Mukesh Ambani is one of the most influential business figures in modern India — the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), a conglomerate whose businesses span petrochemicals, refining, retail, telecom and digital services.

Over four decades he has reshaped industries, launched a digital revolution in India with Jio, and built a business empire that places him consistently among the world’s richest people.

Early life and family

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani was born on 19 April 1957 in Aden (now part of Yemen) into a Gujarati family headed by Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance. The family moved to India when Mukesh was an infant and settled in Mumbai. His upbringing—living in modest accommodation while his father built a trading and textiles business—shaped his early work ethic. He has a younger brother, Anil Ambani, and two sisters.

Education and early career

Ambani attended Hill Grange High School and St. Xavier’s College before earning a Bachelor of Engineering in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology (formerly UDCT), Mumbai. He later enrolled for an MBA at Stanford University but left the program in 1980 to return to India and help expand his father’s business — a decision that launched his career inside Reliance.

Building Reliance: petrochemicals, refining and Jamnagar

Under Mukesh Ambani’s leadership Reliance moved aggressively into petrochemicals and refining. He led the creation of the Jamnagar refining complex in Gujarat — today one of the world’s largest single-site refining and petrochemical hubs — and integrated refining with petrochemicals and logistics to create a highly competitive downstream platform. That industrial backbone gave Reliance the scale and cash flow to diversify into other sectors later.

The telecom gamble — Reliance Jio and India’s digital shift

One of Ambani’s most consequential moves came with Reliance Jio. Launched commercially in 2016 after internal testing in late 2015, Jio offered low-cost/near-free data and voice services that forced a seismic shift in India’s telecom market — driving massive consumer adoption of mobile internet, accelerating the shift to 4G/5G, and creating an enormous platform for digital services. Within months Jio added tens of millions of customers and today serves hundreds of millions, reshaping India’s digital economy.

Retail and digital services: a new growth engine

Reliance’s retail arm (Reliance Retail) and Jio’s digital services have become central earnings drivers for RIL. The company’s strategy has been to combine scale (mass retail distribution) with digital reach (Jio platforms) to build consumer businesses that can generate recurring revenue outside commodity-driven refining margins. Recent quarterly results and investor commentary point to retail and digital services as key future growth areas.

Leadership style, succession and the next generation

Mukesh Ambani has been a hands-on strategist and builder, emphasizing scale, vertical integration and long-term bets. In recent years he has increasingly prepared for succession: his three children—Akash, Isha and Anant—have taken leadership roles within Reliance’s digital and retail businesses, and the family has placed them on company boards as Reliance evolves. Observers watch closely how the next generation handles an empire that is both diversified and geopolitically exposed.

Net worth and global standing

Ambani has consistently ranked among the world’s richest people. Net worth estimates vary with markets and valuations (particularly Reliance’s digital and retail valuations), but major trackers place him in the multi-tens of billions — frequently above the $100 billion mark during high points — and at or near the top of India’s richest-person lists in 2024–2025. These rankings change with market moves and new valuations for Jio and Reliance Retail.

Personal life and philanthropy

Mukesh Ambani married Nita Ambani in 1985. The couple have three children: twins Isha and Akash (born 1991) and Anant (born 1995). The family lives in Antilia, a private multistory residence in Mumbai that has often been noted in popular commentary for its size and amenities. The Ambanis are also active in philanthropy through the Reliance Foundation and other charitable vehicles, supporting education, health and disaster relief among other causes.

Controversies and challenges

Like every major conglomerate leader, Ambani’s career has seen controversies: from regulatory and market disputes to debates about market dominance and competition in telecom and retail. Reliance — given its scale — also faces geopolitical and energy-market risks, and some of the group’s moves (and their rapid pace) have drawn scrutiny from regulators, rivals and commentators. These discussions are part of the broader story of running a global-scale industrial conglomerate in a rapidly changing world.

Legacy and what to watch next

Mukesh Ambani’s legacy will likely be measured by his role in building an industrial engine (refining and petrochemicals) and then pivoting to consumer-facing digital and retail businesses at scale. His investments in digital infrastructure, push for 5G and AI, and the planned listings of Jio and Reliance Retail are moves that could reshape India’s economic footprint and global investor interest for years to come. Observers will watch how IPOs, green-energy commitments, and succession play out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When and where was Mukesh Ambani born?

— 19 April 1957, Aden (now Yemen), raised in Mumbai.

What is his education?

— Chemical engineering degree from Institute of Chemical Technology, studied at Stanford briefly.

What are Reliance’s core businesses?

— Petrochemicals, refining, oil & gas, retail, telecom (Jio), and digital services.

How big is Jio?

— Launched commercially in 2016, Jio now serves hundreds of millions of subscribers and is a major digital platform in India.

Conclusion

Mukesh Ambani’s journey from a family trading business to a globally recognized industrial and digital conglomerate leader is a study in scale, timing and bold strategic bets.

As he steers Reliance into the future—shifting revenue toward retail, digital and green energy—his decisions will continue to influence India’s industrial and digital landscape for decades.