Reliance Announces Isha Ambani As Board Member: 7 Facts About Her

Nita Ambani on Monday stepped down from the Board of Directors of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), making way for children Isha, Akash and Anant to become the non-executive directors on the RIL Board.

The board of Reliance met ahead of the company’s annual general meeting to approve the appointment of twins Isha and Akash as well as Anant, as the “non-executive directors of the company,” the firm said in a stock exchange filing.

“Their appointment will take effect from the date they assume office after approval by the shareholders,” a press release by the company stated.

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, during the annual general meeting (AGM) on Monday, said “This is truly an emotional moment for me because it reminds me of that day in 1977, when my father inducted me into the Board of Directors of Reliance. I was only 20 then. Today I see both my father and me in Isha, Akash, and Anant. I see the flame of Dhirubhai shine in all of them."

The RIL Chairman added that he will continue to lead the company for five more years and will groom and empower the next-gen leaders to prepare them for all the challenges and opportunities of the future.

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Here are some key things to know about Isha Ambani:

1. A graduate of Yale and Stanford Universities, Isha Ambani is an heiress to the billions-worth empire of her father Mukesh Ambani. As per reports, she was previously employed with McKinsey and Co in the United States and has already taken up leadership at Reliance in various capacities.

2. Along with her twin Akash, Isha joined Reliance in 2014 as director. As the only Ambani daughter, Isha has taken charge of female leadership at Reliance, a giant that has only known primary male leadership since its inception.

3. Isha is deeply involved in the processes at Reliance Jio, which it is believed came to be established with her in the centre. As per a speech Ambani made, it was Isha's complaint of slow internet speed at home that led to the launch of the 4G network under the Reliance brand. Read here.

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4. Reliance's e-commerce offerings, Ajio for fashion and JioMart for groceries, reportedly also come under Isha's leadership. She is involved in the operations at Reliance Foundation, the conglomerate's nonprofit segment. In interviews, Isha has mentioned she shares a boss-subordinate relationship with her father in the workplace.

5. In a 2019 interview with Vogue, when she was the cover girl for the magazine, Isha revealed the big plan was to always return to the family business, following her US stint. "Growing up, we knew Reliance was creating changes that were big for our country... And coming to the office was not something that started for me at a certain time—I was always here," she said, talking about taking her father's legacy forward.

6. Reports suggest Isha was crucial in cracking the major deal between Facebook and Jio last year, which had the social media giant investing $5.7 billion in the Jio platforms.

7. Isha's lavish wedding to business heir Anand Piramal in 2018 at her home Antilia put the spotlight on her like never before. The couple's elaborate, star-studded $100 million ceremonies made top headlines that year for being among the most expensive weddings of recent times.