Reliance Jio: Mapping Mukesh Ambani's Unparalleled Ambition

Reliance Industries does not need any introduction when it comes to talking. A generation of us grew up stating "Main Bada Hoke Ambani Banunga." (I'll grow up and be like Ambani) Because all of us have been surrounded and grew up with the ambition of Mukesh Ambani.

The man is constantly winning the corporate world; expanding and making the world- a global village. Today, everyone wants a piece of Jio - his brainchild. The list of his recent investments is proof that he is extremely successful.

When Ambani left his Masters' in 1981 to join the family business, he worked to diversify the company. He ventured into a vast array of areas, including communications, infrastructure, petrochemicals, petroleum refining, polyester fibers, and gas and oil production. But then the world went data-led. His ambition ran fiercer than ever and he looked for more. The more is here today.

All Reliance-owned entities

All Reliance owned Entities

The unbridled ambition is not something that he developed overnight. It was a consistent effort right from his motto- "2G Mukt Bharat". It was clear when he began, if the world in on the internet, Indians will need smartphones and better connectivity. Jio started out as big investments, mostly freebies. It was a subtle diminish of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communication, yet the transition to 3G and then 4G wasn't a one day move. Today, the Jio owns 34% of the telecom sector.

Now, Ambani wants more. 5G!

But 5G is not like the previous networks. It isn't just smartphones and Google search or just voice commands. It will connect everything. From your refrigerators to microwaves and Health Guides to entertainment. It’ll have more width in both, the size of connectivity and, the user reliability and experience. So when Mukesh Ambani stated that 5G would be ready for field deployment next year there was considerable fanfare surrounding this announcement.

Then there's e-Commerce

The retail sector is fastly moving online. With Amazon, Walmart-Flipkart, and Grofers, BigBasket Snapdeal, etc; Indian consumer needs a chance at deep discounts, easy availability, more to choose from and one-touch shopping. Plus the pandemic was the final catalyst. It wasn't just groceries or electronics. From medicines to sanitary napkins and birth controls everything came wrapped under brown boxes. This was, though, leaving behind small shop-owners. Would Mukesh Ambani let an opportunity like that slide? No.

With Jio Mart, (mind you, Reliance already had Retail, Trends, and Digital for grocery, fashion, and electronics respectively), he appeased the people and scored one better than all other e-commerce giants. His partnership with Facebook was an added benefit to bring Jio Mart on WhatsApp. This made it easier for Ambani to capture a large market fast.

This is not the first, though. Reliance tried to test the e-commerce space with the launch of an online grocery store, Reliance Fresh Direct to deliver groceries in Mumbai. In 2016, it made a full-fledged entry into e-commerce with the launch of curated fashion platform ajio.com. The online commerce space had already heated up with millions of dollars of venture capital money flowing into India. We hear that Jio Mart is currently receiving 2.5 lakh daily orders from 200 locations across India.

The Pandemic

Like everyone else, the Covid-19 Pandemic hit Reliance too. Its revenue declined 17 percent to Rs 31,663 crore during the quarter ended June 30. The company reported a net profit of Rs 431 crore despite 50 percent of its stores being fully shut and 29 percent operating partially.

Here, his lifelong patience, too, helped. Indians would rather use the prototype- Jio Meet over Zoom? Why? Because he has made every one of us secure that the data will remain in the country. Earlier this month, it also made a majority acquisition in online pharma company Netmeds for around Rs 620 crore. Does this sound like a take on Amazon and Flipkart? Sure does.

Ambani also acquired British Toy retailer Hamleys in 2019. Reliance Retail also has a portfolio of 46 exclusive international partner brands in the luxury segment, including the likes of Armani and Burberry.

Content Industry viz. OTT

Jio TV+ is yet another ambitious project to aggregate multiple content platforms on Jio’s set-top Box — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, EROS Now, YouTube, you name it. All your favourite streaming platforms in one place available with a single login. Then there's Jio Fiber. It will do wonders for the content ecosystem in the country.

Where isn't Reliance Jio?

It will be really hard to say that Jio's contribution to India’s digital landscape is minuscule. They’ve single-handedly altered the Indian Market and shaped the way Digital India's livelihood. But as Reliance begins to shape-shift, there are small competitions and industries they still haven't taken care of. They might be prepping a war on digital and offline fronts, and yet a large section is uninhibited by Jio.

Mukesh Ambani is the face of modern Indian business. He represents a bold image of the Indian business sector that is urbane, evolving, and revolutionary. He will always be the guru of business and the idol of every young Indian who aspires to match his capabilities and make a name for his ambitions in the corporate world.

The world with Jio Monopoly looks meek and capitalized, but for an entrepreneur, Mukesh Ambani (or his successors) still have a lot to look out for.