Mukesh Ambani calls on India Inc. to strengthen ecosystem for working women
ADVERTISEMENT
India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, managing director and chairman of Reliance Industries, on Thursday appealed to business leaders of India Inc. to collectively launch an effective initiative to strengthen the ecosystem that supports working women and working mothers in corporate India.
This was in the backdrop of celebrating business leader Arundhati Bhattacharya at the launch of the Hindi edition of her autobiography, ‘Indomitable’, at the Bombay Stock Exchange. Ambani said Bhattacharya’s life and achievements offer valuable lessons for families, institutions and the nation.
“The book we are celebrating today is not an ordinary autobiography. It is a call to action. Arundhati Bhattacharya’s achievements, against all odds, are a source of inspiration for working mothers around the world. Nevertheless, they also remind Corporate India that it still has a very long way to go in ensuring that women get what they deserve,” Ambani said.-
“The Hindi title is even more powerful: ‘Aparajita’,” Ambani said, referring to the Hindi edition of Bhattacharya’s memoir. He added that the Hindi edition would take her story to young women and men across India’s cities, towns, districts and villages.-
Ambani calls for initiative for working women
“I request Arundhatiji and other accomplished sisters like her to guide this initiative,” Ambani said. “Nita and Isha are both working mothers. While they are not here today, they have asked me to convey to you that Reliance Foundation will fully participate in this initiative along with all other organisations.”
“Let us help and empower thousands of Indomitable Women Leaders to build and run the New Temples of Viksit Bharat,” he added.-
Bhattacharya, former State Bank of India (SBI) chairperson, has been an independent director on the board of Reliance Industries since October 2018. Bhattacharya has often been ranked high on the Fortune India ‘Most Powerful Women’ in business list and was the first woman from outside the Ambani family to be appointed to the board of the company.
Bhattacharya’s corporate and personal life is well chronicled. She was the first woman to chair SBI in its more than 200-year history and went on to lead Salesforce India.
“She brings optimism into every boardroom discussion with the confidence of a leader who has faced complexity and found a way forward. Usually, in the corporate world, a person who identifies three new problems also adds 30 slides to explain these problems — and sometimes to my mind that creates a fourth problem!” Ambani said.
“But Arundhatiji is always a problem-solver. She listens carefully. She speaks candidly. She challenges constructively. She is a strategic thinker who understands the present clearly and sees the future early,” he added.
Women bring a rare kind of EQ, says Ambani
Ambani also highlighted the role of women in leadership and diversity at Reliance.
“Women bring a rare kind of EQ — Empathy Quotient to negotiate any real-life situation. It’s now my firm conviction that our world needs more Emotional Quotient than Intellectual Quotient — which is to say, more women in leadership positions,” he said. RIL CMD Mukesh D Ambani - Speech at launch of Arundhati Bhattacharya memoir.
He also spoke about the role Bhattacharya has played in mentoring young leaders, saying his daughter Isha has become a great admirer of her “wisdom, directioness and generosity towards the next generation.”
Ambani also highlighted lessons from Bhattacharya’s book, including the importance of family values, taking responsibility instead of assigning blame, lifelong learning, and people and leadership.
“Family is our first and most enduring capital — emotional, moral and spiritual,” Ambani said. He also cited Bhattacharya’s lesson on learning from failure, saying, “Blame may protect that ego for a day; responsibility builds the future.”
On women in leadership, Ambani said, “Women are no longer merely beneficiaries of progress; they are its architects — leading in business, science, sport, our armed forces and communities across Bharat.”
“My conviction is simple: when the women of India rise, India rises. And when the women of India become unstoppable, India becomes unstoppable,” Ambani said.