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Introduction
Monisha Advani is a film producer from Mumbai, India. She is a co-founder and partner at Emmay Entertainment & Motion Pictures LLP, a production company she co-founded with her business partners Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani. Monisha Advani’s key responsibility is to lead the company’s overall business strategy and growth. She mentors the succession planning at Emmay, handpicking future leaders and their career development. Since its inception in 2011, Emmay Entertainment has grown to be one of India’s top five production houses, serving over 20,000 direct and indirect hires annually, and audiences across theatrical and web platforms.

Basic Information

 * Born: May 6, 1970
 * Occupation: Producer, CEO, Founding Partner
 * Years Active: 1989-present
 * Relatives: Nikkhil Advani (brother)

Early Life and Education
Advani was born and raised in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, into a Sindhi Hindu family. Her father worked in senior management positions with multinationals in the chemical and pharmaceuticals industry and her mother was an advertising professional. Her father is Sindhi and mother Maharashtrian. She studied at Green Lawns High School, Breach Candy,[3] and later went to the US to pursue a degree but dropped out to return to India and pursue entrepreneurship. Advani is the grandniece of late producer N. N. Sippy and second cousin of actor Tusshar Kapoor and producer Ekta Kapoor. Her brother Nikkhil Advani is a well-known film director and producer.

Early Work
In 1989, she set up her first business in the student counselling segment, called Emmay Consultants, which focused on assisting students to find universities to study abroad. Her work put her on the Persons to Watch For, Asiaweek in 1993 and got her featured as Savvy Magazine’s Woman of the Month in 1992. Though the business got off to a good start, she continued her relentless pursuit for new and different avenues. “I was looking for something that had more longevity, and so along with my childhood friend Madhu Bhojwani, I decided to move into the HR space in 1996,” Advani says.

EmmayHR, a Randstad Company
Her foray into HR commenced when she co-founded EmmayHR in 1996 with her childhood friend Madhu Bhojwani. The company grew to become a leading HR & Recruitment entity in India. She was responsible for the strategic growth of the business, mentoring the company’s talent and spearheaded the initiatives of the company’s consulting vertical. She grew the business to become one of the top-notch search and selection providers in India. This leading recruitment and staffing services company got acquired by Randstad Holdings NV. Notably, this was the Dutch giant’s first Asian acquisition. Advani served as Managing Director of Randstad India from 2005 to 2009.

Emmay Entertainment
Advani believes there aren’t enough entrepreneurs in the media & entertainment business. “If there were, they would be putting back what they make into the business. We have the kind of consumer demand that would enable us to grow 100% YoY. That is where we, as a small company, are disrupting the market.” She recalls a time when a fellow producer walked inside and asked them if they even needed an office. Most people in the industry rent a place when a movie is in progress and then shut it down. The 53-year-old says, “This would simply grow our bank balance and not a company. Being an entrepreneur and being a businesswoman are two different things. We are entrepreneurs.” Under her leadership as a Producer, Emmay Entertainment has created a phenomenal roster of titles such as D-Day, Airlift, Batla House, Baazaar, P.O.W. - Bandhi Yudh Ke, Satyameva Jayate, Mumbai Diaries 26/11, The Empire and Rocket Boys, among others. Emmay’s latest 2023 releases, Rocket Boys Season 2 and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway have both been critically acclaimed and the recipient of several accolades.

Investing Ventures
From April 2009, she took a much-deserved break and began groundwork on her next venture — MyFirstCheque, which they began as an experiment in 2010 with the aim of mentoring and investing in startups like OfferGrid and PoshVine. Although the fund has ceased investing, its existing investments are being nurtured for exits by the three seed investors. Advani continues to invest in startups in her personal capacity, though. Some of her investments include Jombay, Ping Digital, Decision Fuel, and BoomLive. She says, “The reason I invest in startups is because nobody invested in us. Madhu and I always wonder — had somebody taken a bet on us, would we have done even better?”

Personal Ventures
Monisha Advani is a regular speaker at leading international platforms such as the graduating MBA class of Darden Business School, ISB, and IITB among others. Her pet subjects are centered around understanding the current business landscape in India, evolving consumer patterns, effective management and most recently, the soft power of the entertainment industry. Born and brought up in Mumbai, Advani credits her success to being a voracious reader. She is also a proficient cook and has developed a deep interest in food technology as a way of sustaining workforces. To this end, she is an advisor and mentor to the founders of the award-winning restaurant Masque and Sage & Saffron. Her recent list of industry recognitions includes Outlook Business Woman of the Year (2018) and Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur by Business World (2019). A testament to her outstanding achievements and impact, Monisha Advani's inclusion in THE LIST 2023, published under the esteemed banner of Jombay's 1000 Women Leaders Program reaffirms her status as an influential leader, solidifying her place among the 75 most admired women selected through a democratic popular vote.

Awards
Monisha Advani’s recent list of industry recognitions includes Outlook Business Woman of the Year (2018) and Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur by Business World (2019).

A testament to her outstanding achievements and impact, Monisha Advani's inclusion in THE LIST 2023, published under the esteemed banner of Jombay's 1000 Women Leaders Program reaffirms her status as an influential leader, solidifying her place among the 75 most admired women selected through a democratic popular vote.