The name Nita Ambani today conjures images of high couture, private boxes at cricket stadiums, and cultural institutions that shimmer with grandeur. But rewind the tape a little, and you’ll discover a far less scripted beginning — one not cloaked in privilege, but in purpose. Before the world knew her as the matriarch of the Ambani empire or the face of philanthropic India, she was simply a young woman armed with a chalk stick, a classroom full of toddlers, and a salary of just Rs 800. It’s an origin story few associate with the woman behind India’s most sought-after school and its most lavish cultural centre. And yet, it is this very story — one marked by quiet conviction rather than loud declarations — that reveals what makes Nita Ambani’s journey not just impressive, but rather extraordinary. Middle-Class Mumbai to the Mansion on Altamount Road Born Nita Dalal into a middle-income Gujarati family in the heart of Mumbai, she grew up surrounded not by legacy or wealth, but by values. Education was non-negotiable in her household. Hard work wasn’t a virtue — it was the norm. Her early years were steeped in a disciplined routine that prioritised schoolwork, classical dance, and staying grounded. She attended Narsee Monjee College, where she studied commerce, but it wasn’t the world of finance or numbers that pulled at her heartstrings. Teaching did. Even then, there was something endearingly clear-eyed about her career goals. She didn’t fantasise about boardrooms — she imagined running a small school, maybe even teaching full-time. But life, as it tends to do, took a different course. The Marriage Clause: “Let Me Keep Working” When Mukesh Ambani — scion of the Dhirubhai Ambani legacy — proposed to Nita, the story could have followed the usual trajectory: girl marries billionaire, becomes socialite, end of story. But Nita had a clause. She made it clear to Mukesh that if she were to marry him, she must be allowed to continue working. There was no drama. No ego. He agreed. And so, she began her post-marriage life not with lavish galas or high-society lunches, but at Sunflower Nursery School in Mumbai, where she worked as a teacher. Her salary was Rs 800 per month — and that, she later said in an interview, was the first money she ever truly felt was her own. In the Classroom, She Found Herself It wasn’t the salary that mattered. It was the independence. The routine. The children. “I loved being in the classroom,” she once recalled, “It was my space — my identity, separate from everything else.” While society may have raised its eyebrows at the Ambani daughter-in-law standing in front of a blackboard, she kept going. It’s worth remembering that this was the mid-80s. The idea of a wealthy Indian business family encouraging its newly-married women to take up low-paying jobs — just for fulfilment — was almost unheard of. And yet, Nita persisted. Because for her, teaching wasn’t just a job. It was a calling. Fun fact: In 1985, the average price of petrol in India hovered around Rs 6.50 per litre. That meant her salary could buy nearly 120 litres of fuel — a curious reminder that modest beginnings can still carry weight. From Rs 800 to Multi-Crore Tuition Fees: The Birth of DAIS Two decades later, the seeds of that calling blossomed into something far larger — and far more ambitious. In 2003, Nita Ambani founded the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai. This wasn’t meant to be just another elite private school with manicured lawns and uniformed discipline. It was her vision of what modern Indian education could look like — where global standards met rooted values, and children were trained not just for exams but for the world. DAIS was, and remains, a school with a serious price tag. Depending on the grade and curriculum, parents can expect to pay anywhere from Rs 1.7 lakh to nearly Rs 10 lakh per year — figures that make headlines and raise eyebrows. But the demand has never waned. From industrialists to actors, business magnates to celebrities, everyone wanted in. Among its alumni? The children of Shah Rukh Khan, Sridevi, and several Bollywood A-listers. Not Just for the Privileged: Expanding Her Mission But to assume that Nita Ambani’s educational vision stopped at the gates of DAIS would be to miss the bigger picture. Under her stewardship, the Reliance Foundation has gone on to establish 14 more schools across India — in cities like Surat, Jamnagar, Navi Mumbai and Dahej. These schools are not showpieces. They’re community-driven institutions focused on accessible, high-quality education — often aimed at employees’ families, local residents, and underserved students. In short, while DAIS made headlines, these schools built impact. The Cultural Pivot: A Stage, Not a Pedestal By the time 2023 rolled around, Nita Ambani was ready to stretch her wings again — this time into the world of art and performance. She launched the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, an architectural marvel that brought together India’s classical art forms, emerging talent, and international collaborations under one roof. If DAIS was her ode to the classroom, NMACC was her love letter to India’s artists. It gave dancers, dramatists, and designers a venue that didn’t just display their work, but dignified it. So, What Do We Really Learn From Her Journey? In a country where it’s easy — even expected — to ride the coattails of a powerful surname, Nita Ambani quietly forged her own path. She didn’t chase headlines, nor did she let the world reduce her to “Mukesh Ambani’s wife.” She chose, instead, to be defined by her work. By her love of children. By her belief in culture. By her desire to make education — not just access to it, but its quality — a national priority. The Rs 800 Revolution Sometimes it’s the smallest number in your bank account that becomes the most meaningful. For Nita Ambani, Rs 800 wasn’t just a salary. It was a declaration. That she would work. That she would build. That she would matter — not because of who she married, but because of who she is. She’s come a long way since Sunflower Nursery School. But the chalk-dusted teacher who started it all? She never really left.