Anant Ambani was three years old and still in nursery when Maneka Gandhi encouraged his fascination with animals. Under her guidance, he says, he started his first animal ambulance in Mumbai.
Years later, their paths crossed again over animal rescue. Accounts of Vantara’s early development say Gandhi approached Reliance about accommodating elephants rescued from circuses, helping lay the groundwork for animal-care facilities in Jamnagar that would eventually grow into Ambani’s sprawling rescue and rehabilitation initiative.
On Sunday, Gandhi presented Ambani with the CineKind Heart of Gold Award at CineKind 2026 in Mumbai.
“Every human, every animal deserves respect and dignity, and that is what I stand for,” Ambani said, crediting Gandhi with teaching him that principle.
What followed bears little resemblance to that first ambulance.
Established by Reliance Foundation within the 3,500-acre Reliance Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat, Vantara houses more than 150,000 rescued, injured, and endangered animals across over 2,000 species.
Its infrastructure includes a specialised elephant hospital and 22 satellite wildlife clinics. A 14,000-square-foot kitchen prepares diets tailored to animals’ health, age, and recovery needs, including fresh fodder, grains, ragi laddus and specially prepared khichdi for elephants.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vantara in March 2025.
Ambani used the CineKind platform to turn attention towards smaller animal-welfare organisations. Fifty NGOs were invited for assistance, including shelters from Agartala, Coimbatore, and Noida.
“I just pray to the Almighty to give us all more strength to serve whoever we can,” Ambani said, urging people to help “in whatever small way or big way we can.”
Burjis Godrej, Chairperson of Godrej Agrovet, who was present to support Gandhi’s initiative, told businessline that animal welfare needs to extend beyond philanthropy into how companies conduct business.
“We at Godrej Industries Group are always looking to see what we can do for improving the cause of animal welfare,” Godrej said. “It’s very important to us.”
At Godrej Agrovet, that intersects directly with its business. One of India’s large animal-feed companies, it works on livestock nutrition, disease prevention, and animal-health research. Its Nadir Godrej Center for Animal Research & Development in Nashik conducts research and feeding trials involving cattle and poultry, while the company works with farmers on nutrition and livestock-management practices.
“Healthy animals will be better for the people, for the farmers as well,” he said, calling it a “win-win.” Businesses should comply with animal-welfare norms and “go above and beyond to the global best practices,” he added.
Ambani and Godrej approach the issue from different ends of corporate India: one through rescue and rehabilitation at scale, the other through animal health and agricultural livelihoods.
Invoking Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world is one family, Ambani described those working for animal welfare as protectors of nature, from an ant to an elephant.
“If everyone decides to make a difference, the world will become a better and better place day by day,” he said.
Published on October 5, 2026
