Did you know Mukesh Ambani’s darling sister, Dipti Salgaoncar’s husband, Duttaraj Salgaoncar, was their neighbour? Read on to learn more about their love story.

The Ambani family has influenced many people. Though Dhirubhai Ambani’s sons, Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, followed his path, his daughters, Dipti and Nina, stayed away from the limelight. In recent years, both Dhirubhai’s daughters have been getting papped frequently and attending family functions.

But even after staying away from the limelight, both Dipti and Nina are leading successful lives. Today, we will learn some unknown facts about Dipti Salgaoncar and how she fell in love with her neighbour, Duttaraj Salgaoncar. Dipti shares a special bond with her family and was the first of her siblings to get married.

Ambanis and Salgaoncars were family friends

In the 1970s, Dhirubhai Ambani and his family lived on the 22nd floor of Mumbai’s only skyscraper building, which also housed businessman Vasudev Salgaoncar and his family. Since both Dhirubhai and Vasudev were successful businessmen with respectable positions in society, they became good friends. When Vasudev Salgaoncar died, Dhirubhai became his son, Duttaraj, his confidant and guide.

How did Dipti Ambani meet Duttaraj Salgaoncar?

Since Ambanis and Salgaoncars shared a close bond, Duttaraj used to come to the Ambani residence frequently, where he met Dipti for the first time. It was love at first sight for both of them and after falling in love, the two dated for five years. Duttaraj was close to Dipti’s brothers, Mukesh and Anil. When the families learnt about Duttaraj and Dipti’s relationship, they were elated and approved of their alliance.

On December 31, 1983, Dipti and Duttaraj got married. It was the first wedding in the Ambani family, so it was an important moment for them.  In an interview with DNA, Duttaraj revealed whether their marriage was a coming together of two big business houses and stated:

“Actually, it wasn’t, because we had a love marriage. I was in Mumbai to study, and lived at Usha Kiran building where the Ambanis also lived. Mukesh and I are the same age and we were good friends. So was Anil, who is two years younger than us. I met Dipti, we fell in love and told our families, who agreed immediately. It was the first wedding in her family, but the last wedding in mine, because I am the youngest of seven children.”

Who is Duttaraj Salgaoncar?

Just like his father, Vasudev Salgaoncar, Duttaraj is a big name in the business world. The family hails from Saligao in North Goa and is based there. Duttaraj pursued his bachelor’s degree in production engineering from V.J.T.I, Bombay University, and later earned an MBA in finance from the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. He is the owner and managing director of V.M. Salgaocar Group of Companies, and he also owns Goa’s famous football club, Salgaoncar.

Dhirubhai Ambani got all the comforts for Dipti to make her life easy in Goa

After getting married to Duttaraj, Dipti shifted to Goa, but for a girl who lived a comfortable life in Mumbai, settling in Goa was a difficult task. When Dipti entered Duttaraj’s house, she was surprised to see its huge size; she thought it was a hanging garden. She didn’t like her life in Goa, as it was quite the opposite of Mumbai.

Speaking to DNA, Dipti recalled cribbing about her life in Goa to her father, Dhirubhai Ambani. In the same interview, Dipti revealed that her father encouraged her to adapt to her new life. Revealing how her father, Dhirubhai Ambani, got her all the comforts, Dipti shared:

“When I got married in 1983, there was nothing in Goa, and I remember cribbing to my dad about it. And he would say to just do whatever it takes to change it. At that time, we had nothing here, so he installed a huge satellite dish because we had to watch CNN. He gifted me a fax machine and he used to send me faxes every day. Even for my kids, ever since they were two years old, my father would communicate with them via fax. And those were the days when there were no fax machines in Goa at all.”

Dipti and Duttaraj Salgaoncar’s kids

Dipti and Raj are parents to two lovely kids, Isheta Salgaoncar and Vikram Salgaoncar. Isheta is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds the Vice President of Corporate Development at VM Salgaocar Corporation Private Limited. In July 2022, Isheta married Atulya Mittal, founder of Nexzu Mobility, in a grand wedding at The Stone Park Estate in Buckinghamshire, London.

On the other hand, Vikram Salgaoncar did his BBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He started his career with McKinsey and later joined Reliance Entertainment as a Business Development Manager. The Wharton School graduate is currently serving as the director of VM Salgaocar Hotels and Resorts Private Limited. Vikram is the eldest cousin of Isha, Akash, and Anant, and since he is the first grandchild in the family, Vikram shares a special bond with his grandfather, Dhirubhai, who was very fond of him.

Dipti Salgaoncar adapted to a new life in Goa after her wedding to Duttaraj Salgaoncar. But the one who helped her adjust there was her darling father, Dhirubhai Ambani.