THE MAN OF CENTURY 

INTRODUCTION 
Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani better known as Dhirubhai Ambani who founded Reliance Industries in Mumbai. He had brought about the equity culture in India in the late seventies. He is regarded as an icon for enterprise in India. A man far ahead of his times, he epitomized the dauntless entrepreneurial spirit 'dare to dream and learn to excel'. He dared to dream on a scale unimaginable before in Indian industry.

HIS BIRTH

Dhirubhai Ambani alias Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on 28 December 1932, at Chorwad, Junagadh (now the state of Gujarat, India) to Hirachand Gordhanbhai. Ambani and Jamnaben in a Modh family. He was the second son of a school teacher He was married to Kokilaben and had two sons, Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani and two daughters, Nina Kothari and Deepti Salgaocar.

HIS EARLY LIFE   

Dhirubhai Ambani started his entrepreneurial career by selling bhajias to pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends. He moved to Aden, Yemen after completing his matriculation at the age of 16. He worked there as a gas-station attendant, and as a clerk in an oil company.

CARRIER IN BUSINESS

In 1962, Dhirubhai returned to India and started the Reliance Commercial Corporation with a capital of Rs.15,000. The primary business of Reliance Commercial Corporation was to import polyester yarn and export spices.The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up at the Narsinathan Street in Masjid Bunder. It was a 350 Sq. Ft. room with a telephone, one table and three chairs. Initially, they had two assistants to help them with their business.

 In 1965, Champaklal Damani and Dhirubhai Ambani ended their partnership and Dhirubhai started on his own. It is believed that both had different temperaments and a different take on how to conduct business. While Mr. Damani was a cautious trader and did not believe in building yarn inventories, Dhirubhai was a known risk taker and he considered that building inventories, anticipating a price rise, and making profits through that was good for growth.

RELIANCE 

In 1966, he started his first textile mill at Naroda, near Ahmedabad  and started the brand 'Vimal'. He built India's largest private sector company, Reliance India Limited, from a scratch. Over time he diversified his business into a core specialization in petrochemicals with additional interests in telecommunications, information technology, energy, power, retail, textiles, infrastructure services, capital markets, and logistics.

HIS EQUITY CULTURE 

Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with revolutionizing capital markets in India by attracting millions of retail investors in a market till then dominated by financial institutions. From nothing, he generated billions of rupees in wealth for those who put their trust in his companies. Due to his efforts and with the help of innovative instruments like the convertible debenture, Reliance quickly became a favorite of the stock market in the 1980s. In 1992, Reliance became the first Indian company to raise money in global markets. Reliance also became the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list. 

HIS THOUGHTS  
 Dhirubhai was also the quintessentially modern man,the man of the new millennium. This was clearly reflected in his passion for mega-sized projects, the most advanced technology and the highest level of productivity. The corporate philosophy he followed was short, simple and succinct "Think big. Think differently. Think fast. Think ahead. Aim for the best". He inspired the Reliance team to do better than the best—not only in India but in the world. He was able to create an unbreakable bond of implicit trust between him and his shareholders, who placed their savings in his care. For him, his people were his most important asset.

SOME OF HIS QUOTES   

"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."; "Meeting the deadlines is not good enough, beating the deadlines is my expectation."; and "Don't give up, courage is my conviction."

HIS AWARDS

• He was named The Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• In June 1998, he was awarded the Dean's Medal by The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, for setting an outstanding example of leadership.
• In 2000, A poll conducted by The Times of India voted him "greatest creator of wealth in the century".
• In November 2000, he was conferred the 'Man of the Century' award by Chemtech Foundation and Chemical Engineering World for his contribution to the growth and development of the chemical industry in India.

HIS DEATH          

Dhirubhai Ambani died on July 6, 2002 at Mumbai after suffering a brain stroke. The life journey of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur is reminiscent of the rags to riches story. He is remembered as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global corporate group. His life and achievements prove that backed by confidence, courage and conviction, man can achieve the impossible. His legacy is being carried on by his sons Mukesh and Anil.

RELIANCE AFTER DHIRUBHAI 

After the death of Dhirubhai Ambani, the group was split into Reliance Industries Limited, headed by Mukesh Ambani, and Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADA Group), headed by Anil Ambani.