THEBUSINESSBYES BUREAU

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D Ambani on Thursday called on business leaders to collectively launch an effective initiative to strengthen the ecosystem supporting working women and working mothers in Corporate India, saying the country still has a long way to go in ensuring that women get what they deserve.

Speaking at the launch of the Hindi edition of former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya’s memoir ‘Indomitable’, titled ‘Aparaajita’, Ambani said Bhattacharya’s achievements against all odds should serve not only as an inspiration to working mothers worldwide but also as a call to action for Corporate India.

 “I wish to appeal to all my fellow business leaders today. Let us collectively launch an effective initiative to strengthen the ecosystem that supports Working Women and Working Mothers in Corporate India,” Ambani said, urging Bhattacharya and other accomplished women to guide the initiative.

 “You take leadership, we will follow you,” he said, adding that Reliance Foundation would fully participate in the initiative along with other organisations.

Ambani said the objective should be to help and empower thousands of “Indomitable Women Leaders” to build and run the “New Temples of Viksit Bharat”.

Describing Bhattacharya as a person “whom no hurdles can halt, no adversity can defeat”, Ambani said the Hindi title Aparaajita was even more powerful as it represented a woman who could never be defeated and who never accepted defeat.

He said the Hindi edition would take Bhattacharya’s story to young women and men across Bharat, including those in cities, towns, districts and villages, and expressed confidence that the Hindi autobiography would become a bestseller.

Ambani, who has known Bhattacharya through her association with Reliance and her role on its board, praised her as a problem-solver, strategic thinker and leader who listens carefully, speaks candidly and challenges constructively.

Since joining the Reliance Board in 2018, Bhattacharya has enriched its deliberations with her experience and independent thinking, he said, adding that she had consistently encouraged the company to promote diversity as a source of stronger leadership and better decisions.

 “At Reliance, we are proud to have many more women leaders at senior levels across Reliance,” Ambani said, stressing the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. He said his conviction was that the world needed more Emotional Quotient than Intellectual Quotient, “which is to say, more women in leadership positions.”


PIC (L to R): Mr. Sachin Sharma, Mr. Sundraman Ramamurthy, Mrs. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Ms. Sukrita Bhattacharya, Mr. Mukesh Ambani, Ms. Navya Naveli Nanda, Mrs. Monika Halan and Mr. Avinash Kaul at the launch of the Hindi edition of the book ‘Indomitable’ or ‘Aparajita’, authored by Mrs Arundhati Bhattacharya.


Ambani recalled Bhattacharya’s historic appointment in 2013 as the first woman Chairperson in the more than two-century history of the State Bank of India, saying she led the institution through change with courage, empathy and clarity.

He highlighted four lessons from her life and memoir — the strength of family values, taking responsibility instead of externalising blame, remaining a lifelong learner, and recognising the importance of people and leadership.

 “Setbacks are not verdicts; they are feedback,” Ambani said, recalling a lesson from his father Dhirubhai Ambani. He urged people to ask why they missed, what they would change and how quickly they could act when things did not go according to plan.

Ambani also endorsed Bhattacharya’s emphasis on continuous learning, saying people should remain students throughout their lives and learn from younger generations, technology and even experiences that make them uncomfortable.

On leadership, he cited Bhattacharya’s principle at SBI — “Collaboration inside and competition outside” — and said leadership was not about collecting followers but about creating more leaders.

Ambani also linked Bhattacharya’s journey to the broader rise of women in India, saying the country was moving decisively from women’s development to women-led development.

 “Women are no longer merely beneficiaries of progress; they are its architects,” he said, pointing to their growing role in business, science, sport, the armed forces and communities across Bharat.

 “When the women of India rise, India rises. And when the women of India become unstoppable, India becomes unstoppable,” Ambani said.

He said Bhattacharya had not stopped after becoming the first woman to occupy a historic position, but had instead helped open doors for others through her contribution on the Reliance Board, leadership at Salesforce India and support for younger leaders.

Concluding his address, Ambani urged people to embrace the spirit of Aparaajita when confronted by difficult circumstances, uncertainty or the temptation to give up.

 “We may not control every circumstance, but we can always summon our courage, intensify our effort, and rise again,” he said, calling on people to value those who stand beside them, take responsibility instead of assigning blame, remain lifelong learners and open doors for those who come after them.

Ambani said these commitments, if embraced by millions of Indians, particularly young women, could help ensure that no challenge was too great and no dream too distant.

He described Bhattacharya’s life as a message of resilience and hope, and said it represented the spirit of an “indomitable India”.