On March 28, 2026, Mizoram’s Minister for Rural Development and Administration, Prof. Lalnilawma, shared that he had met Dr Brij Kishor Gupta, Director of the Greens Zoological, Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), part of the Vantara initiative.
In his post, he wrote, “Yesterday we held a discussion with Dr Brij Kishor Gupta, the Greens Zoological, Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) Director from Vantara, on how an action plan can be made for a nature reserve and community reserve based on the weather and soil of Mizoram.”
A day later, the minister made another post with a promotional video, stating, “Vantara is more than a safe haven for animals. They are not just saving animals, they are healing ecosystems, restoring balance, and redefining co-existence for our future generations.”
Vantara, founded by Anant Ambani and backed by Mukesh Ambani through Reliance Industries, is a large-scale wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre located within the Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat.
Spread across thousands of acres, it houses over 200 elephants, more than 300 large cats including lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, over 3,000 herbivores, more than 1,200 reptiles, and a large number of birds.
It has been described as an umbrella initiative focused on the rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of injured, abused and endangered animals from India and abroad.
However, the project has drawn scrutiny beyond India. Questions have been raised by international wildlife conservation groups about the sourcing of animals, including 26 Spix’s macaws, a critically endangered species native to Brazil, brought to Jamnagar from a controversial breeding facility in Germany.
With only around 200 of these birds believed to exist globally, concerns have been raised about the ethics and legality of such transfers.
According to an investigation by Himal Mag, during the Covid-19 pandemic, India introduced an amnesty scheme allowing voluntary disclosure of exotic animals held in private possession.
By 2020, an unspecified number of such animals had been relocated to Jamnagar, transforming what were previously ad hoc arrangements into a far more structured and ambitious private wildlife facility.
Investigations, including reports examining the costs of Reliance’s wildlife ambitions, have highlighted ethical and legal concerns, including potential gaps in compliance with wildlife laws and the environmental implications of maintaining such a large facility near a petrochemical complex.
Vantara’s entry into Mizoram is unfolding alongside a broader pattern of corporate expansion in the Northeast following policy initiatives under Narendra Modi. Since the launch of the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm in 2021, companies such as Patanjali and Godrej Agrovet have increased their presence in the region.
On August 2, 2021, Baba Ramdev said in an interview, “We plan to set up palm oil plantations in the North East. We have completed our survey there. We have plans for Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur among others.”
Thirteen days later, Prime Minister Modi announced a push to expand oil palm cultivation in the Northeast. Reports have suggested that the policy direction aligned with emerging corporate interests.
In Mizoram, this trajectory continued with an agreement signed on January 23, 2025, between Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Patanjali for the establishment of an oil palm mill. Despite reports highlighting challenges and setbacks faced by farmers, expansion efforts remain underway.
Reliance’s alignment with national leadership has been equally visible. At a recent investment summit, Mukesh Ambani announced plans to double Reliance’s investment in Gujarat from ₹3.5 lakh crore to ₹7 lakh crore over five years.
Addressing the gathering, he said, “Never in the history of independent India have we seen so much hope, self-confidence and vibrancy as we see today. Your vision has reshaped India’s trajectory for the next 50 years and beyond.” He added, “History will record that the Modi era is when India moved from potential to performance, from aspiration to action, and from being a follower to becoming a global force.”
Back in Mizoram, the proposed engagement with Vantara has triggered concern among activists and environmental groups. The Citizens’ Environmental Support Group (CESJ) has raised questions about whether a private entity facing ongoing scrutiny should be involved in shaping conservation strategies in the state.
Ruatfela Nu, an activist associated with CESJ, said, “The Ambani family is among the wealthiest in Asia, with extensive influence across politics, media, and bureaucracy. There have been allegations that their financial power has influenced government policies in India to benefit their business interests. For instance, issues related to gas extraction in the Krishna Godavari Basin and the alleged diversion of gas from ONGC to Reliance have been widely discussed in investigative reports, including those by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.”
She added, “Given the poor condition and lack of funding at Aizawl Zoo, there are concerns that it may be unable to properly manage rescued or confiscated exotic animals. There have even been suspicions about animals reportedly going missing from the zoo and possibly being transferred elsewhere, including to Vantara. The Citizens’ Environmental Support Group has filed RTI requests and lodged FIRs regarding such matters.”
Summing up the broader concern, CESJ stated, “Companies such as these look for profits without thinking of wildlife and mineral resources. This has been evident in how they have operated in tribal lands. Our state has to protect itself before we go any further. Nature conservation, especially, should not be something they are linked with. This is our demand to the government.”
Also Read: Nagas at a crossroads: When leaders lose the people
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