What Shapes Us Episode 2: In Talks with Mitu Samar Jha

From early schooling in Bihar to leading boardrooms across India, Mitu Samar Jha’s journey is built on deliberate choices, not chance. As Founder and CEO of Eminence Strategy Consulting, she works at the intersection of reputation, leadership, and long-term credibility. Before that, she held senior roles at CRISIL, Aditya Birla Capital, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, and The Great Eastern Shipping Company, shaping communication and strategy at scale.

In this episode, she speaks candidly about growing up in one of India’s most economically challenged states and navigating institutions that were not always designed for women from modest beginnings. She reflects on how access, language, confidence, and networks quietly determine who advances and who stalls.

Through her work with the CII Western Region Women Network’s 100 Hours of Change initiative, mentoring over 150 women and young professionals, she has seen firsthand how small interventions compound over time. Her conversation with Vidya makes one point clear. Self-determination is not motivational jargon. It is a long game. And when paired with discipline and opportunity, it can rewrite where you start and where you finish.