Earthshot awards ceremony to be held at Mumbai venue linked to oil giant and zoo
Conservationists question the choice of Jio World Convention Centre, which is owned by Reliance Industries and sits near the Vantara facility.
By Ricardo Alvarez ·
Earthshot will host its annual awards ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on November 17. The decision has drawn criticism from conservation groups who argue the venue choice lends environmental credibility to a corporate conglomerate with deep ties to fossil fuels and a controversial private zoo.
The prize, established by Prince William in 2020, awards five winners one million pounds each for conservation projects. The selected venue is owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. The company operates Jamnagar, the world’s largest oil refinery, located in Gujarat state.
Nearby in the same region is Vantara, a private zoo established by Anant Ambani, Mukesh’s son. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the facility last year. Vantara currently houses more than 150,000 animals from over 2,000 species. Conservation organizations have questioned the speed at which the collection grew and the origins of the animals.
Megan Carr of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum South Africa warned that hosting the event at this specific venue allows Reliance to claim environmental standing it may not have earned. This local scrutiny occurs as international bodies review India’s compliance with trade rules.
This week, the 32-member committee governing CITES asked India for an additional report on its response to concerns regarding protected species imports. The committee also directed the CITES secretariat to examine 11 specific cases involving unresolved questions about animals transferred to Vantara.
Joanna Swift, Earthshot’s executive director of communications, stated the organization is renting the space at the standard commercial rate. She said the venue met practical needs for a large international event and noted it hosted the first Mumbai climate week in February.
Vantara has previously rejected allegations of wildlife trafficking, describing its mission as rescuing and rehabilitating distressed animals. India’s Supreme Court cleared the zoo of illegal acquisition and mistreatment charges last year. However, a subsequent CITES fact-finding mission raised concerns about import compliance in 2025. Susan Cheyne, vice-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s small apes section, said the conservation benefits of Vantara remain unproven.
