Ambani businessman of the century

Ambani businessman of the century
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

MUMBAI, DEC 6: Noted businessman and chairman of the Reliance group, Dhirubhai Ambani, has been voted as the Indian businessman of the century by a worldwide multimedia poll conducted between August to October 1999 by Business Barons.

``I owe my success and achievements to the affection, friendship and trust of millions of my employees, customers, shareholders and business associates, who have stood by me and been a major source of strength all along,'' Ambani said after being named as the businessman of the century by the leading magazine.

The magazine hails Ambani as representing Asian business as its best - bold, visionary, technologically minded and entrepreneaurically daring. The result of the poll will feature the forthcoming issue of the magazine, a release issued by the Reliance group said.

The poll which received over 41,000 valid votes from as far away as North America and Australia, selected Ambani, the leading industrialist from India, as the leader from a list of ten nominations. Ambanireceived the maximum number of votes, that is 10,142 at around 25 per cent of the total votes polled. The feature compares his achievements to some of the greatest business initiatives in the industrial history of the world.

Looking back on nearly half a century in business, Ambani further spoke of his greatest moments of fulfillment. ``My fulfillment lies in the satisfaction of every member of the Reliance family, comprising thousands of workers, managers, business associates and over five million shareholders. Being instrumental in creating wealth for over five million Indian families, and bringing prosperity and well being to their life is the deepest source of satisfaction and joy for me,'' Ambani said.

The feature identifies four qualities of Ambani, as underlying his blistering climb to the top - self-reliance, speed, size and sales.He built a 10,000 tonnes per annum plant with a built-in provision for a further 15,000 tonnes when the entire Indian world for polyester filament yarn was only 6,000tonnes per annum. His vision was also reflected in his pioneering if equity cult in India and developing capital markets, the release said.

Talking about the future growth of Reliance, Ambani said, in the early 2000s, the Reliance group will emerge as a net forex earner with multifold growth in exports and will be the top manufacturer-exporter. Ambani is also the only businessman from India, in Business Hall of fame: Asiaweek, October 1998, as one of the survivors who made his mark felt.