Dhirjlal Hirachand Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries who became popular as ‘Dhirubhai Ambani’ is one such Indian who truly defines the phrase- from ‘rags to riches’.
The man, who created, built, stabilised and made a private company profit making affair in India was born to a school teacher in a small village in Gujarat. Despite being born in a family of a school teacher, he never was interested in studying and often bunked classes.
He once said to his mother, “I will make heaps of money, one day” and soon he started selling ‘pakodas’ over weekends which became his first step towards making money.
ALSO READ: Gujarat Government To Add A chapter On Dhirubhai Ambani In Textbooks
As soon as he completed his schooling, he went to Aden Yemen at the age of 17 as petrol attendant but soon through his hard work and sharp mind became a clerk at the oil company.
In 1958 when he decided to return India, he was firm that he is going to start his own business. That time polyester was in great demand across Asia. He judged the fortune of business and set up a small office in with 350 Sq. Ft. room with a telephone, one table and three chairs at Masjid Bunder of South Mumbai to import polyester and export spices.
It was not his luck but his understanding and calculation of market fluctuations that rocketed his profit in less than 10 years. In 1968, he moved to Altamount Road in South Mumbai with his wife and children after living in one bedroom flat for almost a decade.
ALSO READ: Reliance Jio 4G Smartphone To Hit Market At Rs 4,000; Download Movies In Just Few Seconds
Meanwhile, he started his own Textile Company, and launched his first brand ‘Vimal’ for which garnered accolades from World Bank technical team as “excellent even by developed country standards” for his manufacturing unit in Ahmadabad.
He reached the peak point in his life 1977 when he won the trust of 58,000 investors and never looked behind since.
He, however, was criticised by masses for his profit making attitude, but he overcame the criticism and built an empire worth $64 billion.
ALSO READ: Reliance Jio Gets Nod For Pan-India TV Content Distribution
Even after suffering from major paralysis stroke in 1986 and losing his right hand, he success continued adding stars in his name winning him some of the major awards including Asiaweek magazine ‘Power 50- the most powerful people in Asia’, FICCI ‘Indian entrepreneur of 20th Century Award’ and got featured in Forbes Magazine as 138th richest person.
A man who started will selling ‘pakodas’ outside his native temple built a company to which world bows down as one of the world’s largest profit company.
The end came to him with another stroke of paralysis struck him and this time he could not survive it. After his demise, his both sons, Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani took over his business and is successfully running it.