Mrs. Nita Mukesh Ambani, Indian philanthropist & Citizen of Mumbai awardee
Dear fellow Rotarians and friends, namaskar.
Thank you for this honour. I accept this award with all humility and with great admiration
for the Rotary Club of Bombay’s immense contribution to our city
and the community.
My family’s association with Rotary spans decades. Right from the time my father-in-law, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, became an honorary Rotarian in 1969, followed by Mukesh in 2003. This is my 25th year as a Rotarian. I have cherished this journey with you over the years. Thank you, my fellow Rotarians and President, Mr. Manoj Patodia, for having me here this afternoon.
Rotary’s motto of ‘Service Above Self ’ resonates deeply with us and the work we do at Reliance and Reliance Foundation. For us, doing good and giving back to society has always been a way of life, long before CSR became a norm. Through the various activities of Reliance Foundation, we have touched the lives of over 70 million Indians, from culture to climate, from education and sports to women’s empowerment, from healthcare to livelihoods, and from rural transformation to disaster management. We work in all the states and in over 54,000 villages across India.
Today, I would like to talk to you about something that drives and energises me every day – building institutions. Over the past decades, I’ve focussed my time on giving back by building institutions. Dhirubhai Ambani International School,
Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai Indians, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, and, coming up next, I’m very excited about the university that we are setting up on a 400-acre campus at Dronagiri in Navi Mumbai.
Each of these institutions is strongly connected with our city, Mumbai. They are not just located in this vibrant city, they are inspired by the spirit of Mumbai itself, of passion, of excellence and of resilience.
So, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the journey of creating and nurturing four of these institutions. Let me begin with the most recent one, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Perhaps the seeds of NMACC were sown when I was a little girl.
At the age of six, I began learning Bharatanatyam. When we were young, there weren’t enough platforms or facilities for young artists, especially amateur artists. For my own Arangetram, I remember my father couldn’t find a theatre that he could afford. And finally, we did it in a temple in Matunga. So, as a dancer, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is truly a dedication to all artists, especially young and emerging artists, not just from Indian cities but from remotest towns and villages.
It has taken us a decade of hard work and dedication to bring NMACC to life. What made this path even more challenging was that we were hit by the pandemic just before the opening. During the lockdown, we had to adapt to new norms of working, constrained travels, testing protocols, and new loaning processes from museums across the world. As I remember, we all had to get used to virtual meetings. I was in LA and our teams were split up between New York, London and Mumbai. So, we would have meetings at all odd hours. Even though we were divided by time zones, everyone was united by a common goal to bring the cultural centre to life.
I’ve seen this over and over again in all the institutions that I have built that, when people are driven by a common purpose, they are able to overcome all challenges and deliver beyond expectations. Another thing that made this even more challenging is that a centre like this had never been done before in India. The NMACC is a first of its kind multi-disciplinary centre in India that has three performing art theatres and an art house and spaces to host travelling exhibitions from international museums. So, there were no benchmarks to follow and that gave a tremendous learning opportunity to all of us and our young team.
On a lighter note, let me share something personal with you. My daughter Isha was pregnant and stayed with me during those months. So, she would join every virtual meeting and be with me all the time. I often used to joke with Isha, that Isha, your babies’ first words are going to be NMACC.
Friends, I’m proud to share that this month the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre completed six months and Isha’s babies completed 10 months.
Our vision was to showcase the best of India to the world and bring the best of the world to India. We wanted to create a space where Indian culture is celebrated and our legacy respected and our traditions are appreciated and passed down to the next generations. I’m overjoyed to see that dream transform into reality from our maiden production, Civilisation to Nation to the iconic Broadway musical The Sound of Music and now the happiest of them all, Mamma Mia. From costume arts to exhibitions, from hosting maestros at Parampara to celebrating children with Bachpan. Over the last six months, we have welcomed over 10,000 visitors every day. Not just from Mumbai but from across India and, in fact, all over the world.
For me, personally, the most heartwarming experience at NMACC has been Swadesh, our humble initiative to preserve and promote India’s age-old arts and crafts. It gives a global platform to India’s traditional artisans whom Reliance Foundation has supported for over a decade. Featuring arts like Pichwai and Pattachitra, weaves like Banarasi, Pathani, Patola, crafts like Kashmir carpets and shawls, Swadesh highlights the spirit of Make in India and offers respect and sustenance to our skilled craftsmen and women. They truly are the pride of our country.
Dear friends, we have created institutions where ordinary Indians have come together and delivered extraordinary results. Let me now tell you about the new Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital that we opened in 2014. In less than a decade, we are the number one hospital in Mumbai and western region. And one of the best in India. But beyond all these accolades for us, what really matters is that every life is precious. We are guided by our philosophy: respect for life. We are committed to providing world class affordable healthcare to every Indian. When I look back at this journey, I realise that our greatest strength has been our teams. I have learnt from my experience that what makes institutions great is not just the building or design or resources.
