She is not just the wife of the richest Indian. As the chairperson and founder of Reliance Foundation and a non-executive director of Reliance Industries, Nita Ambani is well known for having significantly contributed to the vision of an inclusive India that rises above caste, creed, financial divide and gender.
The foundation that she leads lays significant emphasis on leveraging technology for developmental solutions. Following its model of direct engagement, the foundation reaches out to the affected communities through trained professionals. The efforts of the foundation have already touched the lives of more than 35 million people across India in more than 20,000 villages and several urban locations.
Under her leadership, Reliance Foundation has developed a comprehensive development approach. Its prime objective is to create and support meaningful activities through innovative institutions to address some of India’s most pressing developmental challenges. The foundation is currently focusing on creating change in areas of rural transformation, health, education, sports for development, disaster response, arts, culture & heritage and urban renewal.
There is no doubt that Ambani has chosen to script her own identity despite wearing the tag of being the wife of India’s wealthiest and most influential businessman. Apart from her philanthropic pursuits, Ambani is also an avid art collector and owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful private sporting teams in India.
While she may be affluent and powerful, Ambani’s take on that privileged tag is way different. “Wealth and power don’t go together. Power cannot be brokered. To me, power is responsibility. And I derive it from my family, my work, my passion and my very middle-class values,” she was quoted by a publication sometime back.
There is no doubt that Ambani is an inspiration for women who have been at the receiving end of our patriarchal system. She is a leader who has redefined gender conversation and made it more balanced. No doubt, we need more women leaders like her to keep us inspired.
“Wealth and power don’t go together. Power cannot be brokered. To me, power is responsibility. And I derive it from my family, my work, my passion and my very middle-class values”