Key facts
- Newcastle University appointed Anant Ambani, heir to an Indian oil and gas fortune, as a professor of sustainability.
- Ambani leads on renewable energy for the Reliance Group and runs Vantara, a 1,400-hectare private zoo.
- Conservationists have raised questions about the sourcing of animals for Vantara, including endangered species.
- A Cites report suggested permits for animals brought to Vantara may have been forged, but India, the US, and Japan objected to restrictions.
- Academics expressed concern that billionaire money could shape university agendas and compromise institutional credibility.
Newcastle University is facing criticism from conservationists and academics over its decision to appoint Anant Ambani, heir to a prominent Indian oil and gas fortune and operator of a large private zoo, as a professor of sustainability. The university stated the professorship recognizes Ambani's contributions to conservation, biodiversity protection, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship through his work with Vantara, a wildlife rescue initiative, and his role in Reliance Group's transition to green energy.
Ambani, 31, leads on renewable energy for the Reliance Group and runs Vantara, a 1,400-hectare (3,500-acre) private zoo housing over 150,000 animals. Conservation groups have previously raised concerns about the sourcing of some animals, including endangered species, for Vantara, though the zoo has never been found guilty of wrongdoing. An investigation by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2025 suggested that permits used to bring animals to Vantara may have been forged, a finding that prompted a Cites report recommending restrictions on India's imports of endangered wild animals. However, India, the US, and Japan objected to these restrictions at a Cites meeting, leading to their reversal.
Academics and conservationists have expressed dismay at the appointment. Ramachandra Guha, an Indian public intellectual, called the choice "mystifying" and suggested many others were better qualified. Lyla Mehta, head of climate, environment and sustainability at the University of Sussex's Institute of Development Studies, warned of the danger that billionaire money could shape academia, potentially compromising universities' roles in holding corporations accountable. Lorne Stockman of Oil Change International emphasized the need for publicly funded institutions to do better at a time when an urgent phase-out of oil and gas is demanded by the climate crisis.
In response to concerns, Vantara appointed a former Cites head to oversee its operations and announced a voluntary pause on all wildlife imports until June next year. Anant Ambani also launched Vantara University in April, described as the world's first global university dedicated to wildlife conservation and veterinary science.