About RIL
Reliance Industries Limited (BSE: 500325) is India’s largest private sector conglomerate (by market value), with an annual turnover of US$ 44.6 billion and profit of US$ 3.6 billion for the fiscal year ending in March 2010 making it one of India’s private sector Fortune Global 500 companies, being ranked at 264th position (2009).
It was founded by the Indian industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani in 1966. Ambani has been a pioneer in introducing financial instruments like fully convertible debentures to the Indian stock markets. Ambani was one of the first entrepreneurs to draw retail investors to the stock markets. Critics allege that the rise of Reliance Industries to the top slot in terms of market capitalization is largely due to Dhirubhai’s ability to manipulate the levers of a controlled economy to his advantage. Though the company’s oil-related operations form the core of its business, it has diversified its operations in recent years. After severe differences between the founder’s two sons, Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, the group was divided between them in 2006. In September 2008, Reliance Industries was the only Indian firm featured in the Forbes’s list of “world’s 100 most respected companies”.
According to the company website “1 out of every 4 investors in India is a Reliance shareholder.” . Reliance has more than 3 million shareholders, making it one of the world’s most widely held stock. Reliance Industries Ltd, subsequent to its split in January 2006 has continued to grow. Reliance companies have been among the best performing in the Indian stock market.
Reliance Industries Limited has a wide range of products from petroleum products, petrochemicals, to garments (under the brand name of Vimal), Reliance Retail has entered into the fresh foods market as Reliance Fresh and launched a new chain called Delight Reliance Retail and NOVA Chemicals have signed a letter of intent to make energy-efficient structures. The primary business of the company is petroleum refining and petrochemicals. It operates a 33 million tonne refinery at Jamnagar in the Indian state of Gujarat. Reliance has also completed a second refinery of 29 million tons at the same site which started operations in December 2008. The company is also involved in oil & gas exploration and production. In 2002, it struck a major find on India’s eastern coast in the Krishna Godavari basin. Gas production from this find was started on April 2, 2009. As of the end of 3rd quarter of 2009-2010, gas production from the KG D6 ramped up to 60 MMSCMD.
Major Subsidiaries & Associates
- Reliance Petroleum Limited (RPL) was a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and was created to exploit the emerging opportunities, creating value in the refining sector worldwide.Currently, RPL stands amalgamated with RIL.
- Reliance Life Sciences is a research-driven, biotechnology-led, life sciences organization that participates in medical, plant and industrial biotechnology opportunities. Specifically, these relate to Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals, Clinical Research Services, Regenerative Medicine, Molecular Medicine, Novel Therapeutics, Biofuels, Plant Biotechnology and Industrial Biotechnology.
- Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited (RIIL) is engaged in the business of setting up / operating Industrial Infrastructure that also involves leasing and providing services connected with computer software and data processing.
- Reliance Institute of Life Sciences (Rils), established by Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, is an institution of higher education in various fields of life sciences and related technologies.
- Reliance Logistics (P) Limited is a single window solutions provider for transportation, distribution, warehousing, logistics, and supply chain needs, supported by in house state of art telematics and telemetry solutions.
- Reliance Clinical Research Services (RCRS), a contract research organization (CRO) and wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Life Sciences, has been set up to provide clinical research services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies.
- Reliance Solar, The solar energy initiative of Reliance aims to bring solar energy systems and solutions primarily to remote and rural areas and bring about a transformation in the quality of life.
- Relicord is the first and one of the most dependable stem-cell banking services of South East Asia offered by Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries.
