Heiress on Duty at RIL

Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, is carving out a place for herself within Reliance Industries Ltd.

- Nevin John

ISHA AMBANI Director, Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail

AGE: 30

BUSINESS is in Isha Ambani’s genes. “Work never stops for us. That is the only pace of life that I’ve ever known,” says Isha. The Ambani heiress has been instrumental in the transformation of Reliance Retail into an omni-channel retailer through the launch of e-commerce platform JioMart in 2019. Last year, she steered the hefty $6.4-billion fundraising of the retail chain from marquee global investors, and has been as a key member of the team that negotiated the group’s recent acquisitions.

“I believe in getting involved from scratch,” says Isha. “I like to work on the details right from the drawing board till we eventually bring our projects to life.” According to her, work is a common passion shared by the family.

Isha, who graduated in business administration from Stanford Business School in 2018, has had a hand in Reliance Retail’s acquisition of Hamleys, the iconic British toys retailer, in 2019, besides Urban Ladder, Netmeds and Just Dial. The retail arm also picked up a minority stake in online lingerie retailer Zivame last year, and has signed exclusive partnerships with over 45 international brands. Isha oversees strategy development and implementation for all marketing teams, including digital, advertising, communications and creative for the retail business. “Her inherent skills allow her to cut through the noise and deliver the message that resonates with consumers,” says an executive. She had also readied the blueprint of Reliance Retail’s fashion portal Ajio.com, which has grown to 2,500 brands in the last five years.