Mukesh Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian businessman and the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company. He built on the textile and petrochemicals empire founded by his father, Dhirubhai Ambani, by creating the world’s largest refining complex at Jamnagar. He then transformed India’s telecom market with Jio and built the country’s largest retail chain. He is regularly ranked the richest person in Asia.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani |
| Born | 19 April 1957, Aden (present-day Yemen) |
| Age | 69 |
| Position | Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries |
| Education | Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (BE, chemical engineering); Stanford University (MBA, withdrew) |
| Parents | Dhirubhai Ambani, Kokilaben Ambani |
| Spouse | Nita Ambani (m. 1985) |
| Children | Akash, Isha, Anant |
| Residence | Antilia, Mumbai |
| Sports team | Mumbai Indians (IPL), owned through Reliance |
Early Life and Education
Mukesh Ambani was born in Aden, in present-day Yemen, where his father was working at the time. The family returned to India in 1958, and Dhirubhai started a small yarn-trading business in Bombay. It grew into Reliance. Mukesh grew up in a modest two-bedroom flat in the Bhuleshwar area of Mumbai. He studied at Hill Grange High School and St. Xavier’s College and earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology. He enrolled in an MBA at Stanford University but left in 1980 to help his father build Reliance’s polyester business.
Career
In his twenties Ambani was placed in charge of the Patalganga petrochemicals plant. That project began Reliance’s move from textiles into polyester, fibre intermediates and petrochemicals. He then led the creation of the Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat. It started in 1999 and was later expanded into the world’s largest refining complex.
Dhirubhai Ambani died in 2002 without leaving a will. A public dispute between Mukesh and his younger brother, Anil, followed. In 2005 their mother, Kokilaben, brokered a settlement. Mukesh kept Reliance Industries, with its oil, gas and petrochemicals businesses. Anil took the telecom, power and financial services companies.
Ambani’s biggest bet came in September 2016 with the commercial launch of Reliance Jio, a 4G network. Jio offered free calls and very cheap mobile data, which forced a price war that reshaped the Indian telecom industry. It also brought hundreds of millions of people online for the first time and quickly became India’s largest mobile operator. In 2020 Jio Platforms raised billions of dollars from global investors including Facebook (now Meta) and Google. In June 2026 Jio Platforms filed draft papers with India’s market regulator, SEBI, for a stock market listing.
Under Ambani, Reliance Retail grew into India’s largest retailer, spanning groceries, electronics, fashion and e-commerce. The group also controls the media company Network18 and has invested heavily in green energy, including solar manufacturing and hydrogen, at Jamnagar. He has handed day-to-day responsibility for major businesses to his children: Akash leads Jio, Isha leads retail, and Anant is involved in the energy business.
Personal Life
Ambani married Nita Dalal, a former schoolteacher, in 1985. Nita Ambani chairs the Reliance Foundation and is a member of the International Olympic Committee. The couple have three children. Twins Akash and Isha were born in 1991, and Anant in 1995. Isha married Anand Piramal in 2018, and Akash married Shloka Mehta in 2019. Anant Ambani married Radhika Merchant in July 2024 in celebrations that drew global attention. The family lives in Antilia, a 27-storey private residence in south Mumbai. Through Reliance, the family owns the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
Controversies
Reliance has faced regulatory action over the years, including a 2007 case in which SEBI later penalised the company over trading in Reliance Petroleum shares. Critics have also questioned the closeness of India’s largest business houses to government. Reliance has consistently denied wrongdoing and contested such cases.
Awards and Recognition
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Mukesh Ambani born?
Mukesh Ambani was born on 19 April 1957 in Aden (present-day Yemen).
