Anant Ambani-backed Vantara wildlife centre launched in Jamnagar, Gujarat

Vantara, a rescue, care and rehabilitation programme for animals, was unveiled on 26 February 2024 in Jamnagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. It was led by Anant Ambani of the Reliance group, one of India's largest business conglomerates, and run under the Reliance Foundation, the group's philanthropic arm. The name is often expanded as Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom.

The facility is built on a large site next to the Reliance refinery complex. It was presented as a home for injured, abused and endangered animals, including elephants, big cats and reptiles, with veterinary hospitals and dedicated care areas. It grew out of earlier rescue work at the Jamnagar site.

The project drew attention in India and abroad because of its size and because many of its animals were brought in from other countries. That raised questions about how such transfers fit with wildlife trade rules, including the international CITES treaty, which regulates trade in endangered species. These questions are the background to later scrutiny of Vantara's animal imports.