Dhirubhai H. Ambani

Dhirubhai H. Ambani
Founder Chairman, Reliance Industries Limited, India
December 28, 1932 - July 6, 2002
Major Group Companies: Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company.

Birthplace: Chorwad, village in Saurashtra (Gujarat), India
Father's Name: Hirachand Govardhandas Ambani
Mother's Name: Jamunaben Hirachand Ambani
Career:
At the age of 17 went to Aden (now part of Yemen) and worked for A. Besse & Co. Ltd., the sole selling distributor of Shell products. In the year 1958 returned to Mumbai and started his first company, Reliance Commercial Corporation, a commodity trading and export house. In the year 1966, as a first step in Reliance's highly successful strategy of backward integration, he started the textile mill in Naroda, Ahmedabad. In the year 1975, a technical team from the World Bank certified that the Reliance textile plant was "excellent by developed country standards." In the year 1977, the company went public. Credited with a number of financial innovations in the Indian capital markets. Today, the Reliance Group has one of the largest family of shareholders in the world. With an investment of over Rs 36,000 crore (US$ 9 billion) in petroleum refining, petrochemicals, power generation, telecommunication services and a port terminal in a three-year time frame, has steered the Reliance Group to its current status as India's leading textiles-petroleum-petrochemicals-power-telecom player. Achievements: Voted India's 'Top Businessman' in the 'Best of India' poll conducted by Zee News, August 2003. Petrotech Society conferred posthumously the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for his outstanding contribution to Downstream Petroleum Industry in India, January 2003. 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. Conferred the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by India HRD Congress, February 2002. Conferred 'The Economic Times Award for Corporate Excellence for Lifetime Achievement', August 2001. Felicitated by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai with a citation at a civic reception, December 2000. Conferred the '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, November 2000. Conferred the 'Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century' award by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries), for his meticulous scripting of one of the most remarkable stories of business endeavour of the 20th century, March 2000. Thrice (in the years 2000, 1998 and 1996) nominated as one of the 'Power 50 - the most powerful people in Asia' by Asiaweek magazine. Voted as the most admired Indian of the millennium in the field of Business & Economics in 'Legends - A Celebration of Excellence' poll audited by Ernst & Young for Zee Network, January 2000. Voted as 'Creator of Wealth' of the Century in The Times of India poll, January 2000. Chosen as one of the three 'makers of equity' by India Today in their special millennium issue entitled '100 People Who Shaped India in the 20th Century', January 2000. Chosen by the Indian Merchants' Chamber as "An Outstanding Visionary of the 20th Century" in recognition of his unique achievements and contribution in the development of industry and capital markets in India, December 1999. Voted as 'Indian Businessman of the Century' in Business Barons Global Multimedia Poll, December 1999. Amongst 'The Power 50 - India's 50 most powerful decision-makers in Politics, Business & Finance', Business Barons, August 1999. Declared 'Most Admired Indian Business Leader' by The Times of India, Indiatimes.com poll, July 1999. The only Indian industrialist in 'Business Hall of Fame' in Asiaweek, October 1998. Awarded the Dean's Medal by The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, for setting an outstanding example of leadership, June 1998. Chosen as 'Star of Asia' by Business Week, USA, June 1998. Leading business magazine Business Barons placed him in its list of 'India's 25 Most Influential Business and Financial Leaders', June 1998. Awarded the Companion Membership of the Textile Institute, UK, an award which is limited to 50 living members who have "substantially advanced the general interests of the industries based on fibres", 1994.




Spirit of Shri Dhirubhai H. Ambani
Quotes at various forums
Only when you dream it you can do it."
•"Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one's monopoly"
•"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."
•"You do not require an invitation to make profits."
•"If you work with determination and with perfection, success will follow."
•"Pursue your goals even in the face of difficulties, and convert adversities into opportunities."
•"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."
•"Between my past, the present and the future, there is one common factor: Relationship and Trust. This is the foundation of our growth"
•"We bet on people."
•"Meeting the deadlines is not good enough, beating the deadlines is my expectation."
•"Don't give up, courage is my conviction."







Achievements / Awards for Mr Dhirubhai H. Ambani
Title
Date
The Economic Times - Lifetime Achievement Award
10.08.2001
TNS-Mode Survey - India's Most Admired CEO
26.07.1999
Chemtech Foundation - Man of the Century Award
08.11.2000
FICCI – Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century Award
24.03.2000
Asia Week - Dhirubhai among Asia's 50 most powerful people The Excerpt from Asia Week 1998The Excerpt from Asia Week 2000
29.05.199826.05.2000
The Times of India - Dhirubhai Ambani voted "Creator of Wealth" of the Century
08.01.2000
Business Baron - Dhirubhai Ambani voted "Indian Businessman of the Century" The complete cover story
06.12.199931.10.1999
Dhirubhai Ambani in Asia Week Hall of Fame The cover story
16.10.1998
Wharton's Dean Medal for Dhirubhai Ambani
15.06.1998
Business Week - Dhirubhai Ambani one of "The Stars of Asia"The complete cover story
29.06.1998
Business India - Dhirubhai Ambani, Businessman of the Year 1993
31.10.1999

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