The proposed not-for-profit community aims to support 5,000 residents with homes, healthcare, education, rehabilitation and meaningful work.
MUMBAI (India CSR): Reliance Foundation has announced Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray. It is a proposed lifelong-care township in Karjat, near Mumbai.
The 100-acre project is planned for orphaned children, senior citizens and people with developmental disabilities. It aims to offer a permanent home, comprehensive support and opportunities for a life of dignity and purpose.
Smt. Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, performed the Bhumi Pujan and groundbreaking ceremony. The Foundation says the institution will be developed in phases, subject to necessary approvals. Its announced vision is a caring community, rather than a conventional residential-care institution.
The project is intended to combine clinical support with the familiarity of family life. It also seeks to create opportunities for learning, work, friendship, recreation and personal growth. Such an approach places the individual, rather than a diagnosis or age, at the centre.
“We envision a community where compassionate care and medical support meet the warmth of family life,” Nita Ambani said. She described the initiative as a deeply personal beginning for her family. Her remarks highlighted the anxieties families face while planning lifelong support for dependent loved ones.
The initiative is rooted in Reliance Foundation’s “We Care” philosophy of compassionate and inclusive development. Reliance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited. Its work spans rural transformation, education, health, sports, disaster response, women’s empowerment, urban renewal and culture.
Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray extends that approach into lifelong support for vulnerable people. The proposed campus is framed as “A Home for Every Life.” It will seek to offer security, belonging and continuity across childhood, adulthood and old age.
Led by Smt. Nita M. Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation is relentlessly working for the overall well-being and enhanced quality of life for all, focusing on rural transformation, education, health, sports for development, disaster management, women empowerment, urban renewal and arts, culture and heritage, and has touched the lives of over 100 million people across India, in more than 98,000 villages and urban locations.
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The 100-acre township will offer a loving, lifelong home to orphaned children, senior citizens and persons with developmental disabilities, providing world-class healthcare, care facilities and opportunities for a life of dignity and purpose.
A Home Designed for Belonging
The township is expected to provide a lifelong home for more than 5,000 residents. Caregivers, doctors, support staff and their families could create a wider community of approximately 15,000 people.
Residents are expected to live in small, family-style homes with dedicated house parents and caregivers. Each home will be designed to offer familiarity, comfort and a strong sense of personal belonging. Residents would be encouraged to personalise rooms with photographs, colours and cherished possessions.
Every person is expected to receive an individualised care and development plan. Those plans would cover healthcare, education, skills, employment, friendships and emotional well-being. Residents and families would help shape the plans, according to the Foundation.
A designated key worker would coordinate each resident’s support across different services. Care plans are intended to be reviewed at least every six months. The proposed campus will comprise eight residential villages, each named after a sacred Indian river. Each village will have its own colour, symbol and sensory garden.
Homes, streets, gardens, farms and workshops are planned as parts of one connected community. A temple, hospital, playgrounds and cafés are also included in the announced vision. That model matters for residents who may otherwise experience isolation or institutional routines. The Foundation says residents should live as neighbours, not as patients.
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Healthcare, Education and Rehabilitation
The proposed township will bring specialised healthcare and rehabilitation services into the same community. A dedicated hospital is expected to provide developmental medicine and broader medical support. Planned services also include epilepsy care, special-needs dentistry and palliative care.
Advanced facilities would offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and hydrotherapy. These services could support residents with developmental disabilities and complex care requirements.
The plans also include services for people with cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy. People with complex medical conditions may require continuous specialised care throughout their lives. The proposed centre aims to offer continuity within a familiar living environment.
Education is another central pillar of the announced township model. The campus is expected to include special education and a mainstream school for staff members’ children.
This design could create more inclusive interactions between children with different learning needs.
Sports, recreation and creative expression will also form part of the community’s proposed life. Music, art and sensory experiences are planned alongside inclusive sports facilities.
Such activities can support enjoyment, communication, confidence and social participation.
