Reliance Foundation Scholarships

Nurturing India’s youth and future leaders

Reliance has been providing scholarships to meritorious students for over 29 years, inspired by its Founder-Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani’s belief that the best way to ensure the nation’s progress is to invest in its youth. Reliance Foundation Scholarships aim to nurture and empower students, enabling them to pursue higher education.

In pursuing a brighter tomorrow, Reliance Foundation recognises the transformative power of education and the pivotal role of scholarships in making this a reality for many young people. Over the years, these scholarships have touched the lives of over 33,000 deserving students in India, opening doors of opportunity and nurturing future leaders.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship (DAS), established in 1996, awards scholarships to students from underprivileged backgrounds. It empowers outstanding students to pursue their dreams of higher education, regardless of financial constraints. With 12,776 students benefitting from DAS across India, the impact reaches far and wide, embracing diversity and inclusivity.

In 2020-21, the Reliance Foundation Scholarships (RFS) took flight, aiming to support India's brightest youth in fields like Artificial Intelligence, Computer Sciences, Mathematics & Computing, and Electrical and/or Electronics Engineering. The rigorous selection process identifies 100 exceptional students annually, enabling them to soar and lead India's technological growth.

In December 2022, on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, Founder - Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, Reliance Foundation announced that it will significantly strengthen its commitment to youth, awarding 50,000 scholarships over the next 10 years for students pursuing higher education in India.

Since 2022-2023, Reliance Foundation has been supporting 5,100 students annually, including 5,000 meritorious undergraduate students from underprivileged sections of society studying any stream of their choice through the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships, and 100 of India's brightest postgraduate students studying eligible subjects in new technologies through the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships.

Reliance Foundation Schools

Empowering young minds

Education is the cornerstone of nation-building. As teaching and learning continue to be shaped by new pedagogies, technological advancements, and evolving societal expectations, India’s educational landscape is undergoing a significant transformation in pursuit of its vision to become a developed nation.

Reliance Foundation Schools (RFS) serve as a springboard for meaningful learning in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic world. Rooted in enduring values and cultural continuity, the schools nurture responsible, confident, and future-ready citizens who contribute to a harmonious and progressive society. RFS inspires curiosity and imagination, fosters excellence, and ensures that learning is engaging and joyful – laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and global citizenship.

At RFS, we believe that every child is inherently talented. In a supportive and stimulating environment, each learner is encouraged to realise their full potential. The schools emphasise academic rigour alongside holistic development through a balanced integration of curriculum, sports, and co-curricular programmes. Active participation, creativity, and experiential learning are integral to classroom practices, enabling students to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership skills.

The 12 Reliance Foundation Schools, located across Jamnagar, Surat, Vadodara, Dahej, Navi Mumbai, Lodhivali, Nagothane, and Nagpur, collectively provide quality education to over 14,000 students each year. The schools are affiliated with the CBSE, Gujarat State Board, and Maharashtra State Board, offering education from Kindergarten through Class 12.

Over the years, Reliance Foundation Schools have consistently strengthened academic standards and achieved notable success across academics, sports, co-curricular pursuits, and university placements. These accomplishments are reflected in the numerous awards and recognitions earned by the schools, reaffirming their commitment to excellence in education.

Dhirubhai Ambani International School

Nurturing young minds through excellent education

Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) is a K–12 co-educational international day school committed to the holistic development of every child—intellectual, emotional, physical, and ethical. Established in 2003 by its Founder and Chairperson, Mrs Nita M. Ambani, an educationist, philanthropist, and advocate for balanced education, DAIS was envisioned as a safe, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant learning community where young people are encouraged to thrive.

DAIS offers a rich and rigorous academic pathway through the ICSE, IGCSE, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), enabling students to pursue academic excellence while developing curiosity, resilience, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose. Equal emphasis is placed on wellbeing, values, creativity, sport, and service, ensuring that learning extends meaningfully beyond the classroom.

The school’s accomplished and diverse faculty — drawn from India and across the world — bring deep expertise, cultural perspective, and a shared commitment to learner-centred pedagogy. This diversity enriches classroom practice and nurtures globally minded students grounded in empathy and respect.

DAIS’s sustained commitment to excellence has been consistently recognised nationally and internationally. The school has been ranked among the top 15 IB schools globally for seven consecutive years (2019–2025) and No. 1 IB School in India and South Asia during the same period by Education Advisers. DAIS has also been recognised by EducationWorld as the No. 1 International School in India for 12 consecutive years (2013–2024) and, in 2025, as India’s No. 1 Ivy League International School with a five-star rating — reflecting excellence across curriculum and pedagogy, faculty quality, student wellbeing, leadership, sports education, and inclusive learning support.

DAIS is proudly an international school with an Indian mind, heart, and soul, rooted in India’s values while preparing students to engage thoughtfully, confidently, and responsibly with the world.

Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School

Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School (NMAJS) is a co-educational IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Early Years through Grade 5, and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in the upper grades, across its Jio World Centre and Bandra-Kurla Complex campuses.

Rooted in the DAIS (Dhirubhai Ambani International School) philosophy, NMAJS is committed to the holistic development of every child—intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and ethical. Learning is designed to be joyful, purposeful, and deeply engaging, nurturing curiosity, agency, and a lifelong love of learning.

With a 1:5 teacher–student ratio, learners benefit from highly personalised attention and strong relationships that support both academic growth and wellbeing. Open, flexible, and thoughtfully designed learning spaces—indoors and outdoors—encourage inquiry, collaboration, reflection, and experiential learning beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
Through innovative pedagogy, evolving curriculum design, and future-ready environments, NMAJS empowers students to think critically, act creatively, collaborate meaningfully, and communicate with confidence—preparing them not just for the next stage of schooling, but for life.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

Bridging the learning gap with Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

Building on the Government of India’s NIPUN Bharat Mission to achieve universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for children across India, LiftEd – a unique $18mn outcomes-based initiative – has benefitted 4 million children in India across 15+ states.

