Nita Ambani announces 100-acre Anant Ashray township in Karjat for 5,000 people

Reliance Foundation founder and chairperson Nita Ambani on Sunday announced the establishment of Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray, a proposed 100-acre township in Karjat near Mumbai that will provide a lifelong home to more than 5,000 orphaned children, senior citizens and persons with developmental disabilities.

Ambani performed the bhumi pujan and groundbreaking ceremony at the proposed site on November 1, her birthday. The permanent, not-for-profit institution will be developed in phases, subject to necessary approvals, Reliance Foundation said in a media release.

The township is expected to support a larger community of around 15,000 people, including caregivers, medical professionals, support staff and their families.

“For me and my family, Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray is a beginning very close to our hearts. It is a step towards building a loving home for people with disabilities, children who need a home and seniors who seek care and comfort,” Ambani said.

Hospital, rehabilitation centre and residential villages

The proposed township will comprise eight residential villages, each named after a sacred river of India. Residents will live in small, family-style homes supported by dedicated house parents and caregivers. Each resident will have an individualised care and development plan covering healthcare, education, skills, employment, friendships and personal well-being.

The facilities will include a specialised hospital offering developmental medicine, epilepsy care, special-needs dentistry and palliative care, alongside rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and hydrotherapy.

The project will also have inclusive sports and recreational facilities, an educational ecosystem, vocational training centres, a bakery, café and craft studios. A hospice wing and garden of remembrance are also part of the proposed facilities.

The foundation said the township will seek to serve the surrounding region as well. Around 1,000 people from nearby areas are expected to access therapy, education and employment opportunities, while mobile medical clinics and family respite homes will extend support to neighbouring communities.

Ambani said the initiative was also intended to address the concerns of parents whose children need lifelong care.

“As a mother, my deepest hope is that parents who have spent a lifetime worrying about who will care for their children when they are no longer there can find peace in knowing that their child will always have a home and a family of their own,” she said.

The township will also include a national training academy focused on strengthening India's disability-care workforce.

“Above all, we hope Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray gives every person, at every age, the chance to live with dignity and look forward to each new day with hope,” Ambani added.