Reliance Foundation is an Indian

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which was founded in 2010 by Mukesh Ambani. It is wholly owned by

Reliance Industries Limited Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, headquartered in Mumbai. It has diverse businesses including energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Reliance is o ...

and is one of the largest non-profit foundations in the country.

History

Reliance Foundation was formerly known as Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation. It was founded in 2010 by Mukesh Ambani, chairperson of Reliance Industries.

Purpose and activities

The foundation's objective is to promote

sustainable growth Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The desi ...

in India. It does so in the following spheres: * ''Rural transformation:'' The Bharat-India Jodo is a programme for marginal farmers, and the foundation also has information service programmes bringing technical expertise to 1,400 farming and fishing villages. * ''Education:'' The foundation grants scholarships under the Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship Programme, which started in Maharashtra and

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

in 1996 and was extended nationwide in 2009. It also supports 13 schools, including the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and establishes universities in partnership with the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...

. * ''Health:'' The foundation sponsors the Drishti program, which provides newspapers in

Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille disp ...

for the blind and the country's largest

cornea The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical ...

transplant programme, and developed the Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai. * ''Urban renewal:'' The foundation took over development of Goda Park in

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashi ...

after funding problems had delayed it, and in partnership with

NASSCOM The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group, focused mainly on the technology industry of India. Established in 1988, NASSCOM is a non-profit organis ...

is underwriting a social media lab for Mumbai Police to improve involvement of residents in improving safety and security. * ''Arts, culture and heritage:'' The foundation sponsors events celebrating and continuing the cultural heritage of India, such as

Ustad Zakir Hussain Ustad Zakir Hussain (born 9 March 1951) is an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He is the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, ...

's annual concert in memory of his father, ''Abbaji'', and the Elephanta Festival on

Elephanta Island Elephanta Island (also called Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") or Pory Island) is one of a number of islands in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai, India. Tourist attractions and accessibility This island is a popular tourist destinati ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

, and also in 2012 co-sponsored with BP the ''Mummy: The Inside Story'' visiting exhibition from the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. In February 2016, Reliance Foundation Drishti organized a nationwide arts and essay competition which also involved visually impaired participants. The winning entries were sent out through printed literature. * The foundation has proposed to set up Jio Institute near

Karjat Karjat (Pronunciation: əɾd͡zət̪ is a city administered under a Municipal Council in Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is served by Karjat railway station. Karjat forms a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Karjat ...

. The foundation also works with other philanthropies and

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

s on collaborative initiatives, for example in 2012 partnering with the television show '' Satyamev Jayate'' to provide a grant to Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai to help street children.

Awards

*The foundation has been awarded prestigious Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for year 2017 by the

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...

Nita Ambani Nita Mukesh Ambani (''née'' Dalal, born 1 November 1963) is an Indian philanthropist. She is the chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation, Dhirubhai Ambani International School and a director of Reliance Industries. She is married to ...

received the 'Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award 2017' on behalf of Reliance Foundation as its chairperson, for her initiatives on promoting grassroots sports. *Reliance Foundation's Jr NBA programme entered the Guinness Book of World Record with the participation of over 3400 Jr NBA students in India *Reliance Foundation received prestigious mBillionth South Asia Award 2017 for its efforts in Agriculture & Environment category. The foundation was conferred the award in recognition of its efforts to leverage mobile technology to enhance lives and livelihoods in rural agricultural communities across India. *Reliance Foundation bagged the India CSR Community Initiative Award 2017 for supporting the flood-affected communities through technology-driven digital platforms during relief operations in Madhya Pradesh. *Reliance Foundation bestowed with Institute of Company Secretaries of India CSR Excellence Award *Reliance Foundation received the Late VD Joshi Award for the Best Ferrocement Structure for the year 2016,for construction of natural water-harvesting structures. *Reliance Foundation received India CSR Award 2016 for Water Conservation, Agricultural Development and Best Documentary Film. *Reliance Foundation bagged the prestigious Porter Prize 2015 for its "outstanding contribution to the society to meet the basic human needs, establishing blocks that allow communities to sustain quality of life and creating conditions for individuals to reach their potential". *Reliance Foundation receives internationally acclaimed “Golden Peacock Award” for its CSR initiatives

References

External links

Reliance Foundation Official WebsiteSir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital And Research Centre
{{Reliance Industries Limited , state=expanded Charities based in India Organisations based in Mumbai Reliance Industries Development charities based in India Foundations based in India Recipients of the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2010 establishments in Maharashtra Organizations established in 2010