be big and think big

1. Think big, think fast, think ahead.
Ideas are no one’s monopoly

2. DHIRUBHAI HIRACHAND AMBANI

3. Brith
• D.O.B.- 28.12.1932
•He born at Chorwad, of Gujurat
•Father - Hirachand Govardhandas Ambani -a
school teacher
•Mother- Jamanaben- a thrifty woman
• Two brothers and two sisters.

4.  Extremely demanding, and difficult to placate.
 As he grew up, he became even more vigorous, and
irrepressible.
 Possessed immense gusto and enormous energy.
 Always determined to do what he wanted to do, in exactly the
way he wanted it done, come hell or high water, as the phrase
goes.

5. Education
• After he completed his primary education, at the village school,
he was sent to the Junagarh Dist. for further studies
• He also do not like to learn lessons in the class school classroom.
He chose work which used his physical ability to the maximum.
• Elected general secretary of the Junagarh Students Union

6. Life in Aden (1949-1958)
 Just after Dhirubhai was through his annual matriculation
examination and even before the result was out, Hirachandbhai called
him home to Chorwad. Hirachandbhai had been unwell for quite some
time.
 Dhirubhai had really wanted to study for a bachelor's degree,
but his ambition melted .
 Started worked with A. Besse & Co. for a salary of Rs.300,
immediately on reaching Aden
 It was on board the ship that Dhirubhai learnt from Gujarati
newspaper that he had passed his matriculation examination in
second division It was a clerk's job with the A. Besse & Co.

7. Life in Aden (1949-1958)
 He learnt the ways of commodity trading, high seas
purchase and sales, marketing and distribution, currency
trading, and money management to learn the tricks of the
trade he offered to work free for a Gujarati trading firm.
 There he learnt accounting, book keeping, preparing
shipping papers and documents, and dealing with banks and
insurance companies., skills that would come handy when he
launched himself into trading about a decade afterwards in
Bombay .

8. Business Milestones
 Ten years later, Dhirubhai Ambani returned to India and started "Majin" in
partnership with Champaklal Damani, his second cousin, who used to be with
him in Aden, Yemen.
 The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up at the
Narsinatha Street in Masjid Bunder. It was 350 sq ft (33 m2). room with a
telephone, one table and three chairs. Initially, they had two assistants to help
them with their business.
 During this period, Dhirubhai and his family used to stay in a one bedroom
apartment. In 1965, Champaklal Damani and Dhirubhai Ambani ended their
partnership .
 Dhirubhai started on his own. It is believed that both had different take on
how to conduct business. Ambani's net worth was estimated at about Rs.10 lakh
by late 1970s.

9.  Sensing a good opportunity in the textile business,
Dhirubhai and Aryan Mehra started the first textile mill
at Naroda, in Ahmedabad in the year 1966.
 Dhirubhai started the brand "Vimal"Extensive
marketing of the brand "Vimal" in the interiors of India
made it a household name. Franchise retail outlets were
started and they used to sell "only Vimal" brand of
textiles.
 Dhirubhai Ambani is awarded with starting the equity
cult in India. More than 58,000 investors from various
parts of India subscribed to Reliance's IPO in 1977.
“It does not require an invitation to make profits”
By Dhirubhai Ambani

10. The Solution Seeker
 Dhirubhai faced resistance from cloth
merchants; so decided to open his own
showroom for ‘Vimal’
 ‘Polyester Prince’ announced a ‘buy-
back’ scheme when the polyester he
produced was losing its demand.
 Whenever a task seemed too big to be
accomplished, he would reply: " No is
no answer!"
"It's difficult but not impossible!"

11. The People's Man
 Dhirubhai followed an 'open-door policy’.
Employees could walk into his cabin and
discuss their problems with him.
 He was always inviting people into sharing
their thoughts and ideas, rather than shutting
them out.
 Always there for his team and brought around
confidence in them.
 ‘Arm-around-the-shoulder’ leader
 This tendency that he had, to draw people
towards him, manifested itself in countless
ways.

12. Diversification and Criticism
 In 1982 Ambani began the process of backward integration, setting
up a plant to manufacture polyester filament yarn.
 He subsequently diversified into chemicals, petrochemicals
,plastics, power.
 The final phase of Reliance’s diversification occurred in the 1990s
when the company turned aggressively towards petrochemicals and
telecommunications.
 He has been accused of having manipulated government policies to
suit his own needs, and has been known to be a king-maker in
government elections.

13. Death
 Dhirubhai Ambani was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in
Mumbai on June 24, 2002 after he suffered a major stroke. This was his
second stroke. He died on July 6, 2002.
His funeral procession was not only attended by business people,
politicians and celebrities but also by thousands of ordinary people
Dhirubhai Ambani started his long journey in Mumbai from the Mulji-
Jetha Textile Market, where he started as a small-trader.
 At the time of Dhirubhai's death, Reliance Group had a gross turnover
of Rs. 75,000 Crore or USD $ 15 Billion. In 1976-77, the Reliance group
had an annual turnover of Rs 70 crore and it is to be remembered that
Dhirubhai had started the business with just Rs.15,000 (US$350)

14. Awards and recognitions
 November 2000 – Conferred 'Man of the Century' award by Chemtech
Foundation and Chemical Engineering World in recognition of his
outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the chemical
industry in India
 2000, 1998 and 1996 – Featured among 'Power 50 - the most powerful
people in Asia by Asiaweek magazine
 August 2001 – Economic Times Award for Corporate Excellence for
Lifetime Achievement
 A poll conducted by The Times of India in 2000 voted Him "Greatest
Creator of Wealth In The Centuries".

15. In popular media
In 1998, a book published by
Hamish McDonald titled "The
Polyester Prince" is also an
unauthorised biography of
Dhirubhai Ambani, outlining all his
political and business conquests.
A film said to be inspired by the life of
Dhirubhai Ambani was released on 12
January 2007. The Hindi Film Guru

16. Quotes by Dhirubhai Ambani
• ”I am deaf to the word “no”.”
• “Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising
my vision. Only when you dream it you can do it.”
• “Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no
one’s monopoly”
• “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 .”

17. • “Give the youth a proper environment.
Motivate them. Extend them the support they
need. Each one of them has infinite source of
energy. They will deliver.”
• “We bet on people.”
• “Don’t give up, courage is my conviction.”
• “We cannot change our Rulers, but we can
change the way they Rule Us.”

18. Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one’s
monopoly
By LALIT SOLANKI