BHUBANESWAR: Founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani was conferred the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2025 at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) campus here on Monday.
Nobel Laureate from Sri Lanka Prof Mohan Munasinghe presented the award to Ambani in the presence of KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta.
The award was given in recognition of Ambani’s outstanding humanitarian initiatives and her significant contributions to social development through education, healthcare, rural transformation, women empowerment and sports promotion through the Reliance Foundation.
Addressing over 40,000 students of KISS, Ambani said that there was no difference between boys and girls and that whatever boys can do, girls can do as well. She urged the students to dream big. “This is just the beginning, not your final goal. You should dream big and to achieve those dreams, you must work hard with dedication,” she added.
Ambani also advised the students to not leave the path of righteousness. “I see the future of India in KISS. After seeing the children here, I am confident that the future of India is bright,” she added.
She interacted with the students and said will never forget the love and affection she got from them. Ambani described KIIT and KISS as two temples of education founded by Samanta.
Stating that she was happy for being in the land of Lord Jagannath, the Reliance Foundation chief said that Odisha has rich culture, tradition and values and people share a deep and strong bond with the nature.
Samanta, on the occasion, praised Ambani for her multi-dimensional social work. “In this materialistic world, earning love and respect is not easy. However, Mrs Ambani has earned immense love and respect from people for her noble social and humanitarian work,” Samanta said.
The KISS Humanitarian Award, initiated in 2008, is the highest honour of KISS, dedicated to recognising individuals and organisations for their humanitarian work worldwide. The award consists of a citation scroll and a gold-plated trophy.