Isha Ambani says "a part of my brain is always dedicated to children Aadiya and Krishna"

Viewing the Ambani family ecosystem through the eyes of Isha Ambani, executive director, Reliance Retail Ventures, offers a glimpse into how family support has shaped her personally and professionally. In one of her recent interactions with Fortune India, Isha detailed how her family helped shape her as an empathetic person and supported her in taking on challenges in her professional life.

“My parents’ unshakeable belief that I could do anything my brothers could is the cornerstone of everything I have done and will do,” said Isha, who is featured in Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women in Business 2026.

She described her husband, Anand Piramal, as a key part of her support system. “Anand is my perfect partner, supporting me whenever work and life overlap. My inner circle — my mother, and sisters-in-law Shloka and Radhika — forms a safety net that allows me to take professional risks, ensuring home is a nurturing space for Krishna and Aadiya,” Isha noted.

“A part of my brain is always dedicated to my children; that internal tug-of-war never switches off. Any mother saying otherwise is being generous with the truth,” she quipped.

Weeks after her twins were born, Isha had to return to work as the Reliance team was preparing to launch the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Bandra-Kurla Complex.

“I needed to be at work, and I needed to be with my kids. My team — mostly comprising women — never made me feel the two roles were in conflict. This is the gold standard: caregiving and career seen as complementary.”

Behind every public success is a system of family and colleagues holding things together, she said. “That is why I am invested in diversity and inclusion at Reliance. When companies meet women through motherhood and caregiving, they unlock capability that otherwise stays invisible,” she added.

Her family remains a grounding force. “My family — Anand, Aadiya, and Krishna — ground me,” she said. “No matter how intense the day, they shrink the world back to what matters. My children are constant reminders that everything we build is for the next generation, providing the perspective that balances leadership rigours,” Isha said.

According to her, the most generous gift from her father was the ‘permission to fail.’

“By handing me Reliance Retail and stepping back, he allowed me to find my own way and earn my own confidence. He gave me space to lead, not just a role,” she said.

For Isha, her mother, Nita Ambani, remains her primary inspiration. “Watching her carve out time for Bharatnatyam daily taught me the importance of personal passion,” Isha said.

“My father’s greatest gift is his way of seeing the world. He does not recognise limits. To him, a challenge is just tomorrow’s reality arriving early. This mindset has shaped my growth outlook — reminding me that the future is too larger and grander than our imagination,” Isha said.

Isha says she was raised with complete equality with her brothers — Akash and Anant. Every time an opportunity arose, it came to her first, she added.

“My grandfather, Dhirubhai Ambani, instilled in me the courage to dream big, while my father taught me that progress is never made in isolation,” she said.