Summary

Neerja Birla is an Indian businesswoman, mental health campaigner and philanthropist, best recognised for her work in education and mental illness advocacy. She is married to Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, one of India's most prominent business conglomerates.

Neerja Birla established the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), which manages various educational and mental health programmes, such as the Aditya Birla World Academy, The Aditya Birla Integrated School (for children with learning differences) and MPower, a mental health organisation co-established with her daughter, Ananya Birla.

Personal Information

Key Achievements

• Founder of MPower: India's pre-eminent mental health movement offering counselling, awareness programmes and advocacy.
• Pioneer in Special Education: She founded the Aditya Birla Integrated School (TABIS) for kids with learning disabilities.
• Promoter of Holistic Education: In Aditya Birla World Academy, she focuses on innovation in education.
• Mental Health Advocacy: She collaborates with government and private entities to decrease mental health stigma in India.

Major Events Timeline

• 2016: She co-founded MPower to solve mental health issues in India.
• 2017: She was honoured with the DEVI Award by the New Indian Express.
• 2019: She was named among the Top 50 Global Mental Health Leaders by the World Mental Health Congress.
• 2021: She was conferred the ‘Change Champion Award’ by the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, for her work in mental health.

Challenges & Controversies

She experienced resistance while advancing mental health awareness in the conservative segments of Indian society. Some critics believe that her institutions mainly cater to high-end families, although ABET has launched scholarships for needy students.