Nirupa Shankar is an Indian serial entrepreneur and athlete, and the joint managing director of Brigade Group,[1] a publicly traded real estate company based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She is the daughter of M. R. Jaishankar, who serves as the executive chairman of the company.[2] Before her appointment as Joint Managing Director, she served as the executive director. In 2016, she launched Asia's first real estate accelerator, the Brigade Real Estate Accelerator Program (REAP), an initiative to help high-tech start-ups in the real estate sector.[3]

Nirupa Shankar R
Born
Bangalore, Karnakata, India
NationalityIndian
EducationMasters in Hospitality Management
Bachelor of Economics
Alma materCornell University
University of Virginia
Occupations
  • Entrepreneur
  • sportswoman
  • Joint Managing Director, Brigade Group
  • Founder, Brigade REAP
OrganizationBrigade Group
FatherM. R. Jaishankar
FamilyPavitra Shankar (sister)
AwardsTop Young Leaders 2021
WebsiteOfficial website

Nirupa was honored as a Young Turk on CNBC and included in Economic Times' 40 under 40 list.[4][5]

Nirupa is also an athlete who began her running journey in 2015. She joined a local joggers' club, where she encountered the challenges of endurance races. She has participated in marathons and triathlons. In September 2017, she completed her first triathlon,[6] and in 2021, she completed a sprint triathlon in Croatia and later participated in a triathlon in Dubai. She was the only female participant from India in the Ironman triathlon in Copenhagen, Denmark[7][8]

Early life and education

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Born and brought up in Bangalore,[9] Nirupa graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and pursued a master's in management in hospitality from Cornell University.[10] Nirupa worked as a senior business analyst with Ernst & Young LLP in New York, Washington DC, and North Carolina.[9]

Career

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In 2022, Nirupa was appointed as a joint managing director, and her sister Pavitra Shankar assumed the role of managing director at Brigade Group.[11][12] Nirupa has been with Brigade Group since 2009, where she handles hospitality, office, and retail operations, as well as managing Human Resources, Public Relations, and Innovation functions.[13] The company, a publicly traded real estate and property development firm, was founded by their father, M. R. Jaishankar, in 1986. He currently serves as the executive chairman of the company. Brigade Group operates in multiple locations, such as Mangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chikmagalur, and Ahmedabad,[14] and has received national and international awards in the construction industry.

Nirupa is also a trustee of the Brigade Foundation, a not-for-profit trust established by the Brigade Group.[12]

Sport career

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Following the birth of her first child, Nirupa Shankar started pursuing running in 2015 and joined a local joggers' club,[8] where she discovered the challenges of endurance races.[15][16]

Nirupa has taken part in marathons and triathlon events. In 2021, she participated in a sprint (short-distance) triathlon in Croatia,[17] beginning her training six months after the birth of her second child.[8]

In March of the same year, she also joined the half Ironman in Dubai. Her training for the 2023 Ironman commenced in January of that year.[8]

In 2023, she competed in the annual Ironman triathlon in Copenhagen, Denmark, held in August.[18] Nirupa was the only Indian female participant in this triathlon, which comprised a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre cycle ride, and a full marathon distance of 42.2 kilometers. In her first attempt at the Ironman, Shankar crossed the finish line in 14 hours, 47 minutes, and 41 seconds.[7]

Recognition

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  • 2016: Restaurant Owner of the Year at the Hospitality Leaders’ Industry Choice Awards[19]
  • 2023: Listed in the Power List 2023 by Hotelier India[20]
  • 2020: Her company, Brigade REAP, won the National Startup Awards in the Incubators & Accelerators category.[21]
  • 2021: Received ‘ET 40 Under Forty:’ India Inc's Top Young Leaders 2021[5]
  • She received recognition from CNBC as a Young Turk.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Kandala, Satya (2014-08-01). "Adventure sports helps me face my fears: Brigade Hospitality's director Nirupa Shankar". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389.
  2. ^ "Building a Symphony". Business Today. 2021-05-26.
  3. ^ "Brigade REAP wants to be the go-to accelerator for realty-tech startups in India". Techcircle. 2018-11-13.
  4. ^ a b "Nirupa Shankar: The art of learning by doing | Campden FB". campdenfb. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  5. ^ a b "ET 40 Under Forty: India Inc's Top Young Leaders 2021 - Top Young Leaders 2021". The Economic Times.
  6. ^ "The triathlete in the corner office". Mumbai Mirror.
  7. ^ a b Gowda, Dese (29 August 2023). "Nirupa Shankar: The Ironwoman". The New Indian Express.
  8. ^ a b c d Rajagopal, Rashmi. "Bengaluru athlete successfully completes Copenhagen Ironman". Deccan Herald.
  9. ^ a b "Rolling out the red carpet". India Today. 30 November 1999.
  10. ^ "Brigade Hospitality". Hotelier India.
  11. ^ "Brigade Group succession plan | Pavitra Shankar appointed as MD; Nirupa Shankar is Joint MD". Moneycontrol. 2022-10-11.
  12. ^ a b "Brigade announces elevation of top management". Hotelier India. October 12, 2022.
  13. ^ "With quality products, Brigade transforms real estate". businessindia.co. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  14. ^ "The Brigade Group: Building unique spaces across a diverse real estate portfolio". gulfnews.com. 2022-08-15.
  15. ^ "The triathlete in the corner office". Bangalore Mirror.
  16. ^ Ahuja, Simran (8 April 2021). "Driven by determination". The New Indian Express.
  17. ^ Prasad, Sanath (11 October 2021). "Bangalore-based real estate professional to compete in Croatia Ironman triathlon". The New Indian Express.
  18. ^ "The Ironwoman". Magzter. August 30, 2023.
  19. ^ "Nirupa Shankar - Author Biography". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  20. ^ "Power List 2020 - Hotelier India". Hotelier India. September 25, 2020.
  21. ^ "Incubators & Accelerators-National Startup Awards 2020". www.startupindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-10-15.