Vantara is a visionary wildlife conservation initiative launched by Anant Ambani, with backing from Reliance Industries and the Reliance Foundation.
Located within the Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat, India, Vantara stretches across 3,000 acres, serving as a sanctuary for animals that are abused, injured, or endangered. It stands out as a unique rehabilitation centre in the country, conceptualized under the leadership of Anant Ambani, the son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani.
Anant’s love for animals began early in his childhood. Nita Ambani once shared a story about how, at just two years old, Anant rescued hens from Crawford Market—an early sign of his deep compassion for animals, which has remained a constant in his life.
Motivated by this empathy, Anant established Vantara, which has become a respected centre for wildlife preservation. The initiative has saved more than 200 elephants and thousands of other endangered animals, reptiles, and birds from critical conditions. Vantara also boasts world-class facilities for animal care, including hospitals, research centres, and academic institutions. It has partnered with leading global organisations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Anant, a Director at Reliance Industries, credits his father Mukesh Ambani—a passionate wildlife enthusiast—as his main source of inspiration. In an interview with CNN-News18, he shared how most of his family vacations as a child were wildlife trips to places like Africa, Ranthambore, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Kaziranga, which deeply influenced his passion for animal welfare. He also noted that while domestic animal welfare has many advocates in India, wild animals often lack the same level of attention.
In recognition of his efforts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vantara last year and presented Anant Ambani with the ‘Prani Mitra’ National Award, the highest animal welfare honour given by the Government of India.