Mukesh Ambani — India’s best-known industrialist — has spent four decades expanding a family business into a sprawling, diversified conglomerate. Today the baton is being steadily passed to his three children, each of whom runs distinct parts of the Reliance ecosystem and is positioning the group for the next era of growth: digital services, retail, and green energy. This article profiles the patriarch, his three children, the businesses they lead, and what their roles mean for succession and India’s corporate landscape.
The patriarch and the empire
Mukesh Ambani transformed the company founded by Dhirubhai Ambani into a conglomerate spanning petrochemicals, refining, telecommunications, retail, and new energy. Under his leadership, Reliance expanded from oil-to-chemicals into consumer-facing digital and retail services that now rank among India’s largest companies by market value and revenue.
Akash Ambani — telecom, platforms, and digital services
Akash Ambani (the elder twin) has been entrusted with Reliance’s telecom and digital businesses. He serves as Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and sits on Jio Platforms’ board — the units that drove Reliance’s rapid consumer-scale digital push with affordable mobile data, streaming, and app ecosystems. Akash’s remit centers on scaling 5G, consumer digital services, and integrating technology into retail and media partnerships that expand Jio’s ecosystem play.
What he runs (high level): Reliance Jio and related digital platforms — core to the group’s strategy of building a large, monetizable consumer base through connectivity and services.
Isha Ambani — retail, consumer brands, and customer experience
Isha Ambani heads Reliance’s retail and consumer-facing strategy. Over the past several years she has driven expansion across groceries, consumer electronics, fashion, and online channels, positioning Reliance Retail as India’s dominant retail network by scale and revenue. Isha has been a key architect of omnichannel moves — bringing together physical stores and e-commerce — and has championed initiatives on customer experience, brand partnerships, and digital retail formats.
What she runs (high level): Reliance Retail’s expansion into new categories, Ajio and other e-commerce formats, and initiatives to modernize the group’s consumer offerings.
Anant Ambani — energy transition and sustainability
Anant Ambani (the youngest) is leading Reliance’s push into renewable energy and sustainability through Reliance New Energy and related initiatives. Anant’s portfolio focuses on large-scale green fuels and materials, carbon capture, and building the industrial capabilities necessary for a net-carbon-zero roadmap the group has articulated. He is also taking on broader responsibilities across energy and materials businesses as Reliance seeks to pivot from traditional hydrocarbons to cleaner alternatives.
What he runs (high level): Reliance New Energy and green-energy projects that aim to transform Reliance’s core energy and materials footprint.
Governance, succession and a mapped division of duties
Reliance’s approach to succession has been methodical: the next generation was gradually embedded into the business via directorships and leadership roles aligned to distinct pillars of the company — digital (Akash), retail (Isha), and energy (Anant). This demarcation reduces overlap, clarifies investor expectations, and creates clear P&L owners for major growth engines. Public filings and company statements reflect this deliberate delegation of responsibilities.
Philanthropy and public roles
The Ambani family’s non-profit wing, the Reliance Foundation, spearheaded by Nita Ambani, remains a high-profile vehicle for education, health and community work. The children also engage in philanthropic and cultural initiatives — often tying social programs to corporate sustainability and brand-building strategies.
Public scrutiny and controversies
High visibility brings scrutiny. In recent years, projects associated with the family and the Reliance Foundation have faced public and legal scrutiny — including inquiries connected to wildlife and regulatory compliance linked to initiatives overseen by family members. Reliance has regularly stated its intent to cooperate with investigations and compliance processes. Such episodes highlight the reputational risks that accompany large philanthropic and industrial undertakings.
What this means for India’s corporate landscape
The Ambani succession illustrates a few broader trends in India: family-led conglomerates professionalizing leadership while keeping ownership concentrated; younger scions mixing global education with high-stakes corporate roles; and legacy energy businesses pivoting toward digital and green agendas. For investors and policymakers, the clear allocation of responsibilities reduces ambiguity — but it also places pressure on the next generation to deliver distinct, measurable outcomes in highly competitive sectors.