It’s the people. It’s a shared sense of purpose and ownership that drives people and brings them together, especially in times of crisis. It motivates them to rise over challenges and go far beyond the call of duty. We saw this during the pandemic, when the whole world was under lockdown and gripped with fear. Our hospital teams rallied together, working day and night, sometimes risking their own lives to provide care and relief to the people.
The Reliance family was the first to support our nation’s fight against Covid. Within days of the Covid outbreak, we set up India’s first COVID-19 hospital in Mumbai, providing top quality care completely free of cost. Overnight, our engineers repurposed our refinery in Jamnagar to become India’s largest producer of medical grade liquid oxygen. Through Mission Anna Seva, our volunteers distributed 85 million free meals across the country, which was the largest meal distribution programme by a corporate.
In every challenge that the pandemic posed, our Reliance family stood firmly with our nation and our people and continues to do so. In March this year, our hospital made medical history by performing, extraordinarily, six organ transplants within 24 hours: one heart and double lung combined transplant, one double lung, two liver transplants and one kidney transplant. This was made possible through the commitment and hard work of 25 skilled surgeons, 30 compassionate nurses, 15 dedicated support staff and four transplant coordinators supported by a world-class infrastructure. We salute the three donor families and pray for the five families who are blessed with a second chance at life.
Friends, I began my career as a teacher. So, now, I would like to talk about something very close to my heart: the Dhirubhai Ambani International School. It was one of the first international schools in Mumbai and it has now been ranked the number one international school in India for the last 10 years and amongst the top 20 IB schools globally for four consecutive years. This means a lot to us as our school is just 20 years old.
I’m often asked what’s the secret of creating a successful institution? And I always tell them it’s that I run the school with the mindset and heart of a mother. I treat every student like my child and my teachers are like my family. The teachers I interviewed 20 years ago are still a part of the DAIS family. Like I said, in my journey, I have experienced that bonding people together for a common purpose is one of the most challenging but, at the same time, most fulfilling parts of building an institution. It’s not just about building institutions but also sustaining them. Beyond the rankings what makes me truly happy is that we have created a happy school where teaching is a pleasure and learning a joy.
We are now looking forward to opening our new school, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School, led by my daughter Isha. This new school is envisioned as a model school of the future with an Indian soul. Thank you, Isha.
I am also pleased to share that Reliance Foundation runs 14 schools across India, educating over 80,000 children. But this is just a drop in the ocean. There is so much more to be done. There are over 250 million children in India’s schooling system. There cannot be discrimination when it comes Therefore, at Reliance Foundation, our vision is to connect all these children through the power of 5G to the best of resources and opportunities. Imagine the transformation it will unleash when these 250 million children join the workforce as skilled and empowered young girls and boys. Their dreams will change the course of history and they will shape a better, brighter, kinder, greener and happier world for all of us.
Friends, I believe children learn as much in playgrounds as they do in classrooms. I am proud to share that our Education and Sports for All programme has reached out to 22 million youngsters across multiple sports. And I can’t speak about sports without talking about Mumbai Indians. As you know, whatever Mumbai does, it does the best. So, living up to our name, Mumbai, MI is one of the most loved and most successful cricket teams, having won 9 trophies in 15 years. My journey with Mumbai Indians began at the age of 44 when most sports persons retire. When I took charge of the team in 2009, I didn’t know anything about cricket and our team was at the bottom of the table.
It all started with me taking lessons and learning the nitty gritties of the game from legends like Sachin and Zaheer. Our first camp was called Bond to Win. Back then, I couldn’t tell the difference between a spinner and a pacer. Today, I can tell the difference between a leg spin, an off spin, a wrist spin, a googly, a yorker, a full toss and a short ball. What an enjoyable journey it has been. I hope you all have enjoyed MI as much as I have.
Over the years, MI has come to be known as the nursery of cricket. We pride ourselves in discovering and nurturing young talent like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and several others. We are proud that our latest find, the young and talented 20-year-old Tilak Varma has found a place in the Indian squad. Led passionately by my son Akash, now, the MI franchise has expanded globally with five teams in four countries: MI Cape Town, MI Emirates, and MI New York which won the inaugural major league cricket trophy in the US in July this year. And, of course, something very dear to me, our first ever women’s team in the MI family: MI Women.
It was an extremely proud moment when our talented young girls won the first ever Women’s Premier League in March this year. And, just last week, our women’s cricket team won the gold medal at their debut in the Asian Games. They have made all of us so proud. Their wins are even more special given the difficulties our girls face in sports, whether it’s getting a pair of shoes, getting a kit to play, or travelling long distances to train. In spite of all these challenges, our girls have made India proud in multiple sports at the highest levels.
When we support and celebrate women in sports, we are not just promoting equality on the field. We are also sending out a strong message to the little girls who are watching, a message that they are unstoppable and that nothing is impossible for them.
Friends, in about a decade, India will have the largest number of women in the world. The future of a nation is shaped by the empowerment of its women for I firmly believe that what women cannot do cannot be done.
Therefore, we have launched many initiatives to empower women across the country, the most recent being a special initiative in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to empower one million women entrepreneurs across India, helping them achieve annual incomes of up to Rupees one lakh per annum.
I’m pleased to share with you a message from Mr. Gates on our collaboration. “I’m delighted that Reliance is collaborating with our Foundation and my climate organisation Breakthrough Energy on some of the world’s toughest challenges addressing climate change, helping unlock economic power for women and improving health outcomes for the poor. Nita has spoken about our partnership on women’s economic empowerment. Together,over the next three years, we’ll support one million women to fulfil their potential through self-help groups. I think our partnership will be key to helping that happen.”
And now, friends, I have something very special to share. As a member of the International Olympic Committee, it has been a shared dream to bring the Olympic Games to India and see our athletes win medals for the country. Let me tell you that we have taken the first step in that direction. Mid-October, we will host the 141st IOC session at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. It was a very proud moment during this historic bid when 75 votes were cast for India and only one vote against. So, with a thumping majority, the Olympic movement is coming back to India right here in Mumbai after a gap of 40 years. And this, I hope, is just the beginning for our nation.
Friends, India is on the cusp of a giant leap. New India will be defined by the strength of the institutions we build.
Our country today has one of the largest populations of youth in the world. We are a nation of a billion dreams, and that is our superpower. A recent moment when I felt this sentiment was at the White House State Dinner, where the excitement for India was palpable. There was so much global interest in India and Indianness now, and immense appreciation for what India stands for. From yoga to culture, media to medicine, sports to tech, young Indians are leading the way not only in India, but all over the world. Without a doubt, India’s time has truly come.
It is our shared responsibility now as Rotarians, as leaders, as parents, to guide, empower and nurture the next generation. They are not just citizens of our cities and of our countries. They are citizens of the planet, architects of the future, carriers of change and pioneers of progress.
I am confident that India’s youth will achieve more in the next 25 years than we have in the last 75 years. India is poised to become a $40 trillion economy by 2047, ranking amongst the top three economies of the world.
Together, let us script a future where India stands tall on the global stage. Let us create a legacy that the coming generations can be proud of. Together, let’s hold hands and work hard to make this dream a reality.
Good luck and God bless. Dhanyawad.
of the main problems today is about senior citizens. So, this is my suggestion: if something can be built, so many senior citizens’ homes are coming up, so from Reliance or from your side, if something great can come up, I’m sure it will be something really nice.
Thank you, Kalpana ben. In fact, as we are talking, my son Anant is looking out for places to build a home for senior citizens and, at the same time, build an orphanage. So, that’s on the Reliance Foundation.
Just wanted to ask about your plans for the university. Would you be able to just elaborate a little more?
Sure. So, you know, we started off with the Jio Institute, which is now running. We have a sports management programme, artificial intelligence, and marketing programme, that’s a post-graduate programme. But our main university is coming up in Dronagiri, which will offer different courses: liberal arts and sciences, medical, marketing, law. And many others where, you know, as we kind of progress, we’ll be adding as what the children want. It’s a children-centric university, just like a school is children-centric. So we are really looking forward to this. It’s a campus in Dronagiri in Navi Mumbai.
What do you think is your art preference, modern art or the stereotypical version, the canvas part of art.
Actually, my biggest teacher in art has been my daughter Isha, so, she educates me. I have a preference for traditional arts. But I have learnt a lot with Isha on contemporary and modern art. So, I go for traditional arts, and she goes for contemporary; we have a good blend together.
I have a question: You’re an overachiever; we all have only 24 hours a day. What does Nita Auntie’s schedule like? What is her day like? How are you such an overachiever within 24 hours, being able to manage so many things, play so many multiple roles?
Mona, I think there’s no secret. I think all women here are multitaskers and overachievers. They all manage so much.
I just love what I do. I wake up with this drive, either spending time with my grandchildren or going to school in the morning or to school on my way back, going to NMACC. I think all these things just give me so much joy and fill my soul with so much delight. So, it’s not the destination alone, but the journey and I think you have to learn to enjoy the journey.
ROTARIANS ASK
I had the pleasure of visiting Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation hospital. You personally showed us around and it meant a lot. Is there any way the Foundation can work with the Rotary Club of Bombay in your various activities?
Surely. We welcome collaborations and I know what Rotarians do because I’m a fellow Rotarian so I would love to take this up and have a conversation with you at any time convenient to you, and we can do this together.
It was a great pleasure listening to you. Generally, I never ask questions, but today I’m forced to ask. You have worked towards