Mukesh Ambani owned RIL’s empress Nita Ambani, is famously described as “Reliance’s real program manager” by her husband. It will not be surprising to soon hear EIH’s chairman P R S Oberoi, use the same words to describe Nita Ambani’s role with regards toOberoi and Trident group of hotels, after nominating her on the board.
Though the Ambani’s and Oberoi’s are downplaying Nita Ambani’s inclusion in the EIH board to be of a non-executive nature, time will reveal that it goes much beyond what the designation suggests. Nita Ambani considers her first formal corporate role as an honor, but softens it by adding that RIL was a long-term financial investor and was not seeking to run the company. However, analysts believe that RIL is now prepared to play a larger role in the hospitality business, and Nita Ambani will certainly not play an ornamental role even if the designation suggests so.
Post the formal nomination as a board member, Nita Ambani said,” Right now, I am in a learning mode with Mr. Oberoi”. The comment was roughly the same as the one she made three years ago, about her husband’s foray into cricket. She was not completely in agreement with Mukesh Ambani when he bought Mumbai Indians, but adapted the ‘learning mode’ after disastrous matches at IPL 2 in South Africa.
She flew down to South Africa and took charge of the team. Since then, she is always present for all team meetings and auctions. Nita Ambani is the lady luck for Mumbai Indians, and the team’s performance has visibly risen since she took the leadership. Mumbai Indians triumphantly won the CLT20 this year. Her ‘amazing leadership qualities’ and ability to ‘bond with the boys’, are given creditfor the team’s achievements.
Nita Ambani’s dedication to work is worth praising. She juggles between multiple roles and is ascompetent as her husband. As the chairperson of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, she visits the school daily and is present there even before the school opens. She heads the Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, a non-profit organization which promotes education and health care services. She is equally devoted to Project Drishti, which provides free treatment to the blind. Her future agenda needs her to be the spearhead of 400-plus bed multi-specialty hospital and Reliance University, an ambitious project to set up a world-class university.
After playing diverse public roles, Nita Ambani, the wife of India’s richest businessman, loves to play the role of a middle-class lady at heart. She adores being a home-maker and a very supportive mother. She keeps track of weekly spending and enjoys shopping for crockery, like every other woman.