Man I look up to

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Dhirubhai H. Ambani, the Founder Chairman of Reliance Group, is credited to have brought about the
equity cult in India in the late seventies. He is regarded as an icon for enterprise in India. A man far
ahead of his times, he epitomized the dauntless entrepreneurial spirit 'dare to dream and learn to
excel'. He dared to dream on a scale unimaginable before in Indian industry.
The life journey of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur is reminiscent of the rags to riches story.
His life and achievements prove that backed by confidence, courage and conviction, man can achieve
the impossible. Dhirubhai Ambani alias Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on December 28,
1932, at Chorwad, Gujarat, into a Modh family. His father was a school teacher. Dhirubhai Ambani
started his entrepreneurial career by selling bhajias to pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends.
He moved to Aden, Yemen after completing his matriculation at the age of 16. He worked there as a
gas-station attendant, and as a clerk in an oil company. He returned to India in 1957 with Rs 50,000
and set up a textile trading company.
In 1957, Dhirubhai returned to India and started Majin in partnership with his second cousin,
Champaklal Damani, who used to be with him in Aden. Polyester yarn was imported and spices were
exported to Yemen by Majin. They setup the first Reliance Commercial Corporation office at the
Narsinatha Street in Masjid Bunder, which was a 350 sq.ft room, with a telephone, a table and three
chairs and had only two assistants to help them. The Ambani family had been living in a one bedroom
apartment till now. Dhirubhai and Champaklaal Damani ended their partnership in 1965 since they
possessed different temperaments and business perspectives and ideals. So Dhirubhai started his own
individual business and founded the Reliance Group.
Dhirubhai was married to Kokilaben in 1954 and was blessed with two sons, Mukesh and Anil and
two daughters, Nina and Deepti. His sons later took over the Reliance industries after his death.
Though Dhirubhai himself could not study much, his sons are highly educated. Mukesh, Dirubhai's
elder son is a graduate and Anil, his younger son is a post graduate. Dhirubhai faced severe health
problems. In 1986 he suffered a major stroke, which paralyzed his right hand and in June 2002, he
suffered his second stroke, after which he was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. A
number of doctors attended to him but not much could be done and the Indian business magnet died
on July 6, 2002.Dhirubhai Ambani is the founder of the Reliance Group of Industries which is a
conglomerate and only privately owned company in India, with a net worth of $6.10 billion at the
time of his death. Dhirubhai's Reliance has almost taken over all types of trading sectors in India.
From capital markets to households, Reliance is a common name.
Dhirubhai was a hardworking and intelligent man, since childhood. Though he couldn't study after his
matriculation examination, he built up a great business due to his determination and skills he learned
at A. Besse & Co. in Aden. Dhirubhai's journey has been also depicted into a famous Bollywood
movie named 'Guru', which was a great commercial success.