Anu Acharya is the CEO of Mapmygenome India, a Genomics company whose vision is “To touch 100 million lives”. In 2013, she introduced the concept of improved healthcare through personal genomics in India. Ever since, she has successfully pioneered the company through growing product lines, expanding affiliate network, and a Pre- Series A round of funding.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Anu Acharya shares her personal side with BioSpectrum-

My Daily Routine-

I am usually up by 630 am if there is no early morning flight which is normally at least once a week. Key features of my routine include fitness (running and yoga), dropping my daughter to school, reading and early review of emails and plan. At Mapmygenome, there is no such thing as a “typical day at office”. Workday starts at 9:00-9:30 AM. We have scheduled weekly reviews on different days for Sales, Operations, Admin/HR, Genetic Counseling. I try to get home by 7 and spend some time with my daughter and sometimes workout for another 30 minutes and then get back to work. My day ends late between 1 am and 2 am. Travel and networking take up a significant amount of time in my schedule.

My idea of fitness and nutrition-

Extremely important. I learned the importance of fitness and nutrition in my childhood. I was always an athlete at school and college and even have the “sprint” gene. These days while I cannot do many team sports, we play TT in the office and I always have fitness as part of my daily schedule- either cardio, yoga, swimming, rowing etc. Genomepatri reiterated the value of these two in my lifestyle. Sports and nutrigenomics are important features of our test and these have helped me in taking fitness and nutrition to a new level. I usually do Cardio and yoga. At work, there is a cross-fit machine in my room and a Table-tennis table to ensure fitness.

My favourite cuisine-

Healthy cuisines. I’m usually quite adventurous and try new ones.

My favorite holiday spot-

Bali, Goa and other beach places.

My idea of balance between personal and professional life-

By enjoying every moment of my life. While I do work for long hours, I make sure there is adequate time for family, fitness, and fun.

My role model

My inspiration in life was my father who taught me to think, read, laugh and build. At a time when girls were given dolls to play with or encouraged to help at home, he made science and learning cool. He had always given me the power of choice – to learn, do things, and even make my own mistakes. Many years later, I learnt that most daughters are not given this kind of choice. A brilliant physicist with many patents to his name, he instilled in me a passion for science and an appetite for innovation.  When I decided to pursue entrepreneurship after MS in Physics from IIT Kharagpur, he was there with me, motivating and ever ready to offer guidance and help, at every step.  And it’s not just me – he had mentored students, shared ideas with entrepreneurs, encouraged women to pursue careers in STEM, and even crusaded for social causes. If I say that entrepreneurship is in my DNA, my father through his example nurtured the traits that make a successful entrepreneur.