Mukesh Ambani's unfinished Stanford journey and the making of Reliance Jio

From studying chemical engineering in Mumbai to enrolling at Stanford University, Mukesh Ambani's educational journey took an unexpected turn. Here is how the Reliance Industries chairman built his career, expanded his family business and changed India's telecom landscape.

In Short

• Born in Aden, he completed his schooling and engineering studies in Mumbai
• Technical training supported his later work in manufacturing and energy businesses
• Jamnagar refinery emerged as a major milestone in Reliance's manufacturing expansion

Mukesh Ambani is best known as the billionaire chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, but his journey began long before the launch of Jio made the mobile internet more accessible to millions of Indians.

His career has taken him from classrooms in Mumbai to Stanford University in the United States and, eventually, to the top of one of India's largest business groups.

With his interests spanning telecom, retail, energy and digital services, Ambani's story is also one of how education, business experience and long-term expansion shaped his career.

Ambani is the second-richest person in India and ranks 25th among the world’s wealthiest billionaires. His estimated net worth is around Rs 7.7 lakh crore, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list.

BORN IN YEMEN, EDUCATED IN MUMBAI

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani was born on April 19, 1957, in Aden, now part of Yemen. He is the eldest son of Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani. His younger brother, Anil Ambani, also went on to become a businessman.

As per reports, Ambani completed his schooling in Mumbai at Hill Grange High School on Pedder Road before pursuing higher education in science and technology. He studied at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, formerly known as the University Department of Chemical Technology, University of Bombay, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering.

His choice of subject gave him a technical foundation that would later prove useful in Reliance's manufacturing and energy businesses.

HE LEFT STANFORD TO JOIN THE FAMILY BUSINESS

After completing his engineering studies, Ambani enrolled at Stanford University in the United States to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

However, he did not complete the programme. In 1981, he returned to India to join Reliance, the company founded by his father, and help expand its operations.

This decision marked a turning point in his career. Rather than following a conventional management education path, Ambani began learning the demands of running a business while working within the company.

He joined Reliance at a time when the group was expanding beyond textiles. He helped drive its move into polyester fibres and petrochemicals, followed by petroleum refining and oil and gas exploration.

FROM PETROCHEMICALS TO JIO, A BUSINESS THAT KEPT GROWING

Ambani helped expand Reliance into petrochemicals and refining before taking it into retail and telecommunications. The launch of Jio in 2016 transformed India's telecom market with affordable data services and expanded his business into digital platforms.

Married to Nita Ambani since 1985, he has three children — Akash, Isha and Anant — who are involved in Reliance's businesses. Today, as chairman of Reliance Industries, Ambani oversees a group spanning energy, retail, telecom and digital services.

From chemical engineering to telecommunications, his path has rarely followed a straight line. His decision to leave Stanford before completing his MBA remains an important part of that story: he chose to enter the family business early, and went on to help turn it into a diversified conglomerate.

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