RIL's CMD Mukesh Ambani: We have no hesitation in believing we can build businesses of the future

Reliance Industries is leaning into its ambitions to build the “businesses of the future,” its chairman, Mukesh Ambani, said in a recent interview with McKinsey & Company. Ambani, who oversees the sprawling conglomerate with interests ranging from petrochemicals to telecom and retail, credited his father, the late Dhirubhai Ambani, with instilling a culture of prudent risk-taking that continues to shape Reliance’s DNA.

'We can build businesses of the future, just like my father did,' says Mukesh Ambani

Last month, Ambani pledged Rs1.51 billion to the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, honoring his mentor, Professor Man Mohan Sharma, in a gesture he described as “Guru Dakshina.” During a visit to the institute to launch Professor Sharma’s biography, “The Divine Scientist,” Ambani urged young engineers to help transform India into a “deep-tech nation” and a leader in advanced manufacturing, leveraging artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Reliance’s technology ambitions have not gone unnoticed. In June, the company was ranked among the world’s top 30 technology firms in the Artificial Intelligence Report 2025, while Reliance Jio, its telecom arm, received the TM Forum Excellence Award.

‘We have to be owners of technology, not users,’ says RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani

Beyond boardrooms and laboratories, the Ambani family’s involvement extends to grassroots initiatives. During the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha, Anant Ambani, an executive director at Reliance, announced a series of efforts aimed at improving the experience for pilgrims, including food distribution and crowd safety measures. The Reliance Foundation deployed over 4,000 volunteers and distributed 3,500 raincoats to pilgrims braving the monsoon rains.

Reliance’s retail ambitions also continue to expand beyond India. Reliance Brands Limited, a subsidiary, opened its ninth Hamleys toy store in the Gulf region, inaugurating a new outlet at The Avenues Mall in Kuwait. Since acquiring the iconic British toy retailer in 2019, Reliance has extended Hamleys’ footprint to 13 countries, including Italy, Qatar and Albania.

In line with its sustainability efforts, Reliance’s textile division, R-Elan, marked World Environment Day on June 5 by launching the EarthTee 7.0, a line of apparel made from recycled PET bottles collected during Lakme Fashion Week 2025.

As Reliance pushes further into technology, sustainability and global retail, the conglomerate is positioning itself to capture emerging opportunities while drawing on the family’s legacy of rapid execution and national ambition.

RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani shares his life’s boldest bet, ‘Biggest risk we took was…’