Navya embodies its core values and cause initiatives as an advocate for women's empowerment, gender equality, and social justice for a more inclusive world. The distinguished group includes Navya Nanda, Aditi Rao Hydari, Mithali Raj, and Dr. Jaishree Sharad.

Navya talks about her new role as a role model to young women in the country. Let's have a look into it.

How does it feel to be chosen as the face of the brand in spite of opting out of the film industry?

It feels great, you know I feel that growing up you don't see a lot of women in campaigns who are not celebrities or actresses, I think it's really nice of L'Oreal to choose people who are industry outsiders. Along with me there is Mithali Raj, Captain of the Indian Women's cricket team, and Dr. Jaishree Sharad who is a cosmetologist, so it gives young girls growing up different professions to aspire to and that a very positive thing. I am really grateful they picked me to be a part of this campaign.

Empowerment means a lot of things to a lot of people, what does it mean to you?

Empowerment to me means being able to make your own choices, without fear of society or what anybody else will think or say. Typically when we talk about women empowerment we say she is a strong woman, she is a CEO or she is running a business but women empowerment can also be making a choice to be a housewife or a homemaker and those are equally important roles that we play. I think real empowerment comes in owning your choices and the decisions you make.

In context of 'I Know My Worth' campaign, do you feel women in India are getting more confident about their own self-worth and are not afraid to own it?

Yes, absolutely and I will give the credit to women themselves for realising that they don't need to be bother about what anybody will say, and I think the younger women specially, those my age are a lot more stronger, a lot more rational, a lot more opinionated, which I think are all great things. I think they don't really fear what society or anybody has to say them as they can make their choices and stand by them.

You have been involved in lot of projects which help women empowerment and networking, which is the project closest to your heart?

So through Project Naveli which is my NGO, I've worked many projects. Currently a project called 'entrepreneury' which is a community for women entrepreneurs in India and encourages more women who have interest in starting businesses by providing them with community, resources to help grow their businesses and some finances as well, is very close to my heart. It could be housewives who during the pandemic may have picked up a hobby and want to grow it into a business, it's really small scale entrepreneurs who I want to help because I am an entrepreneur myself, so I do understand how difficult it sometimes to get a business up and running.

Your idea of a great night out and how do you like to style yourself?

I am not a night out of person, so you will find me probably in my pyjamas at home, either reading or watching TV with my nani (grandmother). But if I got out then my outfits are very simple and basic, you will probably find me in a white t-shirt and jeans.

Do you feel you imbibe any of your grandmother's qualities in you, and would you like to share some of the values she has fostered in you?

My nani is very confident, strong and an outspoken person in general, and I think she really stands by what she believes in, so those are all qualities I hope I inherit from her, but the more time I spend with her the more she influences me in that way.