Dhirubhaiambani

DHIRUBHAI HIRACHAND AMBANI

arguably India’s most enterprising entrepreneur.

“THINK BIGTHINK FAST

THINK AHEADIDEAS ARE NO ONE’S

MONOPOLY.”

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.

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.

Early lifeHe 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.

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.

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 .

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.

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 bothhad different take on how to conduct business. Ambani's net worth was estimated at about Rs.10 lakh by late 1970s.

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.

Reliance Fresh

Industry: Retail Type: Supermarket

Chairman & Managing Director: Mukesh Ambani

First Outlet: Hyderabad

Founded: 30 th October 2006

Headquarter: Mumbai

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

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.

“Dhirubhai will go one day. But Reliance's employees and shareholders will keep it afloat. Reliance is now a concept in which the Ambanis have become irrelevant."

“You do not require an invitation to make profits”

“Our dreams have to be bigger, our ambitions higher. Our commitment deeper and our efforts greater. This is my dream for Reliance and for India.”

Pursue your goals even in the face of difficulties and convert advrsities into opportunities.”

"Between my past, the present and the future, there is one common factor: Relationship & Trust. This is the foundation of our growth"

"Give the youth a proper environment. Motivate them. Extend them the support they need. Each one of them has infinite source of energy. They will deliver."

"We bet on people."

“Don’t give up, courage is my conviction”

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)

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)

In popular media

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.

A film said to be inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani was released on 12 January 2007. The Hindi Film Guru

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".

*"I am deaf to the word "no"."

"Think big, 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."

Quotes by Dhirubhai Ambani