Personality of the Month


Personality of the Month: September 2005 www.nihindia.org Remembering the legend – Dhirubhai H. Ambani I have always felt inspired by the rags-to-riches stories. But my world of such stories were limited to the power of imagination of bestselling authors like Sidney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer, Jackie Collins and so on and so forth where a bartender ends up owning a chain of international hotels or a newspaper delivery boy becomes the biggest producer of Hollywood! And then finally, during my short stay at Reliance Life Sciences, I got a glimpse of the life of Dhirubhai Ambani from a close quarter. All the employees there are are shown a video film on the life and achievements of Dhirubhai Ambani and I do not think I will ever be able to forget what I saw in that one-hour film. Dhirubhai H Ambani rose from humble beginnings to become chairman of India's largest private sector company. In one of his more candid moments, the otherwise reticent tycoon summed up the secret of his remarkable success story. Think big, think fast and think ahead. Born in 1932 to a school teacher father in the small village of Chorwad in western Gujarat state, Ambani followed this advice all his life. He dreamt big even as a small boy when he used to sell hot snacks to pilgrims outside a temple in his native village. And he did not stop dreaming big even when he went to Aden, Yemen as a petrol pump attendant at the age of 17 to help support his family. It was this desire to make it big in life which prompted his return to India in 1958. Ambani came to Bombay and started his first company, Reliance Commercial Corporation, a commodity trading and export house. The company was set up with an investment of 15,000 rupees (about $375). Forty-four years later Reliance and under Shri Dhirubhai Ambani's visionary leadership, the Reliance Group emerged as the largest business conglomerate in India, and carved out a distinct place for itself in the global pantheon of corporate giants. The Group's track record of consistent growth is unparalleled in Indian industry and perhaps internationally too. Today, the Group's turnover represents nearly 3 percent of India's GDP. The Group's flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is the first and only private sector company from India to feature in the 2004 Fortune Global 500 list of 'World's Largest Corporations' and ranks amongst the world's Top 200 companies in terms of profits. RIL emerged in the world's 10 most respected energy/chemicals companies.In the process, the company has also acquired one of the world's largest groups of shareholders, with over four million investors putting their faith in its stock. Shri Dhirubhai Ambani was an exceptional human being and an outstanding leader. A man far ahead of his times, he epitomised the dauntless entrepreneurial spirit. He dared to dream on a scale unimaginable before in Indian industry. His life and achievements prove that backed by confidence, courage and conviction, man can achieve the impossible. Some of the honors bestowed upon him being chosen as 'Star of Asia' by Business Week, USA, June 1998, the only Indian industrialist in 'Business Hall of Fame' in Asiaweek, October 1998, conferred 'The Economic Times Award for Corporate Excellence for Lifetime Achievement', August 2001, rated as one of 'India's Most Admired CEOs' for the fourth consecutive year in the Business Barons - Taylor Nelson Sofres - Mode Survey, July 2002 and so on. Even those who question his business dealings... readily concede that Ambani had a vision and matchless business acumen. Today, the Reliance Group founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002) is India's largest business house with total revenues of over Rs 99,000 crore (US$ 22.6 billion), cash profit of Rs 12,500 crore (US$ 2.8 billion), net profit of Rs 6,200 crore (US$ 1.4 billion) and exports of Rs 15,900 crore (US$ 3.6 billion). Malancha Ta

Personality of the Month: September 2005 www.nihindia.org

Remembering the legend – Dhirubhai H. Ambani

I have always felt inspired by the rags-to-riches stories. But my world of such stories were limited to the power of imagination of bestselling authors like Sidney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer, Jackie Collins and so on and so forth where a bartender ends up owning a chain of international hotels or a newspaper delivery boy becomes the biggest producer of Hollywood! And then finally, during my short stay at Reliance Life Sciences, I got a glimpse of the life of Dhirubhai Ambani from a close quarter. All the employees there are are shown a video film on the life and achievements of Dhirubhai Ambani and I do not think I will ever be able to forget what I saw in that one-hour film.

Dhirubhai H Ambani rose from humble beginnings to become chairman of India's largest private sector company. In one of his more candid moments, the otherwise reticent tycoon summed up the secret of his remarkable success story. Think big, think fast and think ahead. Born in 1932 to a school teacher father in the small village of Chorwad in western Gujarat state, Ambani followed this advice all his life. He dreamt big even as a small boy when he used to sell hot snacks to pilgrims outside a temple in his native village. And he did not stop dreaming big even when he went to Aden, Yemen as a petrol pump attendant at the age of 17 to help support his family. It was this desire to make it big in life which prompted his return to India in 1958. Ambani came to Bombay and started his first company, Reliance Commercial Corporation, a commodity trading and export house.

The company was set up with an investment of 15,000 rupees (about $375). Forty-four years later Reliance and under Shri Dhirubhai Ambani's visionary leadership, the Reliance Group emerged as the largest business conglomerate in India, and carved out a distinct place for itself in the global pantheon of corporate giants. The Group's track record of consistent growth is unparalleled in Indian industry and perhaps internationally too. Today, the Group's turnover represents nearly 3 percent of India's GDP. The Group's flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is the first and only private sector company from India to feature in the 2004 Fortune Global 500 list of 'World's Largest Corporations' and ranks amongst the world's Top 200 companies in terms of profits. RIL emerged in the world's 10 most respected energy/chemicals companies.In the process, the company has also acquired one of the world's largest groups of shareholders, with over four million investors putting their faith in its stock.

Shri Dhirubhai Ambani was an exceptional human being and an outstanding leader. A man far ahead of his times, he epitomised the dauntless entrepreneurial spirit. He dared to dream on a scale unimaginable before in Indian industry. His life and achievements prove that backed by confidence, courage and conviction, man can achieve the impossible. Some of the honors bestowed upon him being chosen as 'Star of Asia' by Business Week, USA, June 1998, the only Indian industrialist in 'Business Hall of Fame' in Asiaweek, October 1998, conferred 'The Economic Times Award for Corporate Excellence for Lifetime Achievement', August 2001, rated as one of 'India's Most Admired CEOs' for the fourth consecutive year in the Business Barons - Taylor Nelson Sofres - Mode Survey, July 2002 and so on.

Even those who question his business dealings... readily concede that Ambani had a vision and matchless business acumen.

Today, the Reliance Group founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002) is India's largest business house with total revenues of over Rs 99,000 crore (US$ 22.6 billion), cash profit of Rs 12,500 crore (US$ 2.8 billion), net profit of Rs 6,200 crore (US$ 1.4 billion) and exports of Rs 15,900 crore (US$ 3.6 billion).

Malancha Ta