As we mark four years of the NIPUN Bharat Mission, LiftEd is demonstrating how the private sector and civil society can come together through innovative financing structures to support and strengthen the government’s intent to universalise FLN by 2026-27.

Reliance Foundation is a founding partner of LiftEd along with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, the Maitri Trust, Atlassian, Standard Chartered Bank, and UBS Optimus Foundation. The British Asian Trust is the programme leader and Central Square Foundation and Dalberg Advisors are design and technical partners.

LiftEd stands out for its innovative finance model and systemic impact. Using principles of outcomes-based financing, funding is tied to measurable results, ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Instead of creating a parallel system, LiftEd strengthens the existing education ecosystem though three key interventions:

1. Development Impact Bond (DIB):

Partners with state governments in five states (Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar).

Focuses on improving governance, transforming administrators into educators, and establishing effective classroom practices across public schools.

Measures progress using children’s learning assessments as defined by NIPUN Bharat alongside ‘Systemic Shift Indicators’ that track outcomes such as effective teacher mentorship and integration of FLN data within block review meetings.

The education partners leading the implementation of the DIB are Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul, and Pratham Education Foundation.

2. EdTech Accelerator:

Develops high-quality, contextually relevant EdTech solutions to improve FLN for children from low-income families across 15+ states.

Shapes the future of tech-based home learning for FLN by scaling effective EdTech solutions and generating deeper evidence on what works.

Supports partners to solve specific anchor challenges to improve scale, engagement, and product contextualisation for low-income segments.

The EdTech partners are Chimple, Ei Mindspark, Pratham Education Foundation, Rocket Learning, Sesame Workshop India, ThinkZone, and Top Parent.

3. District Innovation Challenge:

A unique, state-level innovation challenge in partnership with a large state in east India to incentivise districts to improve FLN outcomes.

LiftEd’s innovative approach ensures it benefits millions of children over time by strengthening the education system itself. For example, in the DIB’s first year alone, the education partners have encouraged as many as 60% of government meetings at the block level to regularly review FLN data and plans, translating these into concrete actions that improve FLN.

Ultimately, LiftEd demonstrates the power of collaboration between civil society, government, and private sector (samaj-sarkar-bazar), unlocking the potential of young learners and reshaping India’s education landscape.

Early Childhood Care & Education

Advancing developmentally appropriate outcomes for children

Early childhood care and education is key to a child’s development in the early years, as over 85% of a child’s cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of six (National Education Policy 2020). Children learn best during their early years through exploration, curiosity, and imaginative play. It is a world of wonder where they build connections, understanding, and a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.

Reliance Foundation recognises the transformative power of play-based learning during the foundational stage and has, since 2022, aimed to make developmentally rich play-based learning a widespread norm across India’s early education system through the Early Childhood Care and Education programme.

Reliance Foundation’s Early Childhood Care and Education programme, in partnership with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in Maharashtra and the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department in Telangana, is dedicated to strengthening early childhood education in India. By providing innovative models for capacity building, community engagement, and creating enabling environments at Anganwadis, the programme aims to lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and development.

Creating conducive teaching-learning environment

Reliance Foundation aims to create nurturing spaces that inspire curiosity, creativity, and holistic growth for young learners, fostering a brighter and exciting learning experience through a network of Anganwadi Learning Labs (AWLLs) and State ECCE Resource Labs (SERLs) in Maharashtra and Telangana.

These nurturing environments also serve as demonstration, training, learning, and innovation spaces for Anganwadi staff.

Reliance Foundation is investing in the redevelopment of AWLLs by upgrading key infrastructure, including enhanced kitchen and storage areas, access to purified drinking water, and dedicated outdoor play spaces. The redevelopment also introduces play equipment such as swings and slides, a nutrition garden, a range of educational toys, teaching-learning materials such as books, flashcards, and building blocks, as well as digital tools like a smart TV and laptop. In addition, child-friendly WASH facilities and age-appropriate furniture are being provided to create a safe, engaging, and developmentally supportive environment for children.

The Anganwadis that are re-developed also incorporate Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) concepts in their design and murals inspired by local art forms, culture, and heritage.

Building strong foundation through capacity building

Capacity building is a key pillar of Reliance Foundation’s ECCE programme, with focused training of Anganwadi staff playing a critical role in strengthening classroom practices and, in turn, improving child development and learning outcomes.

Aligned with the emphasis on play-based learning in NEP 2020, Reliance Foundation’s ECCE programme focuses on nurturing playful practitioners to create joyful and engaging classrooms. Its trainings are designed to be interactive and experiential, with a strong focus on language and cognitive development activities linked to foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes. Conducted within Anganwadi-Level Learning Labs (AWLLs), these trainings offer an ideal setting for Anganwadi staff to directly connect theory with practice, while ongoing onsite support from field teams helps reinforce learnings and strengthen the application of skills in real classroom contexts.

Parent and community engagement

Parents, caregivers, and the community play a critical role in a child’s development, especially during the early years. Reliance Foundation’s ECCE programme recognises this by forming parent groups and providing them with guidance and support to engage children in meaningful activities at home, helping create a stimulating learning environment. Initiatives such as the celebration of ECCE Day, School Readiness Melas, and other ECCE-related events further strengthen ECCE awareness among stakeholders, enabling families to actively support their children’s learning and development at home.