Mukesh Ambani’s mother Kokilaben – a vegetarian car collector always seen wearing pink – 5 things to know about the woman who raised India’s richest man
Today she lives in Mumbai with her son and his wife Nita in their immense family house, Antilia, where she keeps her car collection – her favourite Mercedes-Benz plus more motors from every major brand in the world – along with his
She comes from an uneducated background
Kokilaben Patel was born in 1934, at a time when India was still a British colony. Her father was a telegraph office employee, and her mother was a housewife. Educational opportunities for girls were limited at this time, and Kokilaben was only educated up to the tenth grade. After her marriage, her husband Dhirubhai hired an English teacher for her to prepare her for public and business interactions.
She’s a strict vegetarian
Like many Indian Hindus, Kokilaben is a staunch vegetarian. In fact, she won’t even allow meat and meat products into her home. Luckily for her, her oldest son Mukesh adheres to the same strict dietary standards. Kokilaben’s favourite foods include roti (flat bread made from wheat flour), dal (lentils) and dhokli (thick flour noodles in pigeon pea stew).
She has a massive car collection
Kokilaben, like her two sons, enjoys collecting cars. Her car collection is said to include a model from every major manufacturer, in the world but she certainly likes some models more than others. Her favourite car is a Mercedes-Benz. Her late husband’s favourite vehicle was a Cadillac limousine, but Kokilaben never uses it.