Priya Kumar

Priya Kumar
Priya Kumar in 2024, Mumbai
Born (1974-03-04) 4 March 1974 (age 52)
Chandigarh, India
Education
OccupationsWriter, motivational speaker
Writing career
Notable work
Websitepriya-kumar.com

Priya Kumar (born 4 March 1974) is an Indian motivational speaker and writer. She is the author of 19 books, including novels, self-help books and biographies of Indian business leaders, and is often described in Indian media as a "biography specialist". Her works mainly deal with inspirational and spiritual themes. Her books have received 47 international book awards. Her book License to Live (2010) was nominated for the Vodafone Crossword Book Award in 2010. In 2019, her novel I Will Go with You (2015) was adapted into the web television series The Final Call, starring Arjun Rampal, Sakshi Tanwar and Javed Jaffrey. Streaming on ZEE5.

Early life

Priya Kumar was born on 4 March 1974 in Chandigarh, India. She was schooled at St. Kabir Public School, Chandigarh, and graduated in economics from the University of Bombay. She holds a master's degree in psychotherapy and counselling, and later completed a post-graduate programme in marketing and sales from NMIMS University. She began her career as a motivational speaker at the age of 22.

Career

Kumar has worked as a corporate trainer and motivational speaker for over three decades, and is India's first certified firewalk instructor. She is the founder of Priya Kumar's Training Systems, the publishing imprint Books That Inspire, the production house Firelight Films. In 2017 she received the Times of India Speaking Tree Good Karma Award for India's best inspirational author. In a 2025 interview, Kumar said she writes in three genres – fiction, non-fiction and biography – and described biography as her favourite form.

Writing

In 2010, she published her first book, License to Live: A Seeker's Journey to Greatness, a self-help book with a spiritual theme that she described as an "inspiration thriller" and "spiritual fiction". It is a collection of fictionalised fables with first-person narration.

Her next book, I Am Another You: A Journey to Powerful Breakthroughs, was published the same year and became a bestseller. It deals with themes such as self-realization and shamanism, narrating Kumar's experiences with a shamanic group in the Netherlands.

In 2011, she published the novel The Perfect World: A Journey to Infinite Possibilities.

Thinking Aloud: A Collection of Original Inspirational Quotes (2013) is a collection of her inspirational anecdotes, stories and quotations.

In 2014, she wrote a biography of Om Prakash Munjal, founder of Hero Cycles, under the title The Inspiring Journey of a Hero. Written in the style of a self-help book, it narrates Munjal's life with a motivational approach, covering his early life, the partition and the building of his bicycle company. It was published by Penguin Books in 2014. Alice McDermott in the Sunday Tribune and P. P. Ramachandran in The Free Press Journal praised the biography for its inspirational portrayal of Munjal. It was translated into Hindi as Ek Super Hero Ki Shandaar Kahani (2015).

In 2015, Kumar published a biography of Subhasish Chakraborty, founder of DTDC, titled Dream Dare Deliver: The Inspirational Journey of Subhasish Chakraborty and the Making of DTDC (Embassy Books).

Also in 2015, she published the suspense thriller I Will Go with You: The Flight of a Lifetime. The plot follows an airline pilot who decides to end his life while on board and, rather than die alone, endangers the 300 passengers on his flight. It deals with themes of the afterlife, karma, mortality and spirituality. The novel became a bestseller and was adapted into the 2019 web series The Final Call on ZEE5. In April 2019, Kumar announced that she was writing a second season.

In 2016, she released the spiritual thriller The Calling: Unleash Your True Self, about a man overwhelmed by life's challenges who travels to Hemkund Sahib to rediscover himself.

In 2017, she released the self-help title How to Write a Book in 8 Days, a guide to writing and publishing a manuscript. The same year she published the novel The Wise Man Said, about an eighty-year-old billionaire who sets aside his identity and wealth for eleven months of the year to seek out new experiences. In January 2019, ZEE5 announced a web-series adaptation of the book.

Turn the Tables: From Challenges to Opportunities (2019) is a self-help book drawn from lessons Kumar learned through challenging situations in her own life.

In 2020, she published the novel Man Hunt. My Little Book of Love (2021) is a short non-fiction work on love and detachment. Kumar co-wrote the memoir of badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, Shuttler's Flick: Making Every Match Count (2021, Simon & Schuster India), which chronicles his journey from player to national coach. The same year she published A Regal Man: The Life & Lessons of Vasu Shroff, a biography of the Dubai-based founder of the Regal Group, which traces how he built a single shop into a multi-billion-dollar business.

In 2023, she published the novel Millionaire's Island, in which a man travels to an island programme to learn how to become a millionaire and confronts questions of self-discovery and personal truth. It is based on the success philosophy of entrepreneur Sachin Adhikari.

In 2024, HarperCollins India published A.M. Naik: The Man Who Built Tomorrow, co-written with Jairam N. Menon, a biography of A. M. Naik, the former group chairman of Larsen & Toubro.

