Running a business successfully, while being there for her son Devaansh, Brahmani is making sure there is a perfect balance.
Brahmani Nara, the executive director of Heritage Foods Limited, doesn’t believe that entrepreneurialism is something that runs in the blood. Daughter of Nandamuri Balakrishna, wife of minister Nara Lokesh and daughter-in-law of AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, Brahmani is a successor by default. She says, “I don’t think anyone’s born an entrepreneur. You need to be passionate about solving a problem. Timing and luck also play some role.”
Her in-laws introduced her to Heritage. “The board had taken the decision to induct me as the executive of Heritage Foods, when Lokesh stepped down to take up party responsibilities. I was honoured. But I followed my mother-in-law’s example and spent a lot of time on the field — travelling to procurement centers, processing facilities and meeting farmers etc. She travels every week on work and knows the nuts and bolts of the company,” she says.
But did Brahmani, who has grown up seeing her aunt and mother-in-law Bhuvaneshwari, ever imagine that she would end up as the bahu in the same family? “Marriage was never expected; but it happened. Although while growing up, I was very scared of her. She used to like pinching kids and I was chubby. But my in-laws have always been more like friends; it doesn’t feel like we are a generation apart.”
Talking about her entrepreneur journey, she says, “Heritage was started by Chandrababu Naidu 25 years ago. Lokesh was also an entrepreneur as he brought focus into our then new retail business, technology related efficiencies and financial stability; he started Heritage Parlours, and the Heritage Farmers Welfare Trust. I have learnt from Lokesh to never accept a status quo.”
Brahmani, who takes pride in wearing the Heritage uniform, says, “The culture was started by Lokesh. He would wear it daily, though the rule was to wear it twice a week. I think the culture brings a sense of belonging, professionalism and most importantly, breaks hierarchy. Even today, many colleagues wear the uniform on a daily basis. Personally, I like wearing our uniform as it carries our new logo and I was deeply involved in the rebranding process which is my contribution and connection with the organisation.”
But coming from a well-established family with access to experienced people and capital, did she face any obstacles? Says Brahmani, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, “It is a challenge to sustain and grow an organisation through generations. The biggest challenge is to build an organisation beyond an individual or a group of individuals. Our mission is to become a billion dollar revenue company in five years (2022) so we are able to share the benefits with farmers.” If it is a difficult task to start an organisation, taking it to the next level is an onerous task.
She says, “A good education at Stanford has exposed me to the smartest and most driven people in the world, who want to create a real impact. More personally, my family’s culture to think big and be the best at what we are doing has inspired me. You will see that all members of the family are engaged in meaningful ways. Both the men are into public service and my mother-in-law and I are involved in the operations of Heritage Foods.”
Talking about Balakrishna and Chandrababu’s relationship, she says, “They share a very positive bond. They mostly discuss politics or my son. Both are strong yet complementary personalities for the family. It’s a good balance between excitement and calmness. For instance, recently, my father couldn’t make it to my son’s aksharabhyasam because of his busy shooting schedule, and everyone missed his energy.”
As a busy working mom of a two-year-old, how does she balance work and family? “Balancing work and family is a challenging task. There are so many learnings in the process, and I’ve grown a lot as an individual to maintain the balance. It can never be perfect and many times, I would feel guilty about not being around my son or my family,” she says adding, “I would also like to point out that work-life balance is in fact a bigger challenge for men. I see that men in my family are affected most. My father-in-law never had time for Lokesh, and now he misses my son Devaansh a lot.”
Brahmani, who looks up to figures like Chanda Kocchar and Indira Nooyi for inspiration, finds her mother-in-law the most inspiring person, who not only promoted Heritage Foods for 25 years but also beautifully managed a balance between family and work.
