Mukesh Ambani gets emotional as Anant Ambani reflects on the Reliance legacy during Jio Platforms’ listing ceremony in Mumbai. (Img: X)
Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani was visibly emotional at the listing ceremony of Jio Platforms on Wednesday, as his children Anant Ambani and Isha Ambani reflected on the family’s entrepreneurial legacy, the vision of Dhirubhai Ambani and the transformative role of digital connectivity in India. The emotional moment unfolded ahead of Jio Platforms’ much-anticipated stock market debut, turning a major corporate milestone into a tribute to the people, values and ambition behind the Reliance Group.
Anant Ambani, Executive Director at Reliance Industries, spoke about Jio’s journey from a bold digital ambition to a platform that has reshaped internet access and connectivity across the country. His remarks emphasised that the company’s growth was not solely the result of corporate strategy or capital investment, but also the trust of millions of Indians who embraced its services.
As Anant reflected on the journey, Mukesh Ambani was seen wiping tears from his eyes. The moment highlighted the personal significance of the occasion for the Ambani family, whose business legacy spans generations and multiple industries.
During his address, Anant revisited the roots of the Reliance empire, recalling how his grandfather, Dhirubhai Ambani, began his journey with limited financial resources and without the advantages of powerful connections. He referred to Dhirubhai’s early years in Chorwad, Gujarat, and his work at a petrol pump in Aden, highlighting how determination, entrepreneurial instinct and an unwavering belief in the possibilities of India helped him build one of the country’s most influential business groups.
The story of Dhirubhai’s rise from modest beginnings to establishing a sprawling business empire remains central to the Reliance identity. Anant’s remarks connected that founding ambition with the next phase of the group’s evolution, in which digital infrastructure, telecommunications and technology have become increasingly important drivers of growth.
He also highlighted Mukesh Ambani’s ambition to position India as a global industrial and technological powerhouse. The Jamnagar refinery complex, a landmark in Reliance’s energy business, served as an example of how large-scale projects can turn seemingly impossible ambitions into tangible industrial achievements.
Anant linked this legacy to Jio’s mission of expanding digital access, presenting the platform’s journey as an extension of the family’s longstanding belief that ordinary Indians should have access to opportunities traditionally available to only a limited section of society.
Anant placed gratitude at the centre of his address, acknowledging the millions of people whose participation and trust had helped Jio grow into a major player in India’s digital economy. He described the listing as more than a corporate achievement, portraying it as a shared milestone for the country.
His remarks reflected the company’s broader positioning around affordable connectivity, digital inclusion and access to online services. Jio’s expansion has helped bring mobile internet services to a vast consumer base, while its wider digital ecosystem has supported businesses, content creators and users seeking access to information and services.
Anant also highlighted how digital connectivity has opened new avenues for creators to reach large audiences and enabled people to access specialised services more conveniently. He acknowledged the contribution of Jio’s employees, engineers, technicians, customer-service personnel and retail partners, crediting their work with helping translate the company’s ambitions into a nationwide operation.
He also recognised the importance of the Digital India vision associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, linking the expansion of digital infrastructure with India’s wider ambitions for technological adoption and economic development.
Anant’s address additionally underscored the close relationship between him and his siblings, Akash and Isha Ambani. He presented the three as united by a common purpose: contributing to the aspirations of Indians and continuing the family’s legacy through the next phase of Reliance’s development.
Isha Ambani, a Non-Executive Director at Reliance Industries, also expressed gratitude to the people behind Jio’s growth, including its workforce, her siblings and her parents. She paid tribute to Mukesh Ambani’s ability to anticipate emerging opportunities and pursue ambitious projects even when their eventual success appeared uncertain.
Isha highlighted her father’s longstanding conviction in India’s potential, noting that his vision had repeatedly helped create new possibilities for consumers and businesses. Her remarks placed Jio’s listing within the larger context of Reliance’s expansion across industries and generations, while reinforcing the family’s belief that India’s growth story still has significant room to unfold.
She also acknowledged the contribution of her brother Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, during the platform’s development. Isha referred to the sustained commitment he had demonstrated over the preceding 13 years, including the long working hours associated with building and expanding the business.
The tribute highlighted the operational effort behind Jio’s growth, an undertaking that has required extensive investment in telecommunications infrastructure, technology development, network deployment and customer acquisition. Together, the siblings’ addresses brought a personal dimension to an event otherwise dominated by financial-market attention, corporate valuation and investor expectations.
The emotional ceremony coincided with a strong debut for Jio Platforms on the stock exchanges. According to the figures provided, the shares listed at a premium of 21.4 per cent over the initial public offering price, marking a robust start to the company’s public-market journey.
The listing valued Jio Platforms at approximately Rs 12.6 lakh crore in market capitalisation, making it India’s second-most valuable listed company at the time of its debut, as reported in the supplied coverage.
The market performance placed the spotlight on investor appetite for businesses operating at the intersection of telecommunications, digital services and technology. A strong listing premium can reflect demand for shares and expectations surrounding a company’s growth prospects, although its long-term performance will depend on business execution, financial results, competitive pressures and broader market conditions.
For Jio Platforms, the public-market debut represents a significant corporate milestone, potentially widening investor participation in a business that has become central to Reliance’s digital strategy.
The listing also brings increased attention to the company’s ability to sustain growth, monetise its expanding digital ecosystem and maintain its competitive position in India’s telecommunications and technology markets.
The ceremony brought together two dimensions of the Reliance story: the financial significance of Jio Platforms’ market debut and the generational legacy of the Ambani family. Dhirubhai Ambani’s entrepreneurial beginnings, Mukesh Ambani’s expansion of the group and the next generation’s role in shaping its digital future formed the central themes of the addresses.
For Mukesh Ambani, the moment appeared to carry a deeply personal significance as his children reflected on the journey that helped shape the family’s business identity. For Jio, the listing marked a transition into a new phase of public-market scrutiny, with investors set to assess its performance, strategy and long-term growth prospects.
The ceremony therefore served as both a tribute to Reliance’s past and a statement of ambition for its future. As Jio Platforms enters the listed market, the company’s challenge will be to convert its scale, technology investments and customer reach into sustained business performance while continuing to expand India’s digital capabilities.