In July 2026, HarperCollins India published The Next Mountain: Notes on Resilience, Leadership and Purpose, the life story of former Network18 CEO Avinash Kaul as told to Kumar. The book became an Amazon bestseller.

Also in 2026, HarperCollins India published Hand over Heart: The Life and Legacy of Shashi Ruia, Kumar's biography of the co-founder of the Essar Group, with a foreword by Ravi Ruia.

In December 2025, Kumar announced a further slate of official biographies in progress, including those of Babasaheb Kalyani (Bharat Forge), Sunder Genomal (Page Industries), Niranjan Hiranandani, Ramesh Kumar Dua (Relaxo) and Firoz Merchant (Pure Gold).

Books

Biographies

YearTitleSubjectPublisherNotes
2014The Inspiring Journey of a HeroOm Prakash Munjal, founder of Hero CyclesPenguin Books IndiaHindi translation Ek Super Hero Ki Shandaar Kahani (2015)
2015Dream Dare Deliver: The Inspirational Journey of Subhasish Chakraborty and the Making of DTDCSubhasish Chakraborty, founder of DTDCEmbassy Books
2021Shuttler's Flick: Making Every Match CountPullela Gopichand, badminton coachSimon & Schuster IndiaCo-written with Gopichand
2021A Regal Man: The Life & Lessons of Vasu ShroffVasu Shroff, founder of Regal Group, DubaiRegal Group / Embassy Books
2024A.M. Naik: The Man Who Built TomorrowA. M. Naik, Larsen & ToubroHarperCollins IndiaCo-written with Jairam N. Menon
2026The Next Mountain: Notes on Resilience, Leadership and PurposeAvinash Kaul, former CEO of Network18HarperCollins IndiaAs told to Kumar; Amazon bestseller
2026Hand over Heart: The Life and Legacy of Shashi RuiaShashi Ruia, co-founder of Essar GroupHarperCollins India (HarperVantage)Foreword by Ravi Ruia

Fiction and non-fiction

YearTitleGenrePublisherNotes
2010License to Live: A Seeker's Journey to GreatnessFiction (inspirational)Embassy BooksNominated for the Vodafone Crossword Book Award (2010)
2010I Am Another You: A Journey to Powerful BreakthroughsNon-fictionEmbassy BooksAccount of the author's experiences with shamanism
2011The Perfect World: A Journey to Infinite PossibilitiesFictionEmbassy Books
2013Thinking Aloud: A Collection of Original Inspirational QuotesNon-fictionEmbassy BooksQuotations and anecdotes
2015I Will Go with You: The Flight of a LifetimeFiction (thriller)Cognite / Books That InspireAdapted as The Final Call (ZEE5, 2019)
2016The Calling: Unleash Your True SelfFiction (spiritual thriller)Books That Inspire
2017How to Write a Book in 8 DaysNon-fiction (self-help)Books That Inspire
2017The Wise Man SaidFictionBooks That InspireWeb-series adaptation announced by ZEE5 (2019)
2019Turn the Tables: From Challenges to OpportunitiesNon-fiction (self-help)Books That Inspire
2020Man HuntFictionBooks That Inspire
2021My Little Book of LoveNon-fictionBooks That Inspire
2023Millionaire's IslandFictionBooks That InspireBased on the success philosophy of entrepreneur Sachin Adhikari

