India’s ambitions on the global sporting stage are growing far beyond medal counts, with Nita Ambani setting out a vision that combines elite athlete development, grassroots participation and a long-term aspiration to bring the Olympic Games to Indian soil. Speaking at the 49th Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries, the Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Founder outlined how sport has become a central pillar of the organisation’s broader efforts to support India’s rise on the world stage.
Building India’s next generation of Olympic athletes
Reliance Foundation’s sports programmes have become an increasingly important part of India’s high-performance ecosystem, supporting athletes across multiple disciplines while also expanding access to sport at the grassroots level.
Highlighting the progress made over the past year, Ambani said: “This year, our Reliance Foundation athletes won 386 national and international medals.”
The performance has reinforced the Foundation’s growing emphasis on Olympic disciplines as India looks to improve its competitiveness at future Games.
Outlining the areas receiving increased attention, she added: “We are now focused on Olympic sports where India has the highest potential to shine on the world stage: archery, athletics, boxing, shooting, wrestling, and badminton.”
The Foundation’s Education and Sports for All programme has already reached more than 29 million children and young people, creating a wider participation base while helping identify future talent across the country.
Sport as a tool for development
Beyond podium success, Ambani said the Foundation sees sport as a vehicle for character-building and social development from an early age.
Discussing that approach, she stated: “We are also using sport to do what it does best: teach values – values of friendship, excellence, respect, discipline, resilience, and teamwork. We start working with them when they are as young as three.”
The programme is being delivered in partnership with the International Olympic Committee and reflects a long-term strategy aimed at strengthening India’s sporting culture alongside its competitive performance.
A dream of bringing the Olympics to India
As the first and only Indian woman to serve as a Member of the International Olympic Committee, Ambani also used the occasion to reiterate an ambition she has championed for several years.
Speaking about that goal, she said: “As an IOC Member and a proud Indian, I carry a dream very close to my heart – a dream shared by over 1.4 billion Indians – to bring the Olympic Games to India; a dream in which the sporting world comes together on Indian soil, our hearts fill with pride, and our arenas with triumph – not just triumph of talent, but also triumph of the human spirit. Truly, an Olympics that the world will never forget.”
The vision extends beyond hosting a major sporting event and reflects a belief that India can emerge as a leading force in global sport through sustained investment in athletes, infrastructure and participation.
A wider platform for national development
Sport forms one part of a much larger network of initiatives being undertaken by Reliance Foundation across the country. Over the past 16 years, the organisation has expanded its reach across rural development, healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, disaster response, environmental sustainability, arts and culture.
Reflecting on that growth, Ambani said: “What began as a corporate commitment has grown into one of our nation’s largest and most impactful institutions of social transformation. Today, I am honoured to share that over the last 16 years, Reliance Foundation has touched the lives of over 97 million Indians across every single state of India.”
The Foundation now works in nearly 100,000 villages across India, with programmes designed to strengthen communities while creating new opportunities for future generations.
Describing the changes she sees across the country, Ambani added: “In every village we enter, in every child we educate, in every woman we empower, I see the same thing, a nation that is not just growing, but awakening and rising with renewed confidence, dynamism and determination.”
India’s sporting future in a changing era
The Foundation’s growing focus on Olympic sport comes at a time when India is increasingly positioning itself as a major player in international sport, both as a competitor and as a potential host of global events.
Looking ahead, Ambani concluded: “Friends, like I said at the beginning, India’s time has truly come. We are a civilisation reclaiming our destiny. India’s rise today is not just an economic or cultural story, it is a human story.”
With athlete development, grassroots participation and Olympic ambition now moving in parallel, the Foundation’s strategy reflects a broader belief that India’s next chapter in sport could be closely tied to its wider national transformation.
