3. Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani
also known as Dhirubhai, (28 December
1932 – 6 July 2002)
An Indian business magnate and
entrepreneur who founded Reliance Industries
, a petrochemicals, communications, power,
and textiles Ambani took his company public
in 1984.
Dhirubhai has been one among the select
Forbes billionaires and has also figured in the
Sunday Times list of top 50 businessmen in
Asia.
His life has often been referred to as a true
"rags to riches" story.
4. Dhirubhai started off as a small time
worker with Arab merchants in the 1950s
moved to Mumbai in 1958 to start his
own business in spices. After making
modest profits, he moved into textiles
and opened his mill near Ahmedabad.
5. Early life
He was born into a Gujarati family.
Hirachand Gordhandhas Ambani was a
village school teacher with little income.
Hirachand and Jamnaben had two daughters
and three sons Dhirubhai was the second
son.
Dhirubhai was highly intelligent. He also do
not like to learn lessons in the class school
classroom. He chose work which used his
physical ability to the maximum.
6. Life in Aden (1949-1958)
Just after Dhirubhai was through his annual
matriculation examination and even before the
result was out, Hirachandbhai called him home to
Chorwad. Hirachandbhai had been unwell for
quite some time.
Dhirubhai had really wanted to study for a
bachelor's degree, but his ambition melted .
It was on board the ship that Dhirubhai learnt
from Gujarati newspaper that he had passed his
matriculation examination in second division It
was a clerk's job with the A. Besse & Co.
7. He learnt the ways of commodity trading, high
seas purchase and sales, marketing and distribution,
currency trading, and money management to learn
the tricks of the trade he offered to work free for a
Gujarati trading firm.
There he learnt accounting, book keeping,
preparing shipping papers and documents, and
dealing with banks and insurance companies., skills
that would come handy when he launched himself
into trading about a decade afterwards in Bombay .
8. In 1954, the year Dhirubhai returned home to Gujarat
to marry Kokilaben. Dhirubhai was 26 years (1957), full
of youthful vigour and vitality, and filled with high hopes
for himself and for the new India of Nehru's dreams.
9. Majin Commercial
Corporation
Ten years later, Dhirubhai Ambani returned to India and started "Majin" in
partnership with Champaklal Damani, his second cousin, who used to be with
him in Aden, Yemen.
The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up at the
Narsinatha Street in Masjid Bunder. It was 350 sq ft (33 m2). room with a
telephone, one table and three chairs. Initially, they had two assistants to help
them with their business.
During this period, Dhirubhai and his family used to stay in a one bedroom
apartment. In 1965, Champaklal Damani and Dhirubhai Ambani ended their
partnership .
Dhirubhai started on his own. It is believed that both
had different take on how to conduct business. Ambani's net worth was
estimated at about Rs.10 lakh by late 1970s.
10. Reliance Textiles
Sensing a good opportunity in the textile business,
Dhirubhai and Aryan Mehra started the first textile mill at
Naroda, in Ahmedabad in the year 1966.
Dhirubhai started the brand "Vimal"Extensive
marketing of the brand "Vimal" in the interiors of India
made it a household name. Franchise retail outlets were
started and they used to sell "only Vimal" brand of textiles.
Dhirubhai Ambani is awarded with starting the equity
cult in India. More than 58,000 investors from various parts
of India subscribed to Reliance's IPO in 1977.
12. Reliance communication Ltd.
Type Public (BSE: RCOM) Founded 2004
Headquarters Navi Mumbai, India
Key people Anil Ambani , Chairman and Managing Director ,
. Vice-Chairman
Reliance-ADA Group
Telecommunications Industry Products CDMA service, GSM service, Broadband
Internet Service
13. Diversification and Criticism
In 1982 Ambani began the process of backward integration, setting
up a plant to manufacture polyester filament yarn.
He subsequently diversified into chemicals, petrochemicals
,plastics, power.
The final phase of Reliance’s diversification occurred in the 1990s
when the company turned aggressively towards petrochemicals and
telecommunications.
He has been accused of having manipulated government policies to
suit his own needs, and has been known to be a king-maker in
government elections.
14. “Dhirubhai will go one day. But
Pursue your goals even in the face
Reliance's employees and shareholders
of difficulties and convert advrsities
will keep it afloat. Reliance is now a
into opportunities.”
concept in which the Ambanis have "Between my past,
become irrelevant." the present and the
“Our dreams have to be bigger, future, there is one
our ambitions higher. Our common factor:
commitment deeper and our efforts Relationship & Trust.
greater. This is my dream for This is the foundation
Reliance and for India.” of our growth"
“You do not
require an
invitation to
make
profits”
"Give the youth a proper “Don’t give up,
environment. Motivate them. courage is my
Extend them the support they conviction”
need. Each one of them has
infinite source of energy. They
"We bet on
will deliver."
people."
15. Death
Dhirubhai Ambani was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in
Mumbai on June 24, 2002 after he suffered a major stroke. This was his
second stroke. He died on July 6, 2002.
His funeral procession was not only attended by business people,
politicians and celebrities but also by thousands of ordinary people
Dhirubhai Ambani started his long journey in Mumbai from the Mulji-
Jetha Textile Market, where he started as a small-trader.
At the time of Dhirubhai's death, Reliance Group had a gross turnover
of Rs. 75,000 Crore or USD $ 15 Billion. In 1976-77, the Reliance group
had an annual turnover of Rs 70 crore and it is to be remembered that
Dhirubhai had started the business with just Rs.15,000 (US$350)
16. Reliance after Dhirubhai
In November 2004, Mukesh Ambani in an interview
admitted to having differences with his brother Anil
Over 'ownership issues’.
The Reliance empire was split between the Ambani
brothers,
Mukesh Ambani getting RIL and IPCL .
Anil Ambani heading Reliance Capital, Reliance
Energy and Reliance Infocomm.
Mukesh Ambani is referred to as the Reliance
Industries Limited .
Anil's Group has been renamed Reliance Anil
Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADA Group)
17. In popular media
A film said to be inspired by the life of
Dhirubhai Ambani was released on 12
January 2007. The Hindi Film Guru
In 1998, a book published by
Hamish McDonald titled "The
Polyester Prince" is also an
unauthorised biography of
Dhirubhai Ambani, outlining all
his political and business
conquests.
18. Awards and recognitions
November 2000 – Conferred 'Man of the Century' award by
Chemtech Foundation and Chemical Engineering World in recognition of
his outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the chemical
industry in India
2000, 1998 and 1996 – Featured among 'Power 50 - the most
powerful people in Asia by Asiaweek magazine
August 2001 – Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence for
Lifetime Achievement
A poll conducted by The Times of India in 2000 voted Him "Greatest
Creator of Wealth In The Centuries".
19. Quotes by Dhirubhai Ambani
*"I am deaf to the word "no"."
"Thinkbig, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one's
monopoly"
"You do not require an invitation to make profits."
"Meeting the deadlines is not good enough, beating the
deadlines is my expectation."
"We bet on people."