Dhirubhai Ambani was born Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani on December 28, 1932, to a village school teacher and his wife. The third of five children, Ambani's family migrated to Aden, where he initially worked as a gas-station attendant, and later as a clerk at A. Besse & Co.
Dhirubhai Ambani's entrepreneurial journey began when his family relocated to Mumbai due to political turbulence in Aden. Having returned to India around 1958, the family initially stayed in a chawl in the Bhuleshwar neighbourhood of then-Bombay.
It was there that Dhirubhai Ambani began his first business, trading spices, under the name Reliance Commercial Corporation.
Ambani's journey from a gas station attendant to the owner of the giant petrochemicals, communications, power, and textiles conglomerate Reliance Industries is one that has inspired generations.
December 28, 2021, marks the 89th birth anniversary of the late Reliance stalwart.
On his birth anniversary, here's a look at some interesting lesser-known facts about the business magnate:
He started his first entrepreneurship by selling chaat-pakoda to pilgrims at Mount Girnar in Gujarat.
Dhirubhai Ambani was only 17 when he migrated to the then British colony of Aden, where his brother was working. He worked at A. Besse & Co. as a clerk and earned a salary of just Rs 300 per month.
His company was named and renamed often. First, he named his company Reliance Commercial Corporation then renamed it Reliance Textiles Pvt. Limited and finally to Reliance Industries Limited.
Dhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance Industries in 1977. The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up at Narsinatha Street in Masjid Bunder. It was a 350 sq ft (33m2) room with a telephone, one table and three chairs.
Under his leadership, Reliance Industries became the first Indian privately-owned company to be rated by international credit rating agencies such as S&P, Moody’s etc.
Dhirubhai Ambani was conferred with the Man of the Century award by Chemtech Foundation and Chemical Engineering World. He was also felicitated with The Economic Times award for Corporate Excellence for Lifetime achievement in 2001.
Dhirubhai Ambani became the first Indian to receive the Wharton School Dean's Medal, University of Pennsylvania. He was also featured on the 'Power 50 - the most powerful people in Asia' list by Asia Week magazine.