The project also includes a dedicated hospice wing and garden of remembrance. They recognise that lifelong care must include sensitive support during life’s final stage.
Clinical services alone cannot define quality care in a lifelong community. The proposed design therefore connects treatment with education, play, relationships and a sense of home.
It seeks to make support accessible without separating residents from ordinary life.
“We envision a community where compassionate care and medical support meet the warmth of family life.” – Smt. Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation
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Dignity Through Skills and Work
Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray will also seek to provide vocational training and employment opportunities. The announced plans include a bakery, café and craft studios. These spaces are intended to help residents build skills, earn wages and experience workplace participation.
Meaningful work can offer routine, confidence, relationships and a stronger sense of contribution. For many people with disabilities, employment also strengthens independence and personal choice. The planned workspaces would aim to make those opportunities available within a supportive setting.
An animal companionship farm is another feature included in the proposal. It is expected to be developed with the expertise of Vantara. The farm would create opportunities for residents to interact with animals in a therapeutic environment.
Gardens, farms and workshops may also provide practical learning beyond formal classrooms. They could help residents explore interests, build abilities and participate in shared community life. The emphasis is on capability, enjoyment and personal growth.
The approach avoids reducing residents to care recipients alone. Instead, it recognises them as learners, workers, neighbours, friends and contributors.
Family-style homes and individual plans are intended to protect personal preferences. Vocational activities could extend those preferences into meaningful daily roles.
Together, these elements would place choice and participation alongside professional care.
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Extending Care Beyond the Township
The proposed township is also expected to serve people living in neighbouring communities. Its temple, hospital, sports facilities and cafés are envisaged as shared local resources.
Around 1,000 people may access therapy, education and employment opportunities through the project.
Family respite homes would provide temporary care and relief for families. Mobile medical clinics are planned to extend healthcare support into nearby districts. Outreach programmes could help families access advice, services and continuing care.
This community-facing design may strengthen links with the surrounding Karjat region. It could also create opportunities for local caregivers, support teams and service providers.
A national training academy is another important part of the proposal. It is intended to strengthen India’s disability-care workforce through specialised training and capacity building.
Better-trained professionals can improve the continuity and dignity of support services.
The model recognises that families often carry lifelong caring responsibilities without adequate respite. It therefore proposes support reaching beyond people living inside the township. Respite services and mobile clinics could ease burdens for families across nearby districts.
The project’s potential impact will depend on implementation and accessibility. However, its announced design brings residential care, healthcare, learning and local outreach together. That integration could offer a useful framework for future disability and eldercare initiatives.
The planned campus treats accessibility as a community issue, not a specialist service. It seeks to bring support closer to people needing regular therapy or medical care.
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Reliance Foundation’s Wider Commitment
Reliance Foundation aims to address India’s development challenges through sustainable and innovative solutions. Its programmes work with governments, institutions, civil society organisations and communities across India. The Foundation says it has reached over 100 million people in more than 98,000 villages and urban locations.
Its wider portfolio includes rural transformation, education, health and sports for development. It also works in disaster management, women’s empowerment, urban renewal, arts, culture and heritage. Anant Ashray connects several of these priorities through one long-term care ecosystem.
Healthcare, education, livelihoods, skills and community participation are embedded in the announced township model. This could make the project more than a residential complex.
It is proposed as a platform for care, capacity building and social inclusion.
The forthcoming phases will be watched by disability advocates, eldercare practitioners and social-sector organisations. Its impact will rest on accessible design, trained teams and accountable long-term governance. It will also depend on engagement with residents, families and neighbouring communities.
For families requiring lifelong support, continuity is often the deepest concern. A home combining care with companionship can offer reassurance beyond individual medical interventions. Nita Ambani’s announcement places that concern at the centre of the proposed initiative.
The Foundation’s stated aspiration is simple, but expansive in its implications. No person should feel abandoned, unseen or without a place to call home. Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray aims to turn that aspiration into a permanent Karjat community.
