Meet Mukesh Ambani’s right hand who gave up Rs 750000000 salary to become a monk; his name is…, served in Reliance Industries as…
Reliance Industries is one of the largest and most powerful companies in India, led by the well-known industrialist Mukesh Ambani. Under his guidance, Reliance has grown into a diverse group of sectors, including petrochemicals, retail, telecommunications, and digital services, creating a formidable force not just in India but also across the globe. However, managing a conglomerate of this size and complexity cannot be done alone. Running one successfully necessitates a devoted team of trustworthy and loyal individuals with experience and skills to help support the company’s vision.
To operate such a large organization, Ambani has and works with a select group of trusted team members who help guide the company along the path to prosperity. This group of trusted advisers included Prakash Shah, who was once Mukesh Ambani’s right-hand man. Shah was the Vice President at Reliance Industries and had a significant impact on the company’s journey for years.
Meet Mukesh Ambani’s right hand who gave up Rs 750000000 salary to become a monk; his name is…, served in Reliance Industries as…
After long, impactful years of working closely with Ambani, Prakash Shah made a life-changing decision: he decided to abandon worldly affairs and take ‘diksha’ (initiation into a religious order). On the holy day of Mahavir Jayanti, Prakash Shah and his wife, Naina Shah, decided to take their first steps toward a life of spirituality by taking ‘diksha’. Prakash Shah had always wanted to go on the path of renunciation, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed this aspiration. After years of service to Reliance Industries and a calling from his inner self, he put his plan into action with his wife, entering a sacred moment in their lives.
For anyone that may not know, to take ‘diksha’ is a sacred act by which a person renounces worldly life and becomes an ascetic, vowing all intent to refrain from sin and perform only the right actions while achieving ultimate salvation.
Prakash Shah has two sons—one of whom had taken ‘diksha’ several years prior. His other son is married with a young child, continuing the lineage of the family in the worldly sense. Prakash did a graduation in chemical engineering and post post-graduation from IIT Bombay.
Prakash Shah, formerly known as Mukesh Ambani’s right-hand man, was a key member of Reliance Industries, and he rose through the ranks in the organization to become Vice President, Project Division.
Shah was involved in the delivery of a number of notable projects, including the Jamnagar Petcoke gasification project and the marketing of Petcoke as a product. According to media reports, at the time of his retirement, Prakash Shah was earning an annual salary of Rs 75 crore. Despite such a successful and high-profile corporate career, he chose to step away from it all to embrace a life of spirituality by taking ‘diksha’.
Studied engineering from IIT, worked in Reliance as Vice President
These days, living as a monk, Prakash Shah walks barefoot, wears simple white robes, and survives on alms. At 64 years of age, he has completely renounced worldly comforts in search of spiritual fulfillment. His initiation ceremony was held in Borivali, Mumbai, marking a significant turning point in his life.
Ironically, his son is also on the spiritual path—six years ago, when his son took ‘diksha’ he was given the name ‘Bhuvan Jeet Maharaj.’ Reflecting on his always unresolved pursuit of a ‘sannyasi,’ he said, ‘Since childhood, I had a desire to take initiation. The spiritual bliss and mental peace derived from it are incomparable.’
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