Nita Ambani, chairperson of the charity, Reliance Foundation, has dedicated herself to its aims of rural

transformation, education, health and disaster response.

Nita Ambani has used the Mumbai Indians team’s influence for charitable ends: its ‘Education and Sports
for All’ initiative has opened up access to sports for more than 100,000 underprivileged children in the
Mumbai region.
Early on as an adult, Nita Ambani was a professional dancer during a performance Mukesh’s father,
Dhirubhai Ambani, noticed her and decided he would ask her to be his daughter-in-law.
As one of the most successful companies in Asia, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries – a
conglomerate with businesses in areas such as telecommunications, petrochemicals, energy, textiles, retail
and natural resources – has the power to bring about change. And that’s what its charitable arm, Reliance
Foundation, is all about. The foundation’s chairperson is Nita Ambani, who has dedicated herself to the
foundation’s aims of rural transformation, education, health and disaster response. In 2017, Nita received
the prestigious Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award from the president of India in recognition of Reliance
Foundation’s commitment to grass roots sports. It’s just one of many awards the foundation has won over
the years.
Nita was born to a middle-class Gujarati family. Early on as an adult she took up a career in
Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance. It was during one of Nita’s performances that Mukesh’s father,
Dhirubhai Ambani decided he would ask her to be his daughter-in-law.
When Dhirubhai called her after the performance, Nita assumed it was a prank and quickly hung up.
Luckily, he eventually got through – and the rest is history.
Nita, who is well aware of her family’s power and influence, is the “first lady” of the Ambani clan. She is
also a capable businesswoman who, in her own words, is able to “translate Mukesh’s dreams”. And she’s
done just that, taking on influential charitable roles in the organization as well as providing input
involving advertising and other business initiatives at Reliance Industries.
Nita has made a huge impact in the realm of grass roots sports, and cricket is her specialty. She is the co-
owner of the Mumbai Indians cricket team, one of the powerhouses of the Indian Premier League. The
Mumbai Indians won the title in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Nita has used the team’s influence for
charitable ends: The Mumbai Indians’ “Education and Sports for All” initiative has opened up access to
sports for more than 100,000 underprivileged children in Mumbai, the capital of the state of Maharashtra.
In a 2011 interview with Indian entertainment platform IDiva, Nita opened up about her past struggles to
bear children, revealing that she was 23 when told she wouldn’t be able to conceive. After seven years of
marriage and help from a fertility doctor, Nita and Mukesh welcomed twins, daughter Isha and son
Akash, in 1991, and son Anant in 1995. Nita is a dedicated mother, and her children describe her as strict
but loving. Nita’s commitment to family and philanthropy make her a role model not just for her kids but
for any woman who wants to use their influence to make the world a better place.