Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's bahu Shloka Ambani calls her company ‘Shaadi.com for...', says it doesn't pay...
We all remember the lavish wedding of Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's son Anant with Radhika Merchant, which was held in 2024. But this was not the only grand wedding that took place in the Ambani family. In 2019, after becoming the Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, Akash Ambani married Shloka Mehta. Talking about Shloka, rather than helping her husband in the family business, she chose to work in the social sector. Shloka and Maniti Shah founded a non-profit organisation called ConnectFor. In a recent podcast, she revealed her journey as a founder and her struggles to make the NGO run. What is ConnectFor?
The NGO works as a bridge that joins volunteers from across the world with different NGOs. According to the about us section of the NGO's website – 'non-profit organisation that seeks to contribute to the developmental sector by facilitating engagement of the volunteering community, building capacity, and creating value-added services for NGOs'. Shloka Mehta Ambani's Recent Podcast Appearance
Shloka recently made an appearance on Masoom Minawala's YouTube channel. During the podcast, she talked about her NGO, Sharing the Vision. Mehta also revealed the challenges she faced while running ConnectFor.
'ConnectFor is basically a Shaadi.com for volunteering. We started with a very simple idea, which was that there are lots of people who want to do good things but find it challenging to locate the means to do so. We, as a country, have so many NGOs, so we decided to become a bridge between the people who wanted to help and the ones who needed it,' she said in the podcast.
Her co-founder added that the organisation has already made a sizable dent in the system with 1 lakh volunteers currently working with over 1000 NGOs. She shared that ConnectFor has, in fact, helped save non-profit organisations over Rs 21 crore since the start of their operations.
Maniti Shah, co-founder of the NGO, who was also at the podcast, stated that ConnectFor has already marked its presence with 1 lakh volunteers currently working with over 1000 NGOs.
Responding to a question regarding her vision for the future of the company, Shloka said, 'Honestly, it keeps changing very quickly. Initially, we wanted to be a one-stop solution for Mumbai, but then we ended up expanding all over the country. Over time we realised the scope of corporate engagement, and all of these things have fallen into our laps, and now we are working with Amazon and so many unbelievable companies.' Financial Struggles That Go Hand In Hand
Shloka accepted the challenges of social work, citing low pay and the difficulty in motivating people without a strong intrinsic drive. While her organisation experiences yearly growth, she highlights the need for passionate people to overcome financial problems. She added the support provided by her family, specially her husband, in navigating these difficulties.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
17 minutes ago
- India.com
How did Anil Ambani's telecom company go bankrupt, once used to challenge Airtel, Idea, launched Rs 500 phone to....
Anil Ambani (File) Several companies of Anil Ambani were raided by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), leading to several stories about Anil Ambani's legacy. Anil Ambani's Reliance Infocomm, later rebranded as Reliance Communications (RCom)—once stood as the telecom flagship of the Reliance empire. In the beginning, Reliance Communications (RCom) embodied disruptive growth with slashing call rates, bundled handsets, and rapid expansion into India's underserved markets. However, within a decade, Anil Ambani's spiraled from market leader to bankruptcy. How did Reliance Infocomm grew so big? Launched in the early 2000s, Reliance Infocomm rapidly grew under Anil Ambani's leadership after the 2005 split of Reliance Industries. The company pioneered CDMA services in India with the 'Monsoon Hungama' campaign, making mobile telephony accessible to lower-income segments. Riding high on investor enthusiasm, RCom's IPO in 2006 was oversubscribed dozens of times, allowing it to build one of the country's largest telecom networks. Notably, Reliance Infocomm revolutionized the telecom market by offering CDMA mobile phones for Rs 501 under the 'Monsoon Hungama' plan in 2003, giving a tough competition to Idea and Bharti Airtel. How did Reliance Communications' downfall come? Reliance Communications' downfall was driven by poor strategic choices, including sticking too long with outdated CDMA technology and entering the GSM space late. The launch of Reliance Jio by Mukesh Ambani worsened its decline. Mounting debt, failed deals, and rising losses led RCom to file for bankruptcy in 2019, marking the collapse of what was once a telecom giant. Anil Ambani's Reliance Group announces Rs 18000 crore investment plan Anil Ambani's Reliance Group will focus on defence, power and clean energy sectors to chart the next phase of growth that will train resources on innovation and value creation, it said on Sunday. Just as financial crime-fighting agency, Enforcement Directorate concluded searches at locations linked to the group as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and siphoning of public funds, over 100 top leaders from its two listed firms — Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Power — convened in Mumbai on Sunday to reaffirm their commitment to its ambitious growth roadmap. (With inputs from agencies)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Lenskart gets shareholder approval for $250 million IPO fundraise
Indian eyewear retailer Lenskart secured shareholder approval to raise $250 million through a fresh share issue, setting the stage for a public offering that could reach $1 billion, including existing investor sales, according to sources. It is aiming for an IPO valuation of about $10 billion. 'The company got approval for the $250 million IPO fundraise. The offer for sale (OFS) would be decided later,' said a person familiar with the matter. The company plans to file its prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) soon, joining a wave of technology startups—including trading platform Groww, e-commerce firm Meesho, and education company PhysicsWallah—that are preparing to go public in 2025. Lenskart's move comes as the $5 billion company—recently marked up to $6.1 billion by Fidelity—seeks to capitalize on robust growth in India's retail market. The Gurugram-based firm reported 43 per cent revenue growth to Rs 5,427.7 crore in FY24 from Rs 3,788 crore in FY23, while narrowing its losses by 84 per cent to Rs 10 crore in FY24 from Rs 63 crore in FY23. The IPO approval includes a pre-listing fundraising round of $51 million and a new employee stock plan covering 7.2 million shares. Lenskart operates more than 2,500 stores globally and is investing $200 million in a manufacturing facility in southern India. Lenskart continues to deepen its penetration in India while rapidly scaling its international presence, including in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. With a unique click-and-mortar business model, it is disrupting the eyewear industry by offering an omni-channel customer experience across online platforms, mobile applications, and stores. Globally and in India, Gurugram-based Lenskart competes with players such as Titan Eyeplus, Specsmakers, Vision Express, Warby Parker, and Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
NCRTC plan: Rail body begins sourcing power via exchange for Ghaziabad station; eyes Rs 1 crore cut in annual energy bill from first drawl point
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has started procuring electricity through the power exchange for its Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) in Ghaziabad, in a bid to reduce operational expenses and push green energy adoption. The Ghaziabad RSS serves as the interconnection point between the Namo Bharat corridor and the national power grid. According to an official statement, the initiative marks NCRTC's shift to more cost-effective and cleaner power sources for both train operations and station infrastructure, PTI reported. This move is expected to generate annual savings of around Rs 1 crore from a single drawl point in its first year, NCRTC said. The corporation currently consumes approximately 326 million units of electricity annually, incurring energy costs of nearly Rs 300 crore. Power expenditure accounts for 30–35% of NCRTC's total operational costs. To facilitate this transition, NCRTC has entered into agreements with Power Trading Corporation (PTC India Ltd) and Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (UPPTCL). Power purchased via the exchange is expected to be more economical than traditional distribution utility sources, it said. As part of its sustainability goals, NCRTC also aims to procure at least 15% of its annual power requirement from green energy through the exchange model. The initiative is being implemented in phases, beginning with operational segments of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. It will later be expanded to other drawl points in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi as more sections become operational. Currently, 55 km of the corridor and 11 stations are in service, with full commissioning slated for later this year. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
