It took just one summer for Anu Sridharan to leave the US and kick-start a revolution in India. Now, she is changing the lives of many with an extraordinary venture! If not for her, the state of water shortage in the country would have remained the same. Such social entrepreneurship, she feels, should expand in all directions, and spread change “one step at a time.” In a candid interview, the 27-year-old opens up on success, drawing inspiration from Jay Z and learning to swim against the tide.
Witty, charming and humble, Anu seems unperturbed by the expectations riding on her. Perhaps that is the reason for her success. Growing up in Southern California, Anu is a Tamilian at heart but she confesses that she cannot speak the language and is quite awful at it. “I grew up in Southern California and went to school in Northern California. So I spent all my life in the US until I moved here in 2011. When I broke the news to my parents, their first concern was what I would do in India because I would not be able to sustain it here — but I have survived,” she says.
That’s an understatement, we think. From a graduate student in the Civil Engineering Department at University of Berkeley, to believing that a project could take shape thousands of miles away, Anu is a go-getter! Her project is now the reason that a lot of people no longer need to wait endlessly near corporation taps for that one drop! Speaking about how NextDrop came about, she credits it to the experience of a friend.
“Emily was in Hubli for her research project which involved studying water quality in the area. Unfortunately, most of her time would be spent just waiting for water. She was flabbergasted and was suggesting how we could offer a solution,” recalls Anu. So how did she react when she heard the experience? “It did not make any sense initially, I could not imagine someone had to wait for hours to get something as basic as water. So, when we initiated a pilot project, I jumped at the opportunity and left for India.”
Since then, there has been no looking back. From trying to solve issues, working closely with a government institution and changing lives, Anu has had an incredible journey. Her startup revolves around the idea that a text message would be sent to citizens, alerting them when water will flow in their municipal taps nearby. The startup has been quite successful and has now been initiated in Bengaluru and is in the nascent stages of expanding to other states as well. “We have covered parts of Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli and are now spreading across Karnataka, and planning to go national this year,” reveals Anu. However, she adds that they have declined investment. “Yes, we wanted to try and make it on our own and lift the project off the ground,” she says, with oodles of confidence.
Unlike other startups, NextDrop majorly deals with the government about which, Anu opines, “As opposed to the general misconception about governments, we have had positive experiences. Specially, the Karnataka government is forward thinking and is 100 per cent supportive.” And for her work, she was featured in the Forbes list of 30 Under 30 social entrepreneurs, about which she says she feels honoured and humbled, but, “We measure success by the number of wedding invitations we receive. I love the way the people treat us as family,” she says. About living away from home, in Bengaluru, “I love the startup scene that is prevalent right now. It is the right time to be running a startup in India, as the country is booming with some remarkable entrepreneurial adventures,” says the lady, who loves the business eco-system in the country.
She radiates positive energy and credits that to the support of family and friends. “They have now understood my passion for business and support me totally,” adding to which she surprises us by saying she draws inspiration from hip-hop artistes. “I grew up listening to hip-hop, and hence those artists have been my inspiration. Their struggles, hard work and rising above all — these real-life stories motivate me,” shares the woman, who is a fan of Jay Z and hopes to meet him someday.
Apart from music, this CEO enjoys dancing, both Bollywood and contemporary, and classifies herself as a “big nerd.” She adds, “I read anything that I can get my hands on — fantasy, fiction, chick lit., anything. The written word interests me.”
