Rs 2,248 Crore, 9.7 Crore Lives: Reliance Foundation's Impact Goes Beyond the Numbers
The Reliance Foundation Scholarship programme, launched in 2020-21, today supports 5,100 students annually.
Hyderabad: Reliance Foundation stepped up its social spending in FY 2025-26, but the bigger story may lie in what that money delivered on the ground. Rs 2,248 crore spent on corporate social responsibility (CSR) — up from Rs 2,156 crore the previous year — pushing its cumulative post-COVID CSR outlay past the Rs 9,500 crore mark. Since inception, the Foundation has reached over 9.7 crore people across India through initiatives spanning rural transformation, education, healthcare, sports, animal welfare, and environment.
But behind the numbers lies a more human story — of a dairy farmer in rural India who more than doubled his income, of a first-generation scholarship student whose education is generating Rs 4.4 in social value for every rupee invested, and of an early warning system that reached fishing communities on the Andhra Pradesh coast before Cyclone Montha made landfall.
The Reliance Foundation Scholarship programme, launched in 2020-21, today supports 5,100 students annually. An independent study by Athena Infonomics India found that every rupee invested in the programme generates Rs 4.4 in measurable social value — a return that spans improved employability, higher lifetime earnings, and broader community uplift.
On women's empowerment, the numbers are equally telling. Over 75% of women participants in Reliance Foundation's digital literacy and financial inclusion programme reported greater financial confidence. Half said they were more actively involved in household financial decisions. Two-thirds noted a measurable reduction in gender-based disparities — outcomes that development economists recognise as leading indicators of lasting social change.
Anant Ambani received the Global Humanitarian Award for 2025 from the Global Humane Society for his work with Vantara, Reliance's animal rescue and rehabilitation centre that has now cared for over 1.5 lakh animals — making him the youngest and first Asian recipient of the distinction. Foundation Chairperson Nita M. Ambani received both the Global Peace Honour Award and the KISS Humanitarian Award 2025 during the year.
Numbers from the Rural Transformation Programme offer some of the most concrete evidence of ground-level impact. Dairy farmers saw daily milk production climb from 6.14 litres to 10.37 litres. Average annual dairy income rose from Rs 79,242 to Rs 1,30,395 — a 64.6% jump. Overall annual household income increased by approximately 56%. Behaviour change metrics are equally striking: 81% of participating farmers adopted artificial insemination, while 98% took up green fodder cultivation.
When Cyclone Montha threatened coastal Andhra Pradesh, Reliance Foundation's early warning systems reached fishing and farming communities ahead of the storm — earning a felicitation from the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The Foundation also won eight awards for communication and storytelling, including at the International Innovation SABRE Awards South Asia 2025. Other recognitions during FY26 included the Indian CSR Award 2025 for Best Skill Development Initiative, the 19th CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management, and the FICCI India Sports Awards 2025 for Best Corporate Promoting Sports – High Performance.
