Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/726108
things of excellence," she says. But then Ambani pauses and smiles. "I'm maybe too detailed. I get into micro details on too many things," she says. "But we have 15,000 children in our schools and it's very important to do things right." The foundation also established a special 345-bed hospital in Mumbai. "When I do write checks, it's for health," Ambani says. "We have many free wards at the hospital." And true to form, she keeps up with the day to day, and is full of pride for the foundation's accomplishments. "We saved a four-month-old child who was having heart attacks," she says proudly. Equally important to her is Indian art: This spring, Ambani was in New York for the opening of the Nasreen Mohamedi show at the newly inaugurated Met Breuer, which she sponsored, as well as a dinner at Christie's in her honor. "It's about getting Indian art and artists to the world stage," says Ambani, who collects the work of Subodh Gupta and Anish Kapoor among many other Indian and international artists. When her daughter returned to India from Yale, she bought her a Tracey Emin piece. Ambani is a former professional dancer who still practices every day at home. "Dance has shaped my destiny in many ways," she says. "At one performance, my future father-in-law saw me dancing and sent me a marriage proposal from Mukesh." Perhaps the most relevant legacy of her dance training is that she is always in motion these days—juggling more projects than most people can handle. Her latest effort involves creating India's largest convention center in Mumbai, slated for 2018, which will also be an exhibition space and performing arts hub. "I want to bring the brilliance of Indian art to the world," Ambani says. "The foundation's journey in art has just begun." "We have transformed the lives of six million Indians." —Nita Ambani 70 BAL HARBOUR Ambani's Reliance Foundation operates a network of 14 schools, including India's top international educational facility.