Category: Leaders

The Fortune Spinner

When Anil Dhirubhai Ambani inherited business from his father in 2002, he was quite confident of turning it into a billion dollar conglomerate. An avid marathoner, Anil Ambani has paced his career too well. For Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), being a giant in the Indian conglomerate sector with an impressive presence in power, communications, infrastructure and capital funds across India was not enough. And Anil Amnbani was well-versed with this reality. Anil took on the management of the Reliance Group as the Chief Executive Officer.
At present, the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group is amongst India’s top 5 business houses and has the world’s largest Shareholder/Investor base of over 13 million.

Over the past couple of decades, Anil Ambani has transformed Reliance ADAG from being restricted to a single sector to being the leading business conglomerate in India. The group has assets in excess of Rs. 2,60,000 crore (USD 43 billion); annual revenues of the order of Rs. 56,000 crore (USD 9 billion); net worth of over Rs. 98,000 crore (USD 16 billion); and over 1,00,000 employees.

He currently chairs the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, with an estimated net revenue exceeding USD 12.5 billion. Anil took Reliance to great heights and today the group is a prominent name in several industries. He was also elected to be an independent Member of the Rajya Sabha in the year 2004. One of his many successful ventures has been the business acquisition of Adlabs, a dominant name in the entertainment sector.

He is the man who positioned Reliance at an approximate worth of USD 2 billion from the overseas financial markets. Not only is he an eminent personality in the corporate world, but is also popular amongst the youth, as he is fondly called a youth icon by many budding entrepreneurs across the world.

“Super brands” are not easy to make, and sometimes take generations to create. Ashok Kajaria—through relentless and indefatigable efforts, unwavering dedication for quality, and an enthusiasm for innovation—made Kajaria Ceramics a Super Brand in less than 3 decades. Kajaria Ceramics is internationally renowned today due to Ashok Kajaria’s unparalleled experience in the field—he keeps track of every relevant movement in the industry and uses it to his advantage. In the last 30 years, his strategic understanding of the market, production and the brands in the Ceramics industry has made Kajaria Ceramics a colossal brand.

Ashok Kajaria has reached new heights of production, meeting the national and international demands, through a three-pronged strategy: expanding the domestic production capacity, tie-ups with other facilities, and acquisitions. Strategic planning for further acquisitions is ongoing with a target for a greater hold in the domestic market, and eventually greater production capacity. In FY 2014–15, Kajaria Ceramics crossed a turnover of $370 million, and they are aiming for 18–20% topline growth in FY 2015–16. In three years, March 2013 to March 2016, Kajaria is projecting a turnover of almost $470 million plus and for that the company needs capex of approximately $66-70 million. Ashok Kajaria’s vision and leadership provision has made all this possible, and the future promising!

Ashok Kajaria’s leadership factors include 30 years of experience in the Ceramics industry, evolving into a deep understanding of the ins and outs of the market; intelligently utilising acquisitions to create a high market value; outperforming competitors by maintaining quality throughout; and displaying a rare level of vision and zeal for innovation that others in the industry are yet to match.

A keen entrepreneur, endowed with an unfailing sense of business acumen, an enthusiastic humble leader, committed to the task of building a strong organization, and a truly humane person, guided by steadfast ethical values, Dr. Ram Buxani, 74 a resident of Dubai for more than 56 years is a familiar figure in Dubai

Chairman of the world-wide ITL Group having interest in Consumer Electronics, IT, Textiles, Real Estate & Banking and employing over 500 Indians, Dr. Buxani is also the Director of several other companies spread around the globe. He is among the pioneer promoters of IndusInd Bank Ltd. in India and was its Director until recently. He is the Chairman of Veeram International Ltd., BVI, Chairman of Veeram International Ltd, Dubai, Chairman of ITL Group Ltd, BVI, Chairman of Cosmos General Trading LLC, Dubai and is on the Board of IndusInd International Holdings Ltd., Mauritius, and Vice Chairman of Al Razouki International Exchange Co., Dubai. He is also on the board of Sanjay-Gulf Industries Pvt. Ltd. and Cosmos-Sanjay Textile Mills Pvt. Ltd., Amritsar (Punjab).

He is a prominent spokesperson of the NRIs. He remained Chairman of Indian High School, Dubai, the biggest Indian school in the region, during 2000-2004 and was instrumental in routing over 6 Million Rupees, the highest amount from the area, for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for victims in Gujarat. He is also Board Member of Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs, Dubai, Board Member, Vice President, Rotary Club of Jumeirah (Dubai), Founder Chairman of Forum of Electronic Distributors covering nearly 30% of Dubai’s trade, Trustee of Sindhu Vidya Mandal Trust, Baroda, and IndusInd Foundation, New Delhi. Director of Chinmaya International Residential School, Coimbatore, Member, Board of Governors, IndusInd International Federation, New Delhi, Permanent Trustee and Chairman Indian Institute of Sindhology, Adipur, Trustee, GandhidhamMaitree Mandal, Gandhidham, Vice chairman, EkalVidyalay, India, Founder Governor of Indian Business Leaders Forum and is connected with many such other organizations.

“Dr. Buxani is also the Director of several other companies spread around the globe. He is among the pioneer promoters of IndusInd Bank Ltd. in India and was its Director”

Dr. Buxani has bagged many international laurels among others, like Shield by the President of India, Mr. GianiZail Singh at Vishva Sindhi Sammelan (World Sindhi Conference) for services to the community in the year 1983, Jhulelal Award by International Sindhi Panchayats Federation, Mumbai – presented by Shri ShankerDayal Sharma, the then Governor of Maharastra in 1987, Shiromani Award by Association of Shiromani Awards, New Delhi – presented by Dr.ShankerDayalSharma,the then Vice President of India in the year 1987, UdyogRatan Award by Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi – presented by Mr. A.K. Panja, the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India in the year 1987,Overseas Indian Award by Priyadarshini Academy – presented by Mr. K. Brahmananda Reddy, the Governor of Maharashtra in the year 1988, Sindhu Rattan Awardby Sindhu Sabha, New Delhi in the year 1999, Jewel ofSindhis AwardbyJantaJanardanParishad in 2000,Sindhu Bhushan Award by All India Sindhi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ahmedabad in the year 2001, and BharatGaurav Awardby Indian Merchants’ Chamber, Mumbai presented by Mr. BalasahebVikhe Patel, Union Minister of State for Finance, Govt. of India in the year 2002. SindhiRatan Award by Sindhi Jagriti Sabha, New Delhi in the year 2007. Sindhu GauravAward by International Sindhu Chamber of Commerce, Pune in the year 2015. He was conferred with Special Recognition Award by well-known weekly “Masala” for most outstanding contribution to the growth of the U.A.E.