Nita Ambani: How Visionary Leadership Changed The Game for Indian Sport

“Well, all cricket invites attention”, Mrs Nita Ambani said when asked about women's cricket. Widely seen as the face of Reliance Industries’ deep philanthropic initiatives, Mrs Ambani’s commitment to Indian sport has driven transformative change across the decade. Being the guiding light for Mumbai Indians - the most successful IPL franchise – her granular detailing has been borne out of grassrooot understanding of identification of talent and backing raw potential, rather than academy superstars in the making.

With five IPL titles in the cabinet, the Mumbai Indians have consistently been the team to beat in the league. Nita Ambani's visionary leadership has played a massive role in the side's success and growth.

If you thought Nita Ambani was just another successful businesswoman, there’s more to it. Her passion for Indian sport is not accidental, something those who have worked closely with her at Mumbai Indians vouch for.

The Mumbai Indians debuted in 2008. Mrs. Ambani’s passion for driving a culture of excellence has been key to their consistency over the last 18 years of the IPL. She brought in icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. She also transformed the careers of emerging talents like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. Nita Ambani’s leadership combines excellence with a focus on nurturing raw talent.

Despite the glare of shutterbugs, Nita Ambani hasn’t been seen losing her cool even when a player or her team underperforms which drives the larger vision of her commitment to transform Indian sport.

At the 47th Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries, Nita Ambani stressed on the Reliance Foundation's efforts to drive the sporting revolution in India. Declaring her long-term vision to contribute to making Indian sportspersons part of the global pool of excellence, Ambani said that the battle for claiming the spotlight for Indian sportspersons was a long term game.

"Greatness in any field is not achieved overnight. It is earned and built, one day at a time," she said.

Across her public statements, what comes out clear is that her broader goal is to provide a level playing field for every Indian - be it in terms of infrastructure or resources. Away from traditional headlines, the broader purpose seems to be to provide an ecosystem which allows for budding athletes to have a competitive shot at becoming the best in the world. So for every Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya story – who were hardly heard of before their smashing success at the Mumbai Indians – the backstory will substantiate with conviction that Nita Ambani is the unsung hero of their destiny.

Vision For Women’s Cricket

Apart from owning the Mumbai Indians franchise in the Women's Premier League, Nita Ambani has stood like a pillar of strength for MI's women division, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, which features in the WPL.

In a 2020 interview, Mrs Ambani had poured her faith in her backing of women's cricket. In an official statement, Nita Ambani, the founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation had said, " I have immense faith in the potential and capabilities of all our sportswomen. Indian women cricketers have made the country proud with their outstanding achievements in ICC events over the last couple of years. Our aim is to ensure that we offer the best of infrastructure, training and rehab facilities to our girls." That year, the BCCI declared that Reliance Jio would take up the title sponsorship for the Women's T20 Challenge.

Advocating strongly for a change of mindset of how parents look at letting their girls play cricket, Nita Ambani had used the example of cricket star Sanjeevan Sajana. “She is a graduate in political science, her father is an autorickshaw driver and she chose to play cricket. I hope this sets an example for parents to encourage their girls choose what profession they wish. Not only for cricket, WPL is an example for girls in all kinds of sports.”

Building a Strong Foundation Geared to Hone Grassroot Talent

Nita Ambani's focus on building a strong foundation for the Mumbai Indians has been key to the team's success over the years. With the clarity of consistent vision that thion's core purpose is to make India a global sporting powerhouse, Nita Ambani has worked to create a resilient, world class sporting infrastructural ecosystem in India.

At the 2024 AGM of the Reliance Industries, Mrs. Ambani had highlighted the Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative that her son Akash Ambani had spearheaded. The ESA is estimated to have reached across 23 million budding sportspersons across multiple sporting divisions as per official estimates. The Reliance Foundation also announced that it was delving into dynamic initiatives such as the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports and Young Champs which are engineered to specifically focus on identification and the enhancement of young talent at the grassroot level.

The ‘One Family’ Culture

What came as a gush of fresh air was Nita Ambani’s classical blend of aggression to win with the sportsman spirit of a one team culture. The coinage of the now popularised #OneFamily slogan of the Mumbai Indians was a deliberate sounding to the world that beyond the competitive nature of sport and the high-pressure of League games and championship is a team spirit that shone through. In fact, last week, Mrs Ambani released a statement on the official Mumbai Indians website in which she said, “Mumbai Indians has had a long history of scouting and playing a part in the growth of young Indian talent, who’ve then gone on to play cricket for the country. It’s something that’s very close to our heart. At MI, we take a lot of pride and satisfaction in scouting and nurturing many young talents who have gone on to play for the Indian team."

Building World Class Sports Infra

Beyond honing of talent is Nita Ambani’s commitment to building world class infra for sport. She has consistently been investing in top-class coaching and support staff for her IPL and FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) that launched the Indian Super League - lending credence to the view that Mrs. Ambani’s footprints go beyond just one discipline.

Mrs Ambani was the Founder Chairperson of the Football Sports Development Limited. She had led the Reliance Foundation's initiatives since 2010 to provide  "Sports for Development" as a key area.

In 2016, the Foundation launched the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports to strengthen the school and college level sports ecosystem- a move which has grown to reach more than 9 million youth and children across states in India. In 2015, a year earlier, the Foundation and established the Reliance Foundation Young Champs,  to  nature young football talent with world class facility in a fully funded residential program.

The Reliance Foundation Olympics initiative was launched in 2019 to specifically tackle those with aspirations to lead India in the future leaderboard for the Olympic Games. Through Mrs Ambani's tenure, the Foundation has partnered with state governments and built high performance centres for athletics in facilities across the country.

Nita Ambani: Taking India to the Global Stage

Mrs Ambani was the first Indian woman to join the IOC in 2016. She has made significant contributions to the global body. She played a crucial role in India hosting its first IOC session in Mumbai after 40 years, showcasing the country's ambitions to the world. India plans to bid for hosting the 2036 Olympics, a testament to Ambani's efforts in promoting India's sporting ambitions.

As the founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani aims to empower millions of Indians through initiatives in sport, education, health, art, and culture. Reliance Foundation is driving India's sports growth, reaching over 22.9 million children and youth through its programs.

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nita Ambani was unanimously re-elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from India. This prestigious re-election is truly a testament to her tireless efforts in promoting India's sporting ambitions and Olympic vision.

Nita Ambani's commitment and pride vis-a-vis Indian sport was on full-blown global display at the Paris Olympics. For the first time ever, Reliance Foundation had partnered with the Indian Olympic Association to host the first-ever India House at the Olympics. The India House, the cultural and celebratory space at the Paris Olympics, saw a footfall of over 40,000 visitors as per official estimates.

Just a look at some of her brainchild when it comes to sports initiatives, one gets an idea of how it is not limited to one sport but disciplines that have rarely found corporate takers.

Mrs Ambani is a strong advocate for India’s growing Olympic aspirations, and with the country bidding for the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad and her strong record in terms of contribution to olympic sport, Nita Ambani may go on to  play a crucial role as the first Indian woman in the International Olympic Committee (IOC).