Early Life and Family
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Born: 19 April 1957 in Aden (now in Yemen).
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Parents: Father Dhirubhai Ambani (a gas station attendant turned business founder), mother Kokilaben.
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In 1958 the family returned to Mumbai and was staying in a common apartment (called a chawl) in an ordinary neighborhood.
Mukesh Ambani’s Childhood
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Mukesh grew up with three siblings.
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They had a modest start, but his father had high ambitions.
Education
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He completed a degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology (University of Mumbai) in 1979.
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Then, he went to Stanford University for an MBA but returned early in 1981 to join the family business—Reliance—dropping out of Stanford.
Joining Reliance and Career Growth
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Mukesh officially joined Reliance in 1981 to help build a polyester yarn plant.
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At age 24, he managed a big petrochemical plant at Patalganga.
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He went on to build the world’s largest crude refinery in Jamnagar (Gujarat), India. Initially 660,000 barrels per day in 2010, then expanded to over 1.4 million barrels per day.
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Under his leadership, Reliance moved strongly into retail, telecom (Jio) and digital services.
Business Expansion and Empire
Petrochemicals and Energy
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Added polyester, chemicals, refining, exploration, and gas businesses.
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Building a green energy complex in Jamnagar for solar panels, batteries, hydrogen—worth around ₹75,000 crore (~$10 billion).
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Partnered with BP to form Jio‑bp, India’s oil and gas retail chain with over 1,700 outlets.
Telecom and Digital
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Launched Reliance Jio in 2016. It offered low-cost data, free calls, and cheap smartphones.
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Quickly gained ~490 million subscribers, transforming India’s digital world.
Retail
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Built Reliance Retail, India’s largest chain.
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Includes grocery stores (Reliance Fresh), fashion, electronics, and more—with over 12,700 stores in 7,000+ cities by mid‑2022.
Wealth and Rankings
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As of early 2025, Mukesh Ambani’s net worth is around $90–98 billion.
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He has been Asia’s richest person for many years and regularly ranks among the top 10 globally on Forbes.
Personal Life
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Married to Nita Ambani in 1985.
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They have three children: twins Akash and Isha, and younger son Anant.
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The family lives in Antilia, their private 27‑story home in Mumbai, one of the world’s most expensive residences (~$2 billion value).
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It has 9 lifts, 168‑car garage, swimming pool, spa, temple, ballroom, theatre, and even a “snow room”.
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He is a strict vegetarian, doesn’t drink alcohol, and loves watching Bollywood movies (around three a week).
Who Inherited What
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After Dhirubhai Ambani’s death in 2002, Mukesh and brother Anil split the business in 2005.
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Mukesh took Reliance Industries (petrochemicals, refining, oil, retail, telecom), while Anil took telecom, entertainment, power, finance.
Leadership, Awards, Influence
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World Economic Forum: co‑chair in 2006; board member since 2010.
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Member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA) in 2016.
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Often listed among India’s and the world’s most powerful business leaders, receiving awards and high-ranking positions.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
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Co‑founded Reliance Foundation in 2010 (with Nita Ambani).
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Works on:
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Education: schools, vocational training, scholarships.
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Healthcare: hospitals, mobile units, response during COVID‑19.
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Rural development: water, agriculture, better infrastructure.
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Disaster relief: aid during floods, cyclones, earthquakes.
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Women empowerment & conservation: focused programs to support women and the environment.
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Culture and Celebrations
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The Ambani family is known for lavish events. Example: the 3‑day celebration for Anant’s marriage, featuring Rihanna, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Bollywood stars — with costs around $120 million.
What Makes Him Stand Out
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Vision and scale: from a small family business to the world’s largest refinery and biggest telecom provider in India.
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Smart use of technology: first-mover in digital, telecom, retail.
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Bold investments: green energy, rural India, digital finance.
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Strong family planning: his children now hold key roles in the business.
Summary
The biography of Mukesh Ambani is one of misery to chawl to ruling a world. Mukesh Ambani is very tough and a learner in everything his father taught him, as well as going forth and taking brash steps in chemicals, refining, retail, telecoms, and now green energy. Mukesh Ambani is interested in repaying with his foundation, and Mukesh Ambani constructed one of the most costly houses of the planet. However, Mukesh Ambani is occupied with transforming India by means of business, technology, and impact.
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