Newcastle University is facing a backlash from conservationists and academics following the appointment of Anant Ambani as a professor of sustainability. Mr Ambani, heir to an Indian oil and gas fortune, was given a professorship of practice for his contributions to conservation, biodiversity protection, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship.
The university stated that the appointment recognises his work with Vantara, a wildlife rescue and conservation initiative, and his role as executive lead for the Reliance Group's transition towards green energy. However, the decision has been met with incredulity and derision from academic staff, as well as Indian and international conservationists and environmentalists.
Anant Ambani, 31, is the son of Mukesh Ambani, whose fortune was primarily made in oil and gas. Anant Ambani also runs Vantara, a 1,400-hectare private zoo near his family's oil refining facilities in Gujarat, which reportedly houses over 150,000 animals. Conservation groups have previously raised questions about how some of the animals, many of which are endangered species, were sourced.
While Vantara has never been found guilty of wrongdoing, a 2025 investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung found that many animals arrived through countries with opaque wildlife trading networks. A subsequent Cites fact-finding mission found that some permits used to bring animals to Vantara were likely forged, leading to a recommendation for restrictions on India’s imports of endangered wild animals, which was later reversed.