The Ideal Beginning
He formally joined Reliance industries in 1981, and worked at different levels, gradually rising to the present highest position.
He advanced the company in the backward vertical integration, a process of taking ownership of supply systems, or at least controlling them. If properly carried out, it can cut down on the middlemen, lowering the cost of products and services, with an increase in profit both for the customer and the company.
In this form, he took the company from textiles into polyester fibers and further into petrochemicals, petroleum refining, going all the way into oil and gas exploration and production.
He also set up, Reliance Communications limited, one of the largest and most complex information and communications technology initiatives in the world.
At Jamnagar, India, he created the world's largest grassroots petroleum refineries, with a current capacity of 660,000 barrels per day; integrated with petrochemicals, power generation, port and related infrastructure.