From Defence to Green energy deals, how Anil Ambani is quietly reviving his Reliance Group with the help of…
Anil Ambani has not tasted the same level of professional success as his illustrious older sibling, Mukesh Ambani– Asia’s richest man. But the junior Ambani has witnessed a recent turnaround of fortunes, and is quietly, yet steadily reviving his debt-ridden Reliance Group business empire with the help of his two sons, Jai Anmol Ambani and Jai Anshul Ambani.
While other conglomerates have moved to sectors like AI and related areas, Anil Ambani has focused on two emerging sectors, green energy and defense, which are a key part of Indian government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Ambani’s focused vision has paid off as Reliance Power and Reliance Infrastructure, two of Reliance Group’s last remaining profitable companies, are now completely debt-free and churning out profits after years of bankruptcy.
Anil Ambani’s focus on green energy, defense
Reliance Power has several inked major deals this year, including its subsidiary, Reliance NU Energies, securing an allocation of 350 MW of solar generation capacity paired with a 175 MW/700 MWh battery storage system.
Reliance NU Suntech, another Reliance Power subsidiary, has 25-year purchase agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to build Asia’s largest integrated solar and battery storage project, at an investment of up to Rs 10,000 crore, The mega solar power project is aimed to build a 930 MW solar capacity paired with 465 MW/1860 MWh battery storage.
Additionally, the Reliance Group has also acquired a Rs 2000 crore contract for a setting up a 500 MW solar project, and a 750 MW hydroelectric project in Bhutan in partnership with Druk Holding.
In the defense sector, Reliance Defence, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, has partnered with German arms maker Rheinmetall AG to manufacture propellants and explosives in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. The two partners will set up a factory as part of the proposed 1,000-acre Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City.
Earlier, Reliance Defence signed similar deals with French Dassault Aviation and Thales. In a recent statement, Anil Ambani revealed that his goal was to make Reliance Defence among India top three defence exporters.
How Anil Ambani made Reliance Infra and Reliance Power debt-free?
Last year, Anil Ambani raised Rs 17,600 crore to further reduce the debt burden of his companies. According to media reports, only two listed companies of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group, Reliance Infra and Reliance Power, have managed to become completely debt-free, while most of group’s other firms still owe substantial amounts to creditors.
Both Reliance Infra and Reliance Power, along with their subsidiaries, started repaying loans in September last year, and are now debt-free, as per reports. Anil Ambani began investing funds into both these companies in August 2024, and funds were raised through Foreign Convertible Currency Bonds (FCCB) and Preferential Issue.
Together, Reliance Infra and Reliance Power issued a preferential equity issue worth Rs 4500 crore, apart from raising Rs 7100 crore from Varde Partners via FCCB. Additionally, the two firms also raised Rs 3000 crore each Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
Anil Ambani’s sons powering Reliance Group revival?
The remarkable comeback story of Anil Ambani is powered by none other than his two sons, Jai Anmol Ambani, and his younger brother, Jai Anshul Ambani. The two brothers, who joined their father’s business when everything was going downhill, have revived the Reliance Group with their sharp business acumen.
Jai Anmol and Jai Anshul have taken up leadership roles within the indebted Reliance Group, and have helped the Anil Ambani-led company to secure new deals, and cut down the mammoth debt faced by many of the group’s companies.
Anil’s elder son, Jai Anmol Ambani, attempted a revival of Reliance Capital, but despite his best efforts, could not save the debt-ridden firm from going bust and being taken over Hinduja Group’s IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), while Jai Anshul Ambani, Anmol’s younger sibling is assisting the Reliance Group in two new ventures, Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, and Reliance Capital Asset Management.
Notably, both Anil Ambani and his son Jai Anmol have recently stepped from management of Reliance Power and Reliance Power, and even
sought declassification as promoter shareholders, though company filing still contain their names.
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