Counted among the world’s richest families, the Ambani clan is known for their humble yet prolific journey into the business world. Business mogul, Dhirubhai Ambani built his empire with the support of his wife, Kokilaben Ambani. The couple welcomed four children, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Nina Kothari and Dipti Salgaoncar.
After the death of Dhirubhai Ambani in 2002, the business empire was carried forward by Mukesh and Anil. Mukesh inherited the petrochemical operations, whereas Anil Ambani got Reliance Power, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Capital, Reliance Entertainment, Reliance Health, and Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited.
Dhirubhai Ambani died without a proper succession plan or will, leading to a dispute between Anil and Mukesh. While Mukesh flourished in his business, Anil turned bankrupt. The Ambani siblings’ fight turned headlines, and it was the matriarch, Kokilaben Ambani, who ended the feud between the brothers.
What was the feud between Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani?
Dhirubhai Ambani left a Rs. 25,000 crore business empire to his sons. But slowly, Anil and Mukesh had tiffs over decisions related to the business. The main reason for the tiff was that the family business was left without any succession plan, so there was no clear control of Mukesh and Anil over the same.
The other reason behind the conflict was Anil and Mukesh’s differing visions for the business. On one side, Mukesh Ambani wanted to invest in the telecom business, and Anil wanted to grow the power generation business on the other side. However, Reliance had only one project to invest in, and it ultimately chose the telecom business.
Kokilaben Ambani ended the feud between her sons, Mukesh and Anil
After witnessing the increasing dispute between Anil and Mukesh, their mother, Kokilaben Ambani, intervened and tried to resolve the issue. She divided the Reliance Group equally between the two brothers. On June 18, 2005, Kokilaben officially announced the division.
Mukesh received the Reliance Industries and IPCL, which is known as Reliance Industries, under which came crude oil refining, petrochemicals production, and oil and gas exploration. Anil got Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital and Reliance Power. These companies together were called Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG).
Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani’s new dispute
The peace that Kokilaben brought between her sons was temporary. By 2006, the brothers were again at odds regarding the supply of gas. During the time of partition, there was an agreement that Reliance, at the rate of 2.3 dollars per unit, would provide natural gas to Reliance Power. However, Mukesh doubled the price, and Anil filed a case against Mukesh in the Bombay High Court for breach of contract, but Mukesh challenged the decision in the Supreme Court.
With every passing day, the feud between the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, intensified, and people were certain that the most reputed business family was about to collapse. When everything seemed lost, and people were predicting the fall of the Ambani clan, it was again Kokilaben Ambani who stood up and sorted everything between Anil and Mukesh.
In 2011, Kokilaben organised a rare press conference at the compound of the house where Dhirubhai Ambani was born, sending a clear message that their sons were together. Kokilaben had advised her sons, Mukesh and Anil, to bury the hatred and reunite to make their father, Dhirubhai Ambani, proud. Addressing a press conference, Kokilaben revealed that there was no rivalry between her sons. In her words:
“There is love among the brothers. Hum sab saath hain.”
Kokilaben Ambani holds the maximum shares of Reliance Industries
Kokilaben, a figure of intrigue, chooses to keep a low profile. Though she is not actively involved in the daily operations of Reliance, she has been a driving force in the family. The Ambani family collectively owns nearly half of Reliance’s holdings as they own 50.39% of the shares. The remaining 49.61% is dispersed among public shareholders, including foreign institutional investors. Kokilaben Ambani owns the maximum shares of the company, with 157,141,322 shares.
Kokilaben Ambani not only played a pivotal role in building the Reliance Industries’ empire, but she also kept her entire family united.
Also Read: Dhirubhai Ambani And Kokilaben’s Inspiring Tale Of Love: He Hired A Tutor To Help Her Learn English