Early Life
Anu Aga was born on August 3, 1942, in Bombay (now Mumbai) to a Parsi Zoroastrian family. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and later pursued post-graduation in medical and psychiatric social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. She also was a Fulbright Scholar.
Rise to Success
Anu Aga's career took a significant turn in 1985 when she joined Thermax, an energy and environment engineering business. She initially headed the human resources division from 1991 to 1996. Following the death of her husband in 1996, Anu Aga took over as the Chairperson of Thermax. During her tenure, she successfully led the company, contributing to its growth until her retirement in 2004. Aga was known for her transparency in corporate governance. Under her leadership, Thermax grew in size and profits.
Key Business Strategies
During her time as chairperson, Aga focused on operational efficiency and strategic restructuring to navigate financial challenges. She stepped down as chairman in 2004, ceding the spot to her daughter Meher.
Philanthropy
After retiring from Thermax, Aga dedicated her life to social work and was awarded the Padma Shri for Social Work by the Government of India in 2010. She is the chairperson of Teach For India, a non-profit that recruits young people to teach for two years in schools for low-income kids. She was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha.