According to the blueprint prepared by the ministry earlier this week, Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani and co-owner of Mumbai Indians; Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi; Supriya Sule, member of Parliament (MP) and daughter of agriculture minister Sharad Pawar; and M. Kanimozhi, MP and daughter of Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi; will be approached for key roles in “Saakshar Bharat”, which will have a specific focus on women. All of them said they have not been approached directly so far.

They would be requested to campaign for the mission, which was launched in September by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The names of the mission’s ambassadors are likely to be announced on 8 September, International Literacy Day.

Saakshar Bharat, aims to make 70 million adults (60 million being women) literate in three years and will be implemented in 365 of the country’s 619 districts. While India’s average overall literacy rate is 65.3%, for females it’s 54.28%. In the targeted districts, female literacy is less than 50%. The scheme has already been rolled out in 167 districts in the first week of April and is expected to cost Rs6,000 crore.

Nita Ambani’s office declined to comment. However, the ministry appears to be optimistic.

“We have zeroed in on these icons because we believe that this scheme will be successful if individuals who have sufficiently high profile as well as are committed to the cause are nominated as Saakshar ambassadors,” said a senior ministry official requesting anonymity. The official also said that the ministry wants Nita Ambani and Vadra to be ambassadors at the national level, others will be approached to be goodwill ambassadors at the state level. Some sports personalities will also be roped in later.

They will be expected to pro-actively participate in mass mobilization, undertake visits to some villages to influence teachers and learners, and help motivate private firms to contribute to the programme under their corporate social responsibility schemes. The ministry note points out that Nita Ambani can be “very effective in promoting the private sector initiative and mobilization of resources” for the adult literacy mission.

The Reliance Innovation Council was floated by Mukesh Ambani three years back, to bring the best scientists and Nobel laureates from various parts of the world to interact and co-operate with RIL’s research and development initiatives. Besides Ambani and Mashelkar, the membership comprised people such as the late C K Prahalad, George Whitesides of Harvard University, Nobel laureates Jean-Marie Lehn and Robert Grubbs, and Larry Summers, former president of Harvard University.

The association of Mashelkar and Mukesh Ambani is not new. After retiring as the director-general of CSIR, he joined RIL as an independent member of the board. RA Mashelkar is also chairman of the Reliance Innovation Council.

RIL has also invested heavily in the Reliance Innovation Leadership Centre in Pune and in Reliance Research and Technology Centre (RRTC), planned with a floor space of more than half a million square feet in Navi Mumbai. RRTC is to act as a hub for the research centres already operating at various manufacturing locations. Both initiatives are to support the business of Reliance by harnessing cutting-edge, futuristic but practical science, technology and innovation initiatives from within and outside the organisation.

Reliance Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that handles educational, health and other corporate social responsibility activities of the group. Nita Ambani, wife of Mukesh Ambani, is chairperson. it is also planning to set up one of the largest universities in the world under the leadership of Nita Ambani.

Much of what the top corporates do in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility is an extension of sharing the success with society in which they work. India’s biggest network, Reliance Group is among the most illustrious corporate which have a tradition of thinking beyond business goals. Reliance treats the world as a family and works towards the greater good of the country. According to Nita Ambani philanthropy is one of the firm planks on which civil society can be structured. With a powerful and responsible guiding light like Nita Ambani, Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation is surely in safe hands. Mrs. Ambani’s role in creating this foundation cannot be overlooked and she feels that in today’s time we need to move ahead the dictionary meaning of philanthropy because love and humanity are two terms that have a deeper significance only felt by those who have truly known it.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation is a way to tell the world that Reliance thinks beyond business. Reliance always encourages and funds numerous initiatives related to education, health, human capital and infrastructure. The Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation (DAF) has instituted many awards and scholarship programmes over the years. One of the longest running scholarship programmes is the Dhirubhai Ambani SSC Merit Reward Scheme that helps meritorious students from various districts of Gujarat, Goa, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Maharashtra to pursue higher studies. The scheme was introduced in 1996 along with Dhirubhai Ambani Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme.

The Reliance Kargil Scholarship Scheme was launched to support 383 children from the martyrs’ families. On the silver jubilee of the company’s listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Dhirubhai Ambani Scholars Scheme was announced in 2003. Under this scheme, 900 meritorious students of Reliance shareholders are selected for the scholarship. Talking about the social responsibility in general, President Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, Ms. Nita Ambani said, “I believe all of us can and do give in varying degrees. Sadly, it hasn’t been enough. Poverty, hunger, malnutrition, disease, infant mortality, illiteracy and unemployment continue to be the scourge of our times. We also do not have the luxury of choosing one over the other. There is no hierarchy of suffering. The claims of the homeless on our time and resources are as urgent as those of the hungry.”

DAF is also associated with different health care initiatives including the collaboration with Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Hospital and Research Centre in 1997. The deal was to restructure the hospital and to employ state-of-the-art technology for better treatment.

Source:http://www.reliance-news.com/nita-ambani/daf-in-nita-ambani%E2%80%99s-responsible-hands/

This year Mumbai Indians had a great run at the Indian Premier League season three and some of the credit if not all goes to the team’s co-owner Mrs. Nita Ambani. One of the most influential business women in the country, Nita is now a cricket aficionado with immense passion for the game and she has been educating herself on the nuances of the game since her journey with IPL began in 2008. In an interview to editor-in-chief of Indian Express, Shekhar Gupta, Ms. Ambani said that she is an obsessed mother now with all her time devoted to cricket. She admitted that IPL is like a dream run for her and this association has consumed all of her attention to the point that she ate, slept and breathed only cricket during the season. Her dedication certainly paid off in the splendid display of ‘cricket-rionics’ during the IPL 3 finale. She has stood by as a pillar of support during the good and bad times that the team has been witness to.

In 2008, Nita Ambani strengthened the Mumbai Indians team with a successful bid of seven players including Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. Before the onset of second season of Indian Premier League, Mrs. Ambani spoke to Hindustan Times and confessed that before venturing into IPL, her knowledge of cricket was very elementary and was restricted to few successful names of the cricket world. Initially she was involved only with designing of the jersey and the making of Mumbai Indians’ theme song but after a poor start in IPL 2009; she decided to accompany her team everywhere as per the schedule.

Chairman, Dhirubhai Ambani International School and co-owner of Mumbai Indians, Nita Ambani spearheaded the smartest strategy by making the bid for the most sought after player of IPL 3, Kieron Pollard. The constant travelling with the team to different locations also brought her closer to the team and helped empower the team with more confidence.

In this year’s IPL, Nita Ambani started out by bidding for a knockout of a team, holding up with them through all times and cheering them on in every single match the team played. According to the team and the management, Nita is a lucky mascot for them and her presence in almost every match boosts their morale.

On being asked about the disappointment after losing the finals, Nita said, “I had said in my interview just before the finals that may the best team win. And in sports, I think, it’s not just about winning but also about handling losses. And that’s what I have learnt living with these boys for the last several weeks. Surely I was disappointed, but it is what you have gained in your journey of life that matters. And for me, cricket has been a big learning experience.” According to her, IPL will get bigger and better in the seasons to come.

Born in the suburbs of Mumbai, as a child Nita Ambani was fond of Indian Classical dance and also aspired to become a professional classical dancer. Born into a middle class family where her father was a senior executive with Birla and mother, a homemaker, Nita Ambani grew up knowing that Chartered Accountancy was vastly preferred as a career option for her in the family. Nita Ambani went ahead and got a degree in teaching and interior designing. She got married to Mukesh Ambani, the Managing Director of Reliance Industries while she was in her 20s.

Nita Ambani currently plays the role of co-owner of Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians with aplomb. She is also the chairperson of Dhirubhai Ambani International School and is geared up to head the Reliance University in the near future.

Nita Ambani is the Chairperson of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School which was established in June 2003. The school runs on the lines of world class institutions and employs the best curriculum that aims to provide excellent and highly competitive education at the school level. The Dhirubhai Ambani International School is located in Mumbai and is one of the very few schools in India which offer the International Baccalaureate Program. Nita Ambani also spearheads the Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, a non-profit organization which mainly aims at helping the under privileged lot an equal place in the society and in the corporate world. The foundation also works for the betterment of the educational and health facilities for the underprivileged in India.

An ardent supporter of Cricket, Nita Ambani also co-owns an Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians. Her passion for cricket came alive during Twenty20 tournaments when she was seen supporting the team throughout the tournament.

Nita Ambani’s presence cannot be overlooked when it comes to working for the under privileged. She has been working for the betterment of the living conditions of the deprived for a long time. She spearheads the project Drishti and also works as a social activist as a part of Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation. Nita Ambani has successfully managed to earn a place for the physically challenged in many corporate sector companies and other facilities in the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City located in Navi Mumbai. Nita Ambani is also associated with UNAIDS with a message to halt the spread of HIV epidemic in India.

Nita Ambani earned the Samaj Seva Vishwa Bhushan at the Bharat Nari Shakti award function. The award function was held on the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2005 which acknowledged her selfless service, leadership qualities and innovative ideas especially in the fields of health care and education.
Nita Ambani tied the knot with Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and CEO of Reliance Industries Limited while in her 20s. Elder daughter-in-law to Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben, Nita Ambani has three children with Mukesh Ambani, a daughter Isha and two sons Anant and Akash.

Eyes are windows to the world and if our sight does not support us, we become visually challenged. In India, thousands of underprivileged people are living impoverished lives just because they cannot see. Project Drishti, a nationwide corneal grafting drive has already restored the eyesight of 5000 people belonging to the underprivileged section of the society. This unique project is a joint venture of National Association of the Blind and Reliance Industries Limited and is led by Mrs. Nita Ambani, wife of RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani. The main objective of this project is to give sight to the sightless from the poor section of the society at no cost. Talking about this endeavor, Mrs. Nita Ambani, President, Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation said, “We are committed in our endeavor to bring light into the lives of the visually challenged brethren.” Through this initiative, most of the under privileged blind can reap benefits as this effort by RIL and NAB will bring light into their lives.

There are a number of eye care initiatives in India but Project Drishti is among the most successful ones. In less than four years time since it was started, Project Drishti has undertaken almost 5000 kerotoplasty surgeries. ORBIS, a non-profit organization saving the sight of millions in developing countries is working with India’s eye care sector under its India Childhood Blindness Initiative. ORBIS aims at opening around 50 eye care centers by 2012 and each center will have fully trained eye care team with sufficient equipment and infrastructure. There will be a special out-patient department for children catering to special needs of children, parents with great medical facilities and a play area.

Through this initiative by ORBIS, 400 million children in India will get the treatment for their eye problems. This will further improve the eye care health of India. As of now, ORBIS is working with the Indian ministry of health in developing a new plan called ‘National Program for Control of Blindness Plan’ which will emphasize on the eye care health of India from 2008-2012. Vedanta Aluminum Ltd has initiated a series of ‘correction of refraction of Vision’ under its pioneer project called ‘Drishti’ in Jharsuguda. This initiative will cover peripheral villages like Brundamal, Katikela, Kurebaga and Burkhamunda.

Project Drishti led by Mrs. Nita Ambani have always participated in a number of eye care activities to create awareness among the masses. President of Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, Mrs. Nita Ambani was once quoted as saying, “In more ways than one, we can make this a century with better vision than ever. We need to see life a little differently even after we have passed on. Life would undergo a change of appearance if you donate your eyes because beauty also lies in the eye of the giver.”

Source:http://reliance-news.blogspot.com/2010/05/nita-ambani-beauty-lies-in-eye-of-giver.html

The best news channel in the business and the most powerful Indian corporate came together in 2008 to launch an initiative – Real Heroes. Rajdeep Sardesai from CNN-IBN in partnership with Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani from Reliance Industries Limited instituted an effort to honor the unsung heroes of our nation. This initiative is all about people like you and me, the common man of India who has done extraordinary things to make our nation proud. ‘Real Heroes’ started in 2008 is into its third year in 2010. This initiative run by Reliance Industries Limited and CNN-IBN is surely going to bring in change by acknowledging the ordinary Indian who has made difference to people’s lives.

This prestigious award salutes the unsung heroes without whom India would not have been a global entity. Every year, the award is given in the categories including education, environment, healthcare, rural development, sports, social welfare, women & child welfare and wildlife conservation. The award panel selects 24 ‘Real Heroes’ across India from four different zones. Talking about the significance of this initiative, Nita Ambani, wife of RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani said, “Each one of these achievers has left a huge impact on thousands of men and women and have transformed lives by perseverance, passion for a cause.”

The selection process includes Indian citizens suggesting names for Real Heroes and then the editorial board at IBN18 shortlists and finalises the list of the recipients, the recipient is then felicitated with a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs. The recipient list of 2008 consisted of Sunita Krishnan who bagged the award in women’s welfare category for taking on the trafficking mafia. Nishtha Desai received the award for social work along with other exceptional works.

In 2009, the recipient list included Dr. Rouf M. Malik, K.M Chinnappa, Hemant Patel, Deepak Saha and many more courageous Indians. Speaking on the initiative, Nita Ambani said, “We are proud to be associated with Real Heroes, a movement to honour the men and women who have been working with never ending courage and unflagging dedication to make a better society for their countrymen to live in. We are sure that their inspiring stories will serve as a beacon of inspiration for many others.”

People across diverse age groups like the octogenarian Ram Snehi to 31 year old Ishita Khanna and from all corners of India from Mohd Iqbal of Ladakh to T. Raja from Chennai have been recipients of the Real Heroes award in 2010. Bollywood legend Aamir Khan during one of the award ceremonies of Real Heroes said, “There are very few of us who put aside our own goals and think about others: and this ability to care for other people, their requirements or their needs is really special.”

Nita Ambani owned ‘Mumbai Indians’ team beat Rajasthan Royals by 37 runs and booked their seat in the semi-finals of the lucrative Indian Premier League. Since the beginning of Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians has remained the favorite team of season 3 and almost everyone bet on the team as IPL 3 winner. But at the IPL 3 finals on 25th April, 2010, fate favored Chennai Superkings and Mumbai Indians lost the match by 22 runs. For Mumbai Indians, IPL 3 has been a fantastic journey with one of the strongest squad consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, KA Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, SL Malinga and other talented players carrying the team from strength to strength.

D Y Patil stadium was packed to capacity as thousands of cricket fans thronged the place to witness the IPL 3 final between the two strong sides. The finale was thrilling with great shots from the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, though his presence in the team was doubtful due to the injury. The Mumbai Indians played consistently well all through the tournament and Nita Ambani constantly showed her support for the team by being present in almost every match played by the Mumbai Indians. After disappointing everyone in the cricket world with poor performance in both the previous seasons of IPL, this year, the Mumbai team was seen as the toughest and the most enduring side from the very beginning.

Talking about the team performance, one name that cannot be skipped out is that of K.A Pollard who actually led Mumbai Indians to the final of IPL 3. While the hear tearing over why Pollard was not brought to bat earlier continues, his contribution of a whopping 27 runs off 10 balls made it a close call for the Chennai Super Kings during the middle overs of the game.
The owner of Mumbai Indians, Nita Ambani presented the Orange cap to Sachin Tendulkar for scoring maximum runs in the third season of Indian Premier League. The skipper of the runners-up team was also awarded DLF Golden Player of IPL 3.

After the finals, Sachin Tendulkar was quoted as saying, “A couple of important catches cost us. There is a saying that catches win matches. The start in the run-chase also was not up to the mark. We could have accelerated a little bit more. Towards the end, Kieron Pollard came in with a fine effort but it was a bit late. We tried hard to accelerate the run-rate but it was one of those days when things did not click.”

Harbhajan Singh’s superb performance led to the Mumbai Indians victory against Deccan Chargers in a previous game. Harbhajan smashed the bowlers with unbeaten 49 runs and also cracked three wickets by giving away 31 runs. With the spirit intact, Mumbai Indians is expecting to win the next IPL with Sachin Tendulkar’s assurance of playing in the IPL 4.

Source:http://news-views.in/mumbai-indians-almost-there/

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and IMG, the world’s leading sports marketing and management company, announced an equal joint venture to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. The venture, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., will have parallel complementary strategies: to provide and operate world class infrastructure and coaching facilities in the country to unlock India’s sporting potential and; to create and operate major sports and entertainment assets in the country.

A press release from Reliance Industries Ltd. said the senior management teams of the two organizations led by their respective Chairmen Mukesh Ambani and Ted Forstmann had formulated clear ambitions and strategies for the new company. “The idea is to try to begin to make this country much more proficient in sports other than cricket,” Forstmann said in an interview in Mumbai. IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd. will harness IMG’s international expertise gained in over 50 years in the business of sport, entertainment and celebrity management with RIL’s expertise in the domestic market, strategic planning and flawless execution.

Under the auspices of The Reliance Foundation, the corporate social responsibility initiative of Reliance Industries, state of the art sporting academies will be developed to provide world class coaching and training facilities for Indian sportsmen and sportswomen. The required infrastructure investment will be provided by The Reliance Foundation. IMG Academies, Florida the world’s leading sporting and educational institution which has many alumni who have pursued successful professional sporting careers on the world stage will provide management knowledge and coaching skills transfer to the management and coaching teams of the Academies in India which will be managed by the joint venture.

IMG Reliance Pvt. will use “special-purpose vehicles,” to build sporting infrastructure and will replicate IMG’s facilities in Bradenton, Florida, which have trained athletes, including tennis players Andre Agassi and National Basketball Association player Vince Carter.

“The market is gigantic,” said Forstmann, whose company helped set up the Indian Premier League for the Twenty20 format. “In a country with a middle class growing like India, sports entertainment and media are going to be things that the country is going to want more and more.” He further added that, “The performance of Indian athletes on the national and international stage will improve dramatically with the correct development strategies. The No. 1 sport in the world is soccer. It would be a great thing for this country to have a really competitive national team.”

Mukesh Ambani said development of sports and a sporting culture was a social imperative for India in the 21st century. “World class infrastructure, frugal engineering, technology and scientific coaching are an integral part of development of today’s sporting talent globally. IMG has an enviable track record of leveraging these aspects and identifying, training and developing champion talent across disciplines,” he said.

Mrs. Nita Ambani, Member on the Board, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd. added, “I am excited about the comprehensive relationship with IMG which will seek to unlock the potential of young India at a global platform. Reliance Foundation will invest in the infrastructure development of the globally renowned IMG Academies in India. We are committed to undertake grassroots development programme to make a fundamental difference to the lives of millions of youngsters in the country based beyond the big cities.”

In keeping with Fostermann’s belief – “Heroes get created,” IMG and Reliance will begin this year by sponsoring 20 Indian students to train in Florida. The venture aims to produce world-class athletes in golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, and Olympic sports to help India “go win some medals”!

Source:http://news-views.in/ril-and-img-forge-alliance-to-develop-sports-in-india/

Nita Ambani dons many hats as the Chairperson of DAIS, co-owner of Mumbai Indians, first lady of Corporate India and many more. This time the educationist and social worker in her have joined hands in reaching education to underprivileged and disadvantaged kids.

Although the third season of the popular Twenty20 tournament is only 17 days away, Nita’s busy supporting the underprivileged kids of five NGOs through an initiative called ‘Education For All’. Some members of her team, the Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan & Co. are actively participating in this initiative. Commercials were launched across national television channels on Sunday featuring Sachin, Bhajji and Zaheer, who appeared in 15-second commercials for the cause, but the real stars of this Mumbai Indians promo are the children who make an endearing appearance with Nita Ambani at the end.

Nita Ambani intends taking her cause to the masses just like American cycling legend Lance Armstrong did for cancer victims in 2004, the Mumbai Indians is selling blue silicone wristbands signed by Tendulkar and other greats from the team that say ‘Education For All’. Every band sold will mean some amount of money goes towards the NGOs Pratham, Ummeed, Akanksha, Teach For India and Nanhi Kali that do exemplary work in educating underprivileged children. The sale proceeds will be matched by a contribution from the Mumbai Indians’ kitty.

Nita Ambani is counting on the huge fan base her team has across the country to boost the sales, but since it is for a charitable cause, all benevolent Indians supporting other IPL teams are expected to pitch in and buy the bands as well. The educationist in Nita Ambani who believes that education is the key that unlocks the potential of every child says, “It’s a small and humble effort”. She, as an erstwhile school teacher and current Chairperson of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, has thrown open her institute, which in the evenings becomes an education centre for Akanksha’s underprivileged kids. Besides which, through the Reliance rural schools in Maharashtra and Gujarat, Nita also looks after the education of 15,000 other children.

“One of India’s big needs is for every underprivileged kid, especially the girl child, to know how to read and write,” continued Nita Ambani. “This is a cause that’s very dear to me, and Sachin, Harbhajan and Zaheer were happy to endorse it in the promo.” The sale of these ‘Education For All’ bands that are available at all Reliance and Sahakari Bhandar stores in Maharashtra is just the basic fund raiser. Nita, who sits cheering in the dug-outs whenever her team is playing, will take 120 of these kids to see every home match. She later plans to hold a special benefit match for them with her players.