In a heartfelt return to his alma mater, Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director (CMD) of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), announced an unconditional donation of Rs151 crore to his alma mater, Mumbai-based Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT). The gesture, made during the launch of a biography of his former professor MM Sharma, is more than a philanthropic act—it is a tribute to a bond forged in classrooms decades ago.
Mr Ambani, who studied at the institution in the 1970s when it was known as UDCT (University Department of Chemical Technology), spent over three hours on campus last Friday. He was there for the release of Divine Scientist, a biography of prof Sharma, whom Mr Ambani described as his guru, mentor and enduring source of inspiration.
In an emotional speech, the RIL chief recalled his days as a young student and the profound impact prof Sharma had on his life. “I had deliberately chosen UDCT over IIT Bombay,” he says. “And after attending prof Sharma’s very first lecture, I knew I had made the right choice. He was an alchemist—not of metals, but of minds.”
Mr Ambani described how prof Sharma’s lectures introduced him to the idea of the 'economics of chemistry'—how molecules could create value, not just in science, but in business and society. That concept would go on to shape the foundations of Reliance which has grown from a modest yarn trading company into a global industrial powerhouse.
For the RIL chief, prof Sharma was not just a chemical engineering teacher but a visionary who believed in sustainability long before it became a global concern.
Mr Ambani recalled that prof Sharma never liked the term 'by-product' and insisted on calling it 'co-product', believing that nothing in manufacturing should be wasted. “This is how we can create harmony between economy and ecology,” Mr Ambani says, adding that prof Sharma’s guidance helped Reliance achieve integration across the value chain—from crude oil to PTA to PET bottles, and even to household brands like Campa Cola.
He also revealed how his father, the late Dhirubhai Ambani, often consulted prof Sharma during the early days of building Reliance. “He gave us substantial value addition but asked for zero royalty,” Mr Ambani says. “He never asked for anything in return.”
The RIL CMD went on to credit prof Sharma for influencing not just him, but also India’s industrial policy in the 1970s and 1980s. He described prof Sharma as a quiet architect of India’s economic reforms, someone who pushed policymakers to dismantle the restrictive Licence-Permit Raj and allow private enterprise to scale and compete globally.
“Like my father, he had a burning desire to see India go from scarcity to global leadership,” Mr Ambani says. “He told the petroleum secretary and the minister, ‘If you want India to grow, let Indian players build scale. Brand India must be known across the seven seas.”
That advice, Mr Ambani says, helped lay the groundwork for India’s now globally competitive chemical industry.
As the speech drew to a close, Mr Ambani shared a deeply personal exchange with prof Sharma. “He told me, ‘Mukesh, you have to do something big for ICT.’ I said, ‘Sir, just tell me what you want.’ He said, ‘Announce Rs151 crore to ICT.’ So I said, ‘Done'.”
The announcement was met with thunderous applause from the audience which included students, faculty and prof Sharma’s family.
The RIL chief made it clear that the grant was unconditional—a true offering of Guru Dakshina, the traditional expression of gratitude from student to teacher. “It is my way of saying thank you—for teaching me, guiding me, and shaping the India I have had the honour to help build.”
While paying tribute to the past, Mr Ambani also shared his vision for India’s future. He laid out five ideas, all inspired by prof Sharma’s teachings. These included making India a global hub for deep-tech and advanced manufacturing; strengthening collaboration between academia and industry; instilling moral and cultural values in education; fostering a new generation of teachers like Prof Sharma; and encouraging the youth to combine modern success with traditional values to realise the dream of a developed India.
Mr Ambani described prof Sharma as “an influencer long before the age of social media,” someone whose ideas had the power to change industries and shape national policy. “We need tens of thousands of gurus like him,” he said. “Gurus who can teach our youth to combine success with sanskaar.”
The ceremony concluded with Mr Ambani addressing prof Sharma’s grandchildren and the young students of ICT. He repeated the same message that his guru once gave him in the 1970s—one he believes still holds true today: “Dream big. Study well. Work with dedication, discipline and a spirit of service. And bring greater glory to India.”
