Walking Her Talk: Nita M Ambani

For me in my 20-year-long journalism career, the striking element that repeatedly stared back was that while as women we occupy half the sky, half the population of the world we sparingly take up space as individuals. It was time to make space for women. It takes a leader with a purpose like Mrs Nita M Ambani to believe in and support a movement of this nature. Her Circle was born out of that shared desire to make a larger impact towards equality and bridge the gender digital divide that holds her back. Here are some excerpts from a truly special interaction with Mrs Nita M Ambani, the one who walks her talk.

1. TANYA: Thank you for believing in going beyond business and creating a safe space for women, where they learn, lean on each other, and grow.

NMA: Creating Her Circle has been a deeply fulfilling and rewarding journey. We launched it in the midst of the pandemic. In that period of fear and uncertainty, I felt it was important to create a digital community that could provide a sense of hope, togetherness, and solidarity. I am delighted that Her Circle has sparked an online movement for women from different walks of life to come together and follow their shared dreams, passions, and goals.

2. TANYA: Let’s begin at the beginning. When we discussed launching the platform a couple of years ago, you and I agreed that if we were discussing social, digital growth for the country, we had to focus on the obvious, the gender digital divide that existed. Her Circle, the idea, was born then. We have turned a year old this March and this community is already a live, large, vocal group of women from India and abroad. Just sheer numbers at 42 million reach of Her Circle in its very first year pegs it as the fastest growing women’s digital platform. How does it feel?

NMA: Congratulations! Not just to us but to every woman in Her Circle, Our Circle!
I am so happy to see Her Circle expand and grow so beautifully in such a short time.
I welcome all the women who have joined this movement…
I am delighted to see them collaborating, bonding, applauding & cheering for each other!
Those were meant to be the hallmarks of our platform, and it’s a joy to see them come to life.
On Her Circle, we listen, we share, we educate, we enable, and connect!
It’s a place where we let our hair down, ask questions without hesitation, go beyond the defined.
A safe space where women thrive by learning newer things, reskilling themselves, and growing to fulfil their dreams!

3. TANYA: How well do you feel Her Circle addresses women’s interests?

NMA: For us, Her Circle is a women’s movement.
An inclusive, collaborative, diverse, interactive, socially conscious platform for women.
It is her safe space for growth.
A place where she can connect with her women on shared interests.
Where she can find friends and build sisterhood.
Engage as she watches vibrant videos or reads articles.
Achieve her goals through our customized trackers that guide diet, fitness, periods, fertility, and finances.
She can grow and learn through our masterclasses with the best in the business, across different fields.
She can find employment through our dedicated job listings.
And what is most precious for me, is that we offer free of cost support for her physical and mental wellbeing, by the finest experts from our Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.
At Her Circle, we truly help, engage, inspire, and entertain!

4. TANYA: As we complete a year of Her Circle, having featured unsung heroes, women from diverse backgrounds, we have a big announcement to make. Do tell the world how you see Her Circle’s expansion and next steps for the movement.

NMA: Her Circle is an evolving platform meant for all women, irrespective of region and language. I want our reach and support to expand un-hindered. And to reach more women in their language of ease, we are first launching Her Circle in Hindi.
We go live in March 2022 and I hope it gets as much love as the English platform has received till now.

5. TANYA: Your friends, family, colleagues, women you have worked with and collaborated with and now your daughter & daughter in law — tell us more about YOUR CIRCLE?

NMA: I truly believe in the phenomenal power of women.
And in their unmatched ability to lift each other up.
In these difficult times of the pandemic, we also realized the power of family!
It has been a period for all of us to lean on our families and derive immense love, support, and strength from them.
In my case, all the women of my family stayed together as an inter-generational unit – including my mother in law, my mother, my daughter, my daughter in law, and my sister.
I cherished the time I got to spend with my mother-in-law and my mother.
It was wonderful to see the two great grandmothers soak in the sheer joy of spending time with their great grandson!
I absolutely loved playing dadi to Prithvi and doting on him!
I treasured the bonding I shared with my daughter-in-law Shloka.
My daughter Isha and I found immense joy and purpose through the work we did together, especially for COVID relief.
Together, we envisioned and implemented our Foundation’s response to the pandemic – be it the first dedicated COVID hospital that treated thousands of patients free of cost or Mission Annaseva under which we distributed millions of free meals to marginalized communities and frontline warriors.
Throughout these months, we have all been there for each other, helped each other stay positive, followed our dreams and aspirations despite the challenges, and tried to do whatever we can to support our community and our country in this difficult time.

6. TANYA: You’ve launched a multi-pronged approach towards gender inclusivity whether it is the support to Indian women’s cricket, promoting sportswomen across different fields, women empowerment programmes under the Reliance Foundation and Her Circle, a platform for equality. How far reaching are you hoping these efforts will be?

NMA: I always say that the most rewarding aspect of working with and for women, is the ripple effect that it creates.
Every time we empower a woman, we empower her children, her family, her community!
We have worked closely with women from marginalized communities in rural and urban areas.
With the power of Jio, the experience of our Reliance Foundation, and now through Her Circle as well, we have a much wider reach and amplification amongst women from different backgrounds and geographies.

We have seen the tremendous impact they can make when they regain agency over their life and choices. Rural women have risen to become village leaders, young girls have become entrepreneurs and champions of change. Every little drop fills the ocean, and one woman at a time we have created a movement of sisterhood and solidarity!

7. TANYA: As I sign out, I’d like to thank you for your time. And even more so for your never-ending zest for doing more and being more. It’s been inspiring to work so closely with you on Her Circle, our passion project.

NMA: Thank you so much, Tanya. Here’s to every woman in Our Circle. And here’s to making Her Circle a large, safe, and empowering space for all women!

COVER CREDITS
Editor-in-chief: Tanya Chaitanya
Photographer: Rohan Shreshta
Styling: Priyanka Kapadia
HMU: Mickey Contractor
Cover Design: Sameer More