Nita Ambani Backs India’s 2036 Olympic Bid: “Will Be the Greenest Ever”

Nita Ambani, IOC (International Olympic Committee) member and Founder & Chairperson of Reliance Foundation gave the keynote speech at the Harvard India Conference on Indian Business, Policy & Culture. She addressed India’s Olympic bid, highlighting the nation’s vision to stage the greenest and most sustainable games. She also launched ‘Swadesh,’ a program to empower Indian artisans.

Nita Ambani also spoke about her modest start and personal experience at Harvard University on Monday (local time).

India’s Olympics Bid for the 2036 Games

Nita Ambani voiced strong support for India’s bid to host the Olympics, emphasizing the nation’s economic and sporting stature. She stated, “I believe that India must have the Olympics. We are going to be the third-largest economy in the world. If you look at the 10 largest economies of the world, nine countries have hosted the Olympics, but only India has not. So I find that really odd. We would wish to see the Olympics being hosted in our country. It will be our pride to host that.”

Ambani highlighted sustainability in India’s plans, adding, “I think we are planning to host a sustainable Olympics where we are planning to refurbish, reuse our existing stadiums and existing campuses. If we bid for it and get it, I assure you that we’ll be the greenest Olympics ever… I think India is at the right time now to host the Olympics.”

#WATCH | Boston, US: Reliance Foundation Founder-Chairperson Nita Ambani says, “…I believe that India must have the Olympics. We are going to be the third-largest economy in the world. If you look at the 10 largest economies of the world, nine countries have hosted the… pic.twitter.com/8aVGPCJgGL

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025

Cricket in Olympic

Nita Ambani also spoke about the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. She highlighted India’s passion for sports, saying, “India is a sport-loving nation. For the Tokyo Olympics, the maximum viewership for the Olympic channel came from India, so imagine what would happen if we added cricket to it.”

Ambani also shared how she convinced the committee members, stating, “they were still in the belief that cricket is a five-day long cricket match… I informed them and this is going to be a win-win situation if you have cricket as an Olympic spot and you’ll have the backing of probably two billion people.”

She expressed her excitement, adding, “I’m so happy that now cricket will be an Olympic sport.”

Empowering Craftsmen Through Swadesh Initiative

Ambani underlined how her trip to artisans in the temple town of Nathdwara, Rajasthan, motivated her to initiate Swadesh, an initiative promoting Indian craftsmanship. “Swadesh is intended to highlight our arts and artisans. There are over 10 million artisans in the country, and I believe Swadesh is attempting to sell their products. I’m thrilled to announce that we are going to open a Swadesh store in New York and London shortly,” she said. The initiative intends to promote India’s rich cultural heritage and establish global market opportunities for artisans.

NMACC Weekend and International Acclaim

In another major announcement, Ambani disclosed plans for the NMACC Weekend at New York’s Lincoln Center with a Swadesh fashion show. It will further position India’s cultural prowess on an international stage.

Her Harvard address reaffirmed India’s focus on sustainability, culture promotion, and international outreach.