Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, delivered the keynote address at the Harvard India Conference on Indian Business, Policy & Culture, where she praised India’s youth and diaspora as the nation’s greatest strengths. She also emphasized the immense potential that technology adoption offers, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, green energy, and genomics.
Reflecting on a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis of India, Ambani identified the country’s youth and diaspora as key strengths. “Fifty percent of India’s population is under the age of 30, and our Indian diaspora is another great asset. I believe these are our strengths,” she said.
On the topic of India’s weaknesses, Ambani pointed out the need to uplift the 200 to 300 million people living at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. “That should be our priority, and I believe we can address this challenge in the next decade,” she added.
When discussing opportunities, Ambani emphasized the role of technological adoption at scale. “Whether it’s artificial intelligence, green energy, or genomics, I believe this is where India’s future lies,” she said, calling these areas a “great opportunity” for the nation.
Addressing the threat aspect, Ambani spoke as a mother, stressing the importance of peace for both India and the world. “I believe we need peace. Only in times of peace can countries grow and prosper. War serves no good, and it is a threat to global progress,” she explained.
Sharing a personal story, Ambani recalled a time early in her marriage when she had purchased a gold chain for herself but was asked by her husband, Mukesh Ambani, to return it in order to pay Reliance employees during a challenging financial period. “I bought this gold chain and showed it to Mukesh. He looked at me and said, ‘Nita, I don’t think we can afford this right now. Reliance is going through tough times, and we need to pay all our employees first.’ I returned the chain without questioning him, confident that better times would come—and they did.”
Reflecting on this experience, Ambani shared that it taught her a valuable life lesson: “Adversity should make you a better person, not a bitter person.” She described this as an important learning that shaped her perspective on resilience and perseverance.
