From Kokilaben to Nita Ambani: How Dhirubhai mentored the Ambani women

Born on December 28, 1932, Indian businessman the late Dhirubhai Ambani was way ahead of his time. From founding Reliance Industries to taking it public in 1977, he was a visionary. And this reflected not only in his business acumen but also in the way he mentored and honed the Ambani women. From his wife Kokilaben to his bahus Nita and Tina, here's how Dhirubhai Ambani mentored the Ambani women who are the face of one of the most prominent families in the country today.

In an earlier interview with Mid-Day, the Ambani matriarch Kokilaben Ambani revealed how her life drastically changed after she got married to Dhirubhai in 1955. It was only after their marriage that Kokilaben stepped out of Jamnagar and traveled the world with her husband. And it was Dhirubhai, who guided her through life. Talking about it, she revealed in the interview, "When we went abroad, he would fill me in with information about the places we visited and even asked me to read about them."

Not just this, Kokilaben had studied from a Gujarati-medium school but it was Dhirubhai who encouraged her to learn English so that she could converse with dignitaries who visited their home or feel at ease while traveling. "Even though I had studied in a Gujarati school, I had started learning English immediately after coming to Mumbai. This was also thanks to Dhirubhai's foresight. A tutor used to come in to teach English to the children. Dhirubhai said, 'Kokila, why don't you learn English?' I jumped at the suggestion. He would take me to five-star hotels so that I could cultivate a taste for Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Japanese cuisine... In short, he molded me so well that I would not feel out of place anywhere. I constantly adapted to change."

In an earlier interview with journalist Karan Thapar for his show 'Face to Face', Nita Ambani revealed how she was mentored by her late father-in-law Dhirubhai Ambani into the confident woman that she is today. In the interview, Nita shared how after her marriage to Mukesh, every evening her father-in-law would quiz her about what was happening in the world. This activity pushed her to prepare and extensively read up for her discussions with Dhirubhai Ambani. "Papa was quite a taskmaster, I must say. 7.30 PM was half an hour with him alone and he used to quiz me, Karan, on different questions-- share market, Reliance, politics, world affairs, international affairs. And every time I was forced to read up and I would prepare myself for the next day," Nita recalled.

To this, her husband Mukesh Ambani added, "I would get a phone call, 'What is Papa going to ask me today?' And I used to tell her maybe so and so... And at 8 o'clock in the evening we used to have fun after that."

Nita chipped in and said, "But the next day the questions will be entirely different and I will be stumped. And I think those were my growing up years, really, with wonderful memories of Papa (Dhirubhai Ambani)."

When Karan Thapar asked Nita, "So a lot of Nita that is sitting in front of me is his creation," Nita Ambani agreed to it.

Dhirubhai and Kokilaben Ambani's 'choti bahu' Tina Ambani too often credits her late father-in-law for being a visionary, who was way ahead of his time. In a social media posted on December 28, 2023, which was Dhirubhai's birth anniversary, Tina wrote, "Pappa, from the worksite to the boardroom, from home to the public domain, you taught each one of us to be confident while always being ready to learn; candid and forthright while staying humble, future-ready while remaining rooted... You weren’t just a wonderful father but the greatest teacher we will ever have. And your lessons continue to guide us all. Happy birthday. And thank you.”

In an earlier post in 2023, Tina also shared how the late Dhirubhai Ambani always encouraged his family to think out of the box and be innovative. "Dhirubhai Ambani did yesterday what the rest of India is doing today. Far ahead of his time in so many ways, a true visionary. At home, he encouraged each of us to think out of the box, be the best version of ourselves and dedicate yourself to self-actualization. We miss you every day Pappa. And we try to apply your infinite wisdom to our own lives,” she shared on Instagram.

Photo: Tina Ambani/ Instagram

The late Dhirubhai Ambani and his wife Kokilaben Ambani have two daughters as well, namely: Nina Kothari and Dipti Salgaocar, who prefer to stay away from the limelight. However, just like their father, Nina Kothari too has sharp business acumen. For the unversed, Nina married Bhadrashyam Kothari, a businessman, in 1986.

In 2003, Nina Kothari started her entrepreneurial venture Javagreens-- a food and coffee franchise. While Javagreens wasn't as popular as other coffee chains in the country, it did reflect Nina's keen interest in business-- a trait she learned from her visionary father.

In 2015, Nina lost her husband to cancer and she took up the responsibility of leading their business--Kothari Sugars and Chemicals Limited. Over the years, under Nina Kothari's leadership as a Chairperson, the company flourished and now she also heads two other companies: Kothari Petrochemicals Limited and Kothari Safe Deposits Limited. This shows that just like her late father Dhirubhai Ambani, Nina Kothari too has a sharp business acumen and the zeal to get over difficult times.

Photo: Tina Ambani/ Instagram

Mukesh Ambani's sister, Dipti Salgaocar is married to Dattaraj Salgaocar who is also a businessman. Dipti Salgaocar along with her husband run their non-profit arts initiative named Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts in Goa. The initiative provides exhibition and working space, assistance and even grants to artists. Apart from this, Dipti is also the Vice President of Corporate Communications at her husband's family-run business-- V. M. Salgaocar & Bro. Pvt. Ltd.

Just like her late grandfather, Isha Ambani too has a sharp business acumen and it reflects in the way she leads Reliance Retail. From being an ideal daughter and daughter-in-law to being a mother and a career woman-- Isha juggles various roles with great ease and is an inspiration to many women across the nation. At an earlier Jio event, Nita Ambani had shared how her father-in-law Dhirubhai Ambani wouldn't start his morning without looking at Isha's face! This shows Dhuribhai's love for his granddaughter Isha, and how it has shaped the businesswoman and fashionista.