Mukesh Ambani is one of India’s most prominent business tycoons and chairman and managing director of the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), founded by his father, Dhirubhai Ambani. Born in the British Crown colony of Aden (present-day Yemen) into a Gujarati family, he moved to India as a child when his father started a trading business focused on spices and textiles.

After completing his graduation and gaining a degree in chemical engineering, he enrolled in Stanford University but dropped out a year later when his father insisted that he came back to India to assist him with their company. Ambani’s journey in the world of business began in 1981 when he joined forces with his father to expand Reliance Industries.

Under his leadership, Reliance Industries has become one of India’s largest conglomerates, with interests spanning petrochemicals, oil refining, telecommunications, and retail. Mukesh Ambani has been credited with creating the globe’s largest start-up petroleum refinery and has diversified the company into digital services through Jio, India’s largest telecom network.

In October 2024, Ambani was ranked 1st on the Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, with a net worth of $119.5 billion, making him Asia’s wealthiest person. He is also the first non-American on the board of Bank of America.  He also owns the Mumbai Indians cricket team and has been instrumental in founding the Indian Super League football competition. The Ambani family is known for their philanthropic activities.  Indiaspora is proud to have Mukesh Ambani on our Business Leaders 2.0 List.