Dhirubhaism: The Remarkable Work Philosophy of Dhirubhai Ambani

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With moderate beginnings from a small town in Gujarat to the founder of India's first privately owned Fortune 500 company. Dhirubhai is a quintessential story of rags to riches. Not a product of the formal education system, Dhirubhai was known for his astute business acumen and entrepreneurial prowess. No wonder Dhirubhai's business philosophy was quite different from his contemporaries.

This book is not about Dhirubhai's life, or how Dhirubhai went about building his business empire. Dhirubhaism is an attempt to capture those unique insights that Dhirubhai shared with the author in several interactions during their long association. The 15 Dhirubhaisms put together bring out the work philosophy of Dhirubhai and give us a glimpse into the remarkable thinking process and practices of one of India's most successful entrepreneurs.

A G Krishnamurthy, founder chairman and managing director of Mudra Communications, began the agency with a start up capital of Rs 35,000 and one client. In just nine years. Mudra became India's third and largest Indian advertising agency.

Mr Krishnamurthy is currently the chairman of AGK Brand Consulting. The father of four children - three daughters and a son - AGK lives in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad with his family.

About Dhirubhai Ambani:

Born on 28th December, 1932, Dhirubhai was the fifth child of Hirachandbhai and Jamnaben Ambani. He left his hometown Chorwad, Gujarat of Aden, at the age of 17, to work at A.Bease & Co. Nine years later he returned to India and set up Reliance Commercial Corporation, a trading venture. He moved from trading in spices to yarn and in 1966 began textile manufacturing up the value chain - textiles, then yarn, polyester and petrochemicals, then ventured into oil and gas refining and subsequently oil exploration building a multi billion dollar corporation in the process. Dhirubhai financed his plans by going to the capital markets in 1977. He convinced a new breed of investor - the middle class community - to put their faith in what was then a little known textile company. His subsequent phenomenal performance and rewarding of their trust created and entirely new investing culture in the country.

Within a span of just 25 years, he created the country's largest Fortune 500 corporation. The Reliance Group is a living testament to his indomitable will, and his unrelenting commitment to achieving his goals. The Group's track record of consistent growth is unparalleled in Indian industry. Today its turnover represents nearly three percent of the Indian GDP.

The corporate philosophy Dhirubhai followed was simple: Think big. Think differently. Think fast. Think ahead. Aim for the best. He ingrained this philosophy into the team he nurtured and ensured that they continuously set their sights on higher goals.

He remained the same Dhirubhai all through his life - his personal tastes remained simple, his friendships endured the journey, his generosity shone undiminished, and his quest for excellence remained un shaken. All through his sixty-nine years -as a child in Chorwad, an employee in Aden, as a spice and yarn trader in Bombay and as the Chairman of India's largest private sector corporation - he consistently displayed remarkable leadership traits.

The Bhagvad Gita states, "The actions of a great man are an inspiration for others. Whatever he does becomes a standard for others to follow.' Dhirubhai's life exemplified this.

About the Dhirubhaism:

There is a new ism that I've been meaning to add to the vast world of words for quite a white now. Because, without exaggeration, it's a word for which no synonym can do full justice - 'Dhirubhaism'. Inspired by the truly phenomenal Dhirubhai H Ambani it will denote a characteristic, tendency or syndrome as demonstrated by its inspirer. Dhirubhai on his part, had he been around, would have laughed heartily and declared, "Small men like me don't inspire big words!" That for instance, is a classic Dhirubhaism - the tendency to disregard one's own invaluable contribution to society as significant! I'm sure every one who knew Dhirubhai well will have his or her own little anecdote that illustrates his unique personality. He was a person whose heart and head both worked at peak efficiency levels, all the time. Extraordinary vision coupled with phenomenal compassion - this was his remarkable work philosophy, and that which I would like to define as 'Dhirubhaism'.