 She has also recently taken charge as the Pro Chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (founded by her grandfather) and is the current chairperson of Endeavor India.Closely associated with the Congress party, Shobhana served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament from 2006 to 2012.In 2016, she was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman by Forbes

Born in a Marwari family, Bhartia is the daughter of the industrialist and Congress party member KK Birla, and the grand-daughter of GD Birla, one of the Birla family patriarchs.