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Jain, Arushi (2019-04-14). "With success of The Final Call, I learnt content is king: Writer Priya Kumar". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Priya Kumar – Motivational Speaker, Author & Leadership Coach". priya-kumar.com. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  3. 1 2 "From Boardrooms to Bookshelves: How Priya Kumar Is Building India's Leadership Canon". Marksmen Daily. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Previous Eric Hoffer Book Award Winners". The Eric Hoffer Project. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short List". The Eric Hoffer Project. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "2013 Medalists". Living Now Book Awards. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "2020 Book Excellence Award Winners and Finalists". Book Excellence Awards. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Winners and Finalists". Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "2020 Distinguished Favorites". Independent Press Award. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  10. 1 2 Kumar, Priya (26 August 2018). "How to Write a Book in 8 Days wins the Indie Book Award, Finalist, 2018". LinkedIn. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  11. 1 2 Virmani, Ashish (1 October 2024). "Your life purpose is more important than money: Priya Kumar". A Lotus in the Mud. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 Ansari, Humaira (2010-10-10). "Spirituality spun into fiction". DNA India. Mumbai. ProQuest 757196459. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  13. 1 2 "Priya Kumar's novel 'I Will Go With You' to be adapted into a Zee5 web series". Scroll.in. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  14. ↑ Gina, Justus (2007-05-31). "Dealing with your fears and learning to cope up with the demands of today's lifestyle can be challenging". Gulf Today. Sharjah.
  15. 1 2 Virmani, Ashish (30 September 2024). "Priya Kumar now wants to collaborate with keepers of the future". A Lotus in the Mud. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "The Next Mountain: Notes on Resilience, Leadership and Purpose". HarperCollins India. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  17. ↑ Karayi, Karan (28 November 2025). "Resilience guided by insight is recovery. Resilience without it is regret". Marksmen Daily. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  18. ↑ Khatri, Manoj (2012-09-09). "License to live: A seeker's journey to greatness! by Priya Kumar". Complete Wellbeing. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  19. 1 2 McDermott, Alice (2014-04-06). "Spectrum". The Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  20. 1 2 "I Am Another You". The Times of India. 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  21. ↑ Chandra, Vaishalli (2009-09-12). "Whack yourself before life does Priya Kumar's first book, I am another you, was launched in Banglaore on Friday". DNA India. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  22. ↑ "Priya Kumar - I am a woman and I get paid to talk". iuemag.com. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  23. 1 2 Virmani, Ashish (2011-12-21). "'I'm a messenger of hope': Spiritualist and self-help author Priya Kumar talks about her new book and her world view". DNA India. Mumbai. ProQuest 912140541. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Books by Priya Kumar". priya-kumar.com. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  25. 1 2 Venkataramakrishnana, Rohan (2014-02-16). "An Inspirational read that does not deliver". Mail Today.
  26. ↑ Swamy, Narayan (2014-06-21). "Story A 'Hero' every Indian can be proud of (Book Review)". Indo-Asian News Service. New Delhi. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  27. 1 2 Ramachandran, P. P. (2014-06-14). "Book Review: The Inspiring Journey of a Hero". The Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  28. 1 2 Shankar, Anuradha (2015-04-01). "I Will Go With You: The Flight Of A Lifetime By Priya Kumar". Complete Wellbeing. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  29. 1 2 "ZEE5 to launch web series on Priya Kumar's bestselling novel 'I Will Go With You'". Indian Television. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  30. ↑ Shah, Chandni (2019-04-20). "Exclusive: 'The Final Call' Screenwriter Priya Kumar Reveals Season 2 in Making, Says she Wants to Direct it This Time". LatestLY. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  31. 1 2 Rajesh, Srividya (2019-01-28). "ZEE5 to launch web-series on Priya Kumar's novel 'The Wise Man Said'". IWMBuzz. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "Non Fiction". priya-kumar.com. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  33. 1 2 Achal, Ashwin (2021-11-11). "Pullela Gopichand: I did not want my autobiography to be dull and preachy". The Hindu. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  34. 1 2 Kiranmayi (2022-03-08). "Shuttler's Flick: Making Every Match Count by Pullela Gopichand & Priya Kumar". Financial Express. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  35. ↑ "Pullela Gopichand unveils memoir Shuttler's Flick". Telangana Today. India. 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  36. ↑ "A teacher's praise". ISB News. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  37. ↑ "I found it odd to talk about myself: Indian national badminton team coach Pullela Gopichand". The New Indian Express. India. 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  38. ↑ "Pullela Gopichand in Shuttler's Flick: You have to be stretched and beaten, so you can learn to be smarter, faster". Moneycontrol. India. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  39. ↑ "Will retire when world-class players become coaches: Gopichand". The Times of India. India. 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  40. 1 2 3 "Biography". priya-kumar.com. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  41. 1 2 "Millionaire's Island". priya-kumar.com. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  42. 1 2 Srinivasan, Suresh (2024-07-20). "A.M. Naik: The man who built tomorrow". The Hindu Business Line. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  43. ↑ "Book on A.M. Naik". NDTV Profit. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  44. 1 2 "A.M. Naik, L&T, and the Biography by Priya Kumar and Jairam N. Menon". Mint Lounge. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  45. ↑ "A.M. Naik: The Man Who Built Tomorrow by Priya Kumar and Jairam N. Menon". Investment Guru India. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  46. ↑ "A.M. Naik steps down as L&T's Group Chairman, passes baton to S.N. Subrahmanyan". Business Today. India. 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  47. ↑ "Dream No Small Dreams: A.M. Naik's scale of ambition propelled L&T's speedy growth". The Print. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  48. ↑ "A.M. Naik: The Man Who Built Tomorrow - A Journey of Metamorphosis". Devdiscourse. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  49. ↑ "Passion, Devotion, Conviction, Commitment: Four Words That Can Change Your Life - A.M. Naik". India Education Diary. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  50. ↑ "L&T and the Growth of a Self-Dependent India after 1947". Forbes India. India. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  51. ↑ "The Next Mountain — A Book by Avinash Kaul". Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  52. 1 2 "Former Network18 CEO's book 'The Next Mountain' becomes Amazon bestseller". Indian Broadcasting World. 13 July 2026. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  53. 1 2 "Hand over Heart". Padhega India. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
  54. 1 2 Kumar, Priya (22 May 2026). "Hand over Heart, The Life and Legacy of Shashi Ruia". LinkedIn. Retrieved 31 October 2026.