Reliance Industries Share Price Live

History of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)

Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company was founded by Dhirubhai Ambani in 1958 as Reliance Commercial Corporation, a small textile manufacturing unit in Mumbai.

In 1966, Reliance Textiles Industries Pvt Ltd was incorporated and established a synthetic fabrics mill in Baroda, Gujarat. By 1973, it became Reliance Textiles Industries Limited and issued its IPO in 1977. The IPO created history by introducing the equity cult in India, which was oversubscribed 7 times, strengthening Reliance’s growth ambitions.

In 1985, the company was renamed Reliance Industries Ltd. It expanded its polyester yarn production significantly from 1985 to 1992. The Hazira petrochemical plant was commissioned in 1991–92. Reliance ventured into telecom in 1995-96. In 1998, Reliance took over Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited from the Government of India under the LPG scheme. The years 1998–2000 marked the construction of the world’s largest refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

In 2001, Reliance Industries Ltd. and Reliance Petroleum Ltd. became India’s top two companies. In 2002, Reliance discovered a massive gas reserve in the Krishna Godavari basin. In 2005 and 2006, the company reorganised its business and entered the organised retail market in India in 2006.

Following Dhirubhai Ambani’s passing in 2002, his sons, Mukesh and Anil Ambani, assumed control of the business but eventually opted for its division into two distinct entities. Mukesh Ambani headed the Reliance Industries, which includes petrochemicals, oil and textiles business, while Anil Ambani inherited the Reliance Infocomm, Reliance Energy and Reliance Capital.

Notably, in 2019, Reliance achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Indian firm to surpass a market capitalisation of ₹10 trillion.

Business Segments

Reliance Industries is the largest private-sector company in India and is involved in a wide range of industries, including energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Its products and services portfolio touches almost all the needs of people on a daily basis across economic and social spectrums.

Below are the business segments of Reliance Industries:

1. Exploration and Production: RIL’s upstream operations encompass the entire spectrum of activities, commencing from exploration and assessment to the development and extraction of hydrocarbons. During 2002-2003, Reliance achieved a notable breakthrough with a substantial discovery of gas reserves in the Krishna Godavari basin, known as the KG D6 Block. This discovery marked a significant milestone in India’s pioneering deep-water fields. The oil production at KG D6 fields set a global record for the quickest green-field development in the realm of deep-water oil projects.
2. Petroleum Refining and Marketing: Petroleum refining and marketing (R&M) stands as a pivotal component in Reliance’s strategic pursuit of growth and international prominence within the essential energy and materials value chain. The Jamnagar manufacturing division holds the prestigious title of being the largest refining hub globally. Boasting an impressive crude processing capacity of 1.24 million Barrels Per Stream Day (BPSD), the Jamnagar refinery is celebrated as an industry pioneer, garnering numerous accolades and recognition.
3. Petrochemicals: Reliance is one of the largest producers of petrochemicals in the world, with a capacity of over 30 million tonnes per annum. It includes various products such as Polymers, Polyesters, Fiber Intermediates, Aromatics, Elastomers, and Reliance Composites Solutions.Reliance is the world’s leading manufacturer of polyester fibre and yarn, boasting an annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes.
4. New Energy: In 15 years, Reliance aims to be a global leader in New Energy and New Materials. This involves harnessing the potential of Carbon recycling and Circular Economy principles, offering affordable clean energy to all Indians, businesses, and utilities.
5. Retail: The company operates one of the largest retail chains in India, with over 18,000 stores across 7,000+ cities. Its retail business includes grocery stores, fashion and lifestyle stores, and electronics stores. Reliance Retail boasts a significant following, with over 249 million officially registered customers.
6. Jio: Jio Platforms Limited, known as Jio, is in the process of establishing an extensive digital ecosystem catering to a billion people in India. This platform company possesses specialised knowledge in various business sectors. Jio has committed substantial investments, surpassing $50 billion, since its inception. Jio offers a wide array of services, encompassing connectivity and cloud solutions, media, digital retail, financial services, gaming, education, healthcare, agriculture, Government-to-Citizen (G2C) initiatives, smart city projects, and manufacturing ventures. It owns and operates as one of the largest telecommunications companies in India, with more than 400 million subscribers.
7. Textiles: The company began as a textile manufacturer and still produces textiles today. Its products include denim, ethnic Indian wear, and fashion-driven clothing for kids. Reliance, operating from its Naroda facility, played a pivotal role in the production and promotion of India’s most renowned textile brand to date – ‘Vimal’.
8. Media: Reliance Industries owns several media companies, including Network18, which operates news channels and websites, and Viacom18, which produces and distributes television shows and movies.

The company has several subsidiaries and associate companies across various sectors, including energy, petrochemicals, retail, textiles, and telecommunications. Some of the major subsidiaries of Reliance Industries Limited are:

1. Jio Platforms Limited: Jio Platforms offers wireless telecommunication services in India. They provide a range of prepaid and postpaid plans, including international roaming and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, they offer consulting services.
2. Reliance Retail: Reliance Retail is the retail arm of Reliance Industries Limited. It boasts an extensive network of over 18,000 stores throughout India. These stores cater to diverse customer segments, spanning from value to luxury.
3. Jio Financial Services: Jio Financial Services is a financial arm of Reliance Industries Limited. They have investments in six companies, including Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings (RIIHL). They have plans to expand into merchant lending, retail funds and insurance services.
4. Just Dial Limited: Just Dial Limited is India’s premier local search engine, offering localised search-related services to users across the country through various platforms.
5. Network 18 Media: Network 18 Media manages a portfolio of media and entertainment brands across television, digital platforms, films, content creation, and more.

Key Personnel

Mukesh Ambani, Managing Director

Mukesh Ambani is the current Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited. He joined the company in 1981 and has been instrumental in its growth and diversification. Mr. Mukesh Ambani took the lead in establishing the world’s most extensive grassroots petroleum refinery, situated in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. He seamlessly took over petrochemicals, power generation, port facilities, and associated infrastructure business.

Corporate Actions

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has undertaken various corporate actions. Here are some of the actions taken by RIL and a few details about each:

Bonus shares

• In 2017, RIL announced a bonus issue of 1:1, which means that shareholders received one additional share for every share held.
• In 2009, RIL announced a bonus issue of 1:1, which means that shareholders received one additional share for every share held.

Rights issue

• In 2020, RIL announced a rights issue of 1:15, which means that shareholders were entitled to buy one share for every 15 shares held at a discounted price.

Merger and acquisitions

• In 2023, RIL is demerging its financial services business into Jio.
• In 2021, RIL acquired a controlling stake of 51% in Just Dial, an online search engine.
• In 2020, RIL acquired the retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing businesses of Future Group.

Management Outlook

• The company’s focus on innovation, scale, and backward integration has helped it maintain its leadership position in the Indian market. Reliance Industries is committed to driving growth and diversification across its various businesses.

• The organisation’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is centred on its enduring dedication to responsible growth and its profound belief in enhancing the well-being of its surrounding communities. All of its affiliated companies are closely integrated with the CSR initiatives administered through the Reliance Foundation.