Portrait Of A Lady: Entrepreneur, sports enthusiast, cultural icon - Nita Ambani wears numerous hats with elan
Nita Ambani, the Reliance Foundation Chairman, turns 60 today.
Married to business magnate Mukesh Ambani, the patriarch of Reliance Industries, over the years, she has managed to carve her own individual identity as a noted cultural patron and entrepreneur.
One of the most influential figures in India’s business sector, Ambani has diversified her portfolio extensively throughout the years.
A Trailblazer
Ambani has earned many ‘firsts’ to her credit. In 2017, she became the first South Asian to be honoured by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for her philanthropic initiatives.
In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to be elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Making A Difference … One Day At A Time
In 1997, Ambani took charge of building a beautiful township for the employees of Reliance’s refinery at Jamnagar, Gujarat. At the time, she was the sole woman, working with 75,000 men to build an inhabitable spot in an arid land.
In a 2022 interview with Fortune India, she shared her experience of bringing the project to life working in harsh conditions, and being referred to as sir, multiple times. “We worked out of tin sheds in the scorching heat and dust, with temperatures as high as 42 Celsius and no trees to provide relief. The region received less than 400 cm of rain and groundwater was scarce. So, I was literally in charge of creating an oasis in an arid land…I was mistakenly referred to as 'sir' many times," she told the magazine.
In 2003, she founded the Dhirubhai Ambani International School. Over the next two decades, the school has ranked among the top 10 educational institutions in the country. The school was ranked as the best international school in India from 2013 to
