Ananya Birla Says She’ll Focus on Business Over Music

Indian pop artist Ananya Birla announced on social media yesterday that she’s calling time on her nearly decade-long music career to focus on her business ventures.

The singer, whose first release “Livin’ The Life” came in 2016, shared her thoughts on focusing on growing her microfinance company, Svatantra Microfin, along with design house Ikai Asai, plus The Ananya Birla Foundation.

Birla, the daughter of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and Neerja Birla, said in a statement, “Guys, this has been the hardest decision. I’ve reached a stage where balancing both the businesses I run and am building + music is becoming near impossible and it’s taking a toll on me in ways that I can’t express.”

She thanked fans for “all the love for the music I’ve released over the years.” She added, “I hope one day we can appreciate English music made by our own people as there is so much talent in our own country. Thank you again. It’s time I focus all my energies to the business world.”

The announcement came as Birla was prepping to release a music video for her recent single “24” and embark on a three-city run of shows in North East India. Birla shared an additional update that the tour would be canceled and tickets would be refunded. Although it might feel like an end to her music career, Birla hasn’t definitively said in as many words that she’s quitting music.

Since her start releasing music formally eight years ago, Birla has worked with everyone from rapper Offset (on her recent song “Cuffed (Jo Tha Mila)” to Jamaican singer-rapper Sean Kingston on “Day Goes By” in 2019. Birla also teamed up with the likes of composer A.R. Rahman (“Hindustani Way” in 2021), singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari (“Kya Karein” in 2022), hip-hop/pop artist King (“Let There Be Love” in 2020), composer-producer OAFF and singer-producer Savera (“Sheeshe Ka Dil” in 2023) and rapper Ikka (“Beymaniyan” in 2022). Earlier this year, rapper G-Eazy told Rolling Stone India that he was working on a track with Birla.

As recently as February this year, Birla had signed on to a record deal with music major BMG, which made her the first Indian-origin female artist in the company’s roster. At the time, the deal involved a “long-term partnership that includes licensing, marketing and distribution.” The status of this partnership is presently unknown.

Birla does have a lot to focus on in the business world, treading the family path with Svatantra Microfin, who recently entered into a definitive agreement with American private equity fund Advent International and India’s Multiples Private Equity to raise ₹ 1,930 crore in equity.

She said in a statement at the time of the raising funds, “This transformative era for Svatantra propels us towards our goal of becoming the foremost and most impactful microfinance institution, creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurs who fuel India’s growth story.”

Listen to “24” by Ananya Birla below.