20/08/2026
From the narrow lanes of small-town Hajipur to the hallowed halls of Hindu College, the pristine JNU campus, and the newsrooms of The Indian Express, The Times of India and The Pioneer, followed by a corporate stint at Reliance Industries, the journey of our Founder Director, Dr Navneet Anand, has been anything but conventional.
With no entrepreneurial background, he took the plunge in 2010, driven by his late father Prof Jitendra Nath’s often-quoted words, “Miles to go…” What followed was the exciting, uncertain and often demanding journey of building a business from scratch.
Sixteen years later, he sometimes pauses to marvel at the fact that what began as an entrepreneurial experiment has grown into GreyMatters, with its work spanning communications, public affairs, political communications, advocacy and strategic advisory.
What makes the journey particularly distinctive is the unusual blend of academia, journalism, corporate experience and an enduring entrepreneurial itch. A PhD in Sociology of Media from JNU, 28+ years across media, corporate and consulting, and a continuing engagement with teaching, writing and public discourse have all shaped this journey.
This book chapter brings together many of these strands and offers a glimpse into a journey that we hope will inspire many more.
We are immensely grateful to Amith Prabhu and Sarika Chavan for allowing this story to be told in this fascinating book ‘Anchor’ with such warmth and perspective. Ready for launch on September 1, 2026.
Navneet Anand Westland Books
