Smiti is a self-driven business leader and a true entrepreneur at heart. With over 15 years of experience in diverse fields including media & publishing, corporate communications, and mergers & acquisitions, Smiti Kanodia has been a guiding force behind the evolution of corporate brand communications and human resource management at Essar.

In her current capacity at Essar, she is actively involved with the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives through Essar Foundation. Her keen interest in sustainable business practices and corporate citizenship has manifested in connecting with CSR evangelists and bringing global best practices to the organizations she supports.

In the past, at just 24 years, Smiti founded a publishing company, Paprika Media, which published the internationally acclaimed entertainment and lifestyle magazine, Time Out. The magazine, which had a readership of 6 lakhs, published editions from three cities in India—Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore—and created well-known media properties, like the Time Out Food Awards.

Smiti’s ability to provide a unique perspective on brand strategy through the combination of creative thinking comes from her education in both finance and publishing. She received her bachelor’s degree in Finance & Marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a postgraduate degree in Publishing from the London College of Printing. Early in her professional career, she worked as a Mergers & Acquisitions analyst in the telecommunications sector at Lehman Brothers in New York.

A member of the founding family of Essar, Smiti is the daughter of Madhu and Ravi Ruia, who is co-founder of Essar. She is married to Nishant Kanodia, Vice Chairman of the Matix Group, Smiti and Nishant have two children.