Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani is perhaps one of the the most inspirational woman I have ever known. I read with interest a very well written and informative article by Shuchita Sonalika, the UK Director and Head, CII, in Asian Voice last week. Shuchita described 11 outstanding women who have in a way done us all proud. Equally I believe there are many more in the UK from Indian background who have made us walk tall in various ways- by building up their own businesses, helping their spouses and family in their entrepreneurship besides raising their children, family members and most importantly the cohesion of the households.
Shuchita’s article encouraged me to refer to 346 pages of Kokilaben's book, on the life story of her husband, titled 'Dhirubhai Ambani: The Man I knew'. The book is full of factual information narrated frankly. Perhaps very few successful people would allow the reader to dwell into their very humble beginning, challenges and hardship along the way.
Let us look at some important time line event in their life. Dhirubhai was born on 28 December 1932 at Chorwad, Gujarat. His father was a primary school teacher in the village. In 1950, Dhirubhai migrated to Aden with the help of one Mr Patel who secured him a job and permission to work. His first and only job was at Abess & Co, in Aden, where at one stage he was a petrol pump attendant.
After 5 years he returned to India and married Kokilaben Patel of Jamnagar in 1955. The couple returned to Aden immediately and on 19th April 1957 son Mukesh was born. In 1958 Dhirubhai, Kokilaben with son Mukesh returned to India for good and moved into a one room flat at the Jai Hind estate in Bhuleshwar, Mumbai (this perhaps is hyperbole but Kokilaben to her credit has put the photograph of their first ever residence in Mumbai, which in common parlance is called 'chawl' (one room with kitchen and communal washroom and toilets).
Kokilaben’s story speaks about subsequent 3 residences of the Ambani family. The current and the most expensive house of Mumbai is unique in many ways. Dhirubhai started a spice trading company and named it Reliance Commercial Corporation - proving the visionary he forever was. Subsequently the business went into Art Silk Yarn trading, then manufacturing, then industry and eventually Jamnagar Refinery and many other enterprises.
The important contribution of Kokilaben was her tremendous inputs in motivating Dhirubhai to give up that humble job in Aden and decide to return to India; especially to settle in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. It was the footwork and perhaps thinking of Kokilaben as a house wife in Aden to locate the potential of exporting spices, condiments and other things from Mumbai to Aden and then other destinations in the surrounding area. Though Dhirubhai had a humble beginning, his moto was 'Growth is Life'. He once told his daughter Dipti, that in his vocabulary two words did not exist - 'impossible' and 'retirement'. Equally when Dipti asked her father what he attributed his success to, he said two other words again, 'guts' and 'luck'. Perhaps he was too modest when he attributed his success to luck, because many other would not reach where he did, just with luck.
Kokilaben was successful in persuading her husband to give up a reasonably well paid job in Aden and return to the insecurities and challenges of restarting a life from scratch in Mumbai. It must not have been easy. Securing a modest accommodation was a very big achievement in itself, all thanks to the network of Kokilaben - her girlfriends and distance relationships.
Once a small base was available in Mumbai, Dhirubhai put his heart and soul and there was no looking back. From the small counter to his trading activity, Dhirubhai built up the largest Indian conglomerate in the shortest time. But as it happens into most of such families, with gigantic success, comes competitive temperaments resulting into rifts. In 2005 Reliance split into two. Mukesh and Anil though agreed to look after individual businesses, the separation itself brought many painful problems. To me that is the most delicate moment when Kokilaben’s real leadership as a matriarch of the family, especially in the absence of Dhirubhai, was able to steer two brothers correctly, as well as diplomatically.
I have met Kokilaben in India and attending events where she was present abroad. One event I distinctly remember, in 1998. There was International Gujarati convention in Mumbai and Kokilaben was invited as the Chief Guest. Mr Krishnakant Vekaria, a childhood friend of Dhirubhai (he accompanied Dhirubhai when he went to see Kokilaben for the first time at Jamnagar in 1955) and the Chairman of Vishwa Gujarati Samaj introduced me to her as the Vice President. It was short ceremony, but the presence of a beautiful and powerful woman, full of grace and dignity, touched me. It is the woman which has the capacity and charm to be the bridge-builder, to heal the wounds of family feuds and above all to inspire, encourage and energise the spouses and family to scale higher beyond one’s normal imagination.
Dhirubhai passed away on 6 July 2002, but Reliance has proved to be of great significance to the progress of India both at home and abroad. Dhirubhai created it but Kokilaben nourished it in my view. There are many many Kokilabens in our world today and this column is my humble tribute to those unsung heroes.
