Ananya seems like an embodiment of Meraki; a Greek idea of putting your heart and soul into what you love. She carries this naturally, enjoying the process while building something meaningful along the way.

If she were a film genre, Ananya Singhal says she’d be a horror-adventure.

It’s an unexpected answer but honestly the one that makes sense. There’s unpredictability, intensity, and a willingness to step into uncomfortable spaces. At the same time, there’s curiosity, a drive to keep going, even when the path isn’t easy.

For her, it didn’t begin with a grand plan. It began with a golden retriever. What started as companionship slowly turned into something deeper; an understanding of the quiet and unspoken kindness that animals carry. “They have so much love for you, even when they don’t speak” she reflects. That realisation stayed with her and eventually led her to take action.

During a Kerala incident of mass stray dog killings, she led a campaign gathering over 2,000 signatures, drawing support from Maneka Gandhi, who became the first signatory for her organisation, Voice of the Voiceless. Based in Delhi, she notes that awareness varies across cities, seeing this gap as a reminder of unequal access to such issues.

Her learning has extended beyond activism. During her time at Hindustan Times, she discovered an unexpected strength: negotiation. “This was the first place that I got to know that my interest lies in negotiation”, she said when asked about what one of her biggest takeaway from the internship was. Being the youngest in the team pushed her beyond classroom learning, offering clarity that academic spaces rarely provide.

Despite her commitments, she resists rigid structures. Ananya describes herself as a “go with the flow” person; she values enjoyment as much as discipline. Even in moments of burnout, it is the process that sustains her. “If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then what’s the point?” she says, a belief shaped by balancing 20+ internships, leadership roles, and causes she deeply cares about.

For her, recognition is not just personal validation, it’s a platform. When her name appeared on the longlist of 21 under 21, it sparked conversations with her collegemates, which allowed her to bring attention to her work.In a culture driven by visibility, she offers a quieter reminder: recognition matters not for how it elevates you, but for how you choose to use it.

From founding and scaling Voice of the Voiceless into a multi-branch initiative to serving as President of Invictus, the Commerce Society of MSCW and working as COO of an EdTech startup, Ananya operates at the intersection of impact and execution. Her experiences with organisations like Hindustan Times reflect a sharp instinct for strategy and people. A Gold Medalist and national finalist, she pairs ambition with consistency  but remains someone who simply loves to talk and has a big sweet tooth, something she believes isn’t easy to guess about her. Looking ahead, she imagines two paths: one in entrepreneurship, building innovative, socially impactful ventures and the other in expanding animal welfare efforts, building a women-led NGO focused on empowerment, and, in the long run, creating an animal sanctuary. 

Profiled by: Ipshita Grover