For the scion of one of India’s most respected and traditional business families, Ananya Birla has adopted a career path not only less trodden but also distinctively unique in her own fashion. This feisty daughter of Neerja and Kumar Mangalam Birla is an entrepreneur marrying social conscience to business, a mental health activist and a songwriter and vocalist with serious talent and ambition—and all at the age of 26! She has been featured on the cover of this issue. Contrary to the stereotype of Marwaris as essentially hard-core, money-minded businessmen, there are those like Sanjay Kumar Jain who have excelled in other fields as well. Company secretary, entrepreneur, corporate head honcho, industry leader, mentor—Jain has done it all. With his yen for business and all his accumulated knowledge over the years, he now has turned to writing, having penned his debut book A Pinch of Salt: In the Recipe Called Life that offers advice and insights to readers looking to live a balanced and happy life. We present a Q & A with him. Unlike Sanjay Jain, whose love for culture began late in life, Arjun Prajapati’s love for art and culture goes back to his earliest years. A virtuoso artist and sculptor today, who has been honoured with numerous awards and recognitions, including the Padma Shri, Prajapati’s clients and admirers count among the who’s who of the world. We bring you his story. With all this and more, we bring you yet another interesting issue of MARWAR.
Marwar is a community-based magazine with an emphasis on profiling the best and the brightest in the Marwari community. The magazine reaches the elite in India and abroad who want to read and discover the wonders of all things connected with the community. Thus, the subjects featured have to have the flavour of Marwar and Rajasthan—its culture, lifestyle and traditions. We highlight arts, crafts, music, dance and theatre as well as fashion and food that are connected to the region apart from immensely successful businessmen and businesswomen. In the past, luminaries like Laxmi Mittal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Indu Jain, Sanjiv Goenka and Rajashree Birla, to name a few, have graced our cover.