top of page
The Communiqué News

Nita Ambani Brings Proud for India: MET, USA is About to Witness Indian History Like Never Before!

  • 3 min read

The exhibition 'Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200 BCE-400 CE,' supported by the chairperson of the Reliance Foundation and the creator of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, will be on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET) beginning from July 21, 2023, till November 13, 2023.


Swati Bhat

Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200 BCE-400 CE

MET official


A special preview of 'Tree & Serpent...' was just organised at The Met. It was attended by Nita Ambani and hosted by Max Hollein, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Marina Kellen French, a connoisseur, and supporter of art in the United States and abroad. The event also drew distinguished guests from the art world and beyond, including Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to the United States, Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, and John Guy, the Florence and Herbert Irving Curator of South and Southeast Asian and curator of Tree & Serpent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Reliance Foundation and Nita Ambani-backed exhibition 'Tree & Serpent...' brings over 125 artifacts spanning from 200 BCE to 400 CE to The Met. Nita Ambani's communiqué on Art and Event, "I am from India, the land of the Buddha, and it is a great honor for me to support 'Tree & Serpent' through the Reliance Foundation's collaboration with The Met." With approximately 125 pieces from ancient India, this historic exhibition recounts the origins of early Buddhist art from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD. We are extremely proud of the 'Tree & Serpent,' which demonstrates the deep relationship between Buddhism and India. Buddha's teachings are intertwined with Indian ethos and continue to affect global ideas. I hope visitors from all over the world come to enjoy this one-of-a-kind event. We remain dedicated to presenting the best of India to the rest of the world, and the best of the rest of the world to India."

"Buddhism inspired an extraordinarily innovative and beautiful flowering of art in ancient India," remarked Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met. It is a fantastic honor to present this spectacular show to our global audience, as well as to introduce fresh discoveries from this key period in art history. We would like to thank the Government of India and the six state governments in India, as well as institutions in Europe and the United States, for their generous lending to this groundbreaking exhibition."

"This exhibition presents the story of the origins of Buddhist art through the lens of newly discovered masterpieces from early India," said John Guy, Florence and Herbert Irving Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at The Met. It depicts the origins of Buddhist art in southern India and situates it within a larger landscape of early Buddhist devotional practice centered on the Buddha and his relics. Buddhist monasteries were places for meditation but also for loud feasts, the air thick with the aroma of new flowers and perfumes. The role of beautiful stories that found expression in the art embellishing the stupa, as well as the lived traditions of early Buddhism, are foregrounded here. This is an exhibition that, like Buddhist prayer, embraces the senses."


Look out for more Art on display:








RIL partners with IOA to make India global sporting powerhouse

  • 2 min read

Mumbai [India], July 28: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday announced a long-term partnership that aims to elevate the performances of Indian athletes, support the national sports federations and build the credentials of India as a global sporting nation, with an aspiration to host the Olympic Games in the future.


Swati Bhat

Under this partnership, RIL and IOA will also establish the first-ever India House at Paris Olympics 2024.

As IOA's principal partner, RIL will support Indian athletes in major multi-sport events including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Olympics Games.

In addition, the Olympic hospitality houses are a games tradition, and India's first Olympic House at Paris 2024 Olympics will be a historic milestone. Establishing this home away from home and showcasing India to the world at the pinnacle event of world sport is yet another example of RIL's commitment to the Olympic movement. "It is our dream to see India take centre stage in the global sporting arena. Our partnership with the IOA reinforces Reliance Foundation's deep commitment to supporting and empowering young athletes across the country with world-class infrastructure and opportunities. We are also very excited to host the first-ever India House at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. It will be a great opportunity to showcase India's immense talent, potential, and aspiration to the world," Nita Ambani, IOC Member and Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said in a statement.

Reacting on the partnership, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said, "I thank Reliance Industries and Mrs Nita Ambani for this partnership with the Indian Olympic Association and for their continued support over the years in supporting Indian sports and inspiring the next generation of children to join the Olympic movement. It will be a momentous occasion to have an India house at Paris 2024. This is a giant step in reiterating India's commitment to the Olympic Movement." In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, India will also be hosting the 140th prestigious IOC Session in June 2023 at the state-of-the-art Jio World Centre in Mumbai. The IOC Session, which coincides with the 75th year of Independence, will highlight the role of sport in India and celebrate the contribution of India to the Olympic Movement. In May 2022, India's first 'Olympic Values Education Programme' (OVEP) was launched in Odisha, which combines the twin powers of education and sport in instilling the core values of Olympism.

The OVEP is a practical set of resources designed by the IOC to introduce young people to the Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship. The programme aims to disseminate this values-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy, and responsible citizens.


Jio Institute welcomes students to its founding batch; Read what Nita Ambani has to say

  • 3 min read

Mumbai [India], July 20: Jio Institute welcomed its founding batch of students at an inaugural programme held on Wednesday.


Swati Bhat

Speaking on the occasion, Nita M Ambani, Founder Chairperson, Reliance Foundation Institution of Education and Research, said that the institute endeavours to create an environment that is fertile ground for intellectual discovery and development, encourages curiosity and robust exchange of ideas besides enabling practical experimentation for real-life solutions.

Jio Institute is commencing academic sessions with two inaugural post-graduate programmes in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and Digital Media and Marketing Communications. The classes will begin on July 21, 2022.

Jio Institute said the first cohort of its postgraduate programmes has a healthy mix of geographic and gender diversity. The cohort hails from 19 Indian states and four countries outside India - South Africa, Bhutan, Nepal and Ghana. The batch comprises students from academically diverse disciplines like engineering, science, arts, commerce, mass media and management studies and business administration.

The founding class possess an average work experience of about four years in diverse fields such as advertising, automotive, banking, construction, digital media, edtech, fintech, healthcare, information technology, logistics, microfinance, oil and gas, pharma, telecom, government, NGO and others. It said both the one-year post-graduate programmes are being taught by renowned faculty from top global institutions and industry. "In both programmes, Jio Institute is focusing on cultivating essential life skills through its holistic learning module in addition to Foundation, Core and Elective Courses," a release said.

It said Jio Institute has planned for a study abroad module during which students will get exposure to a renowned global university. Along with these, the institute will lay emphasis on application-based learning through capstone projects. Welcoming the founding class of 2023, Nita Ambani said, "we are delighted to have all of you with us, on this journey of excellence." "Today marks a new beginning.

An important milestone for Jio Institute, and for each one of you. Every batch of an institution is special, as they contribute to the growth and cultural fabric of these institutions. But the first one is always extra special. They do not just contribute, they help envision, and imagine an infinite possibility.

As the first batch of Jio Institute, you will take the first-ever step, into an extraordinary future that we hope to build together," she said. "Jio Institute was born out of a dream I shared with my husband Mukesh, to redefine higher education in India and carry forward the legacy of our Founder, my father-in-law Dhirubhai Ambani. Mukesh is a true patriot. "And it is his vision to build an institution that will empower young Indians, and young people from across the globe, to develop solutions for a sustainable and better future for mankind, an institution that will prepare the next generation of global leaders who will significantly contribute to the advancement of India and the world " she added. Nita Ambani said students will experience a unique learning environment, with a focus on research and innovation, and a global community of academicians and industry leaders.

She urged students to learn with passion, imagine without fear, make use of state-of-the-art labs and libraries and world-class sporting facilities. "Stay active, healthy, and happy! And treasure the lifelong bonds of friendship that you make here! Mukesh and I believe in each and every one of you," she said.

The programme was attended by students, their parents, Jio Institute leadership and staff, faculty, members of the Reliance family and leaders from industry and academia. Jio Institute is a multi-disciplinary higher education institute set up as a philanthropic initiative by Reliance Industries Ltd and Reliance Foundation.




bottom of page