Reliance Group founder Dhirubhai Ambani’s 91-year-old widow Kokilaben Ambani, who is the mother of industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, was airlifted and admitted to HN Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on Friday morning.
The Ambani family’s convoy arrived at the hospital in South Mumbai, sparking concern about her health. Doctors have not disclosed details of her medical condition and neither has Reliance Industries released any statement about her health.
Soon after her admission to the hospital, Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani was seen arriving at Mumbai’s Kalina airport before heading directly to the hospital.
Born on February 24, 1934, in Jamnagar, Gujarat, Kokilaben married Dhirubhai Ambani in 1955 and has since been at the centre of one of India’s most influential business families. She has four children, namely Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries; Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance ADA Group; Nina Kothari and Dipti Salgaocar.
Though Kokilaben Ambani is not actively involved in the daily operations of Reliance, she has been a driving force in the family. The Ambani family collectively owns nearly half of Reliance’s holdings as they own 50.39% of the shares. The remaining 49.61% is dispersed among public shareholders, including foreign institutional investors.
However, Kokilaben Ambani has an estimated net worth of around Rs 18,000 crore and she owns more than 1.57 crore shares in Reliance Industries, representing about 0.24% of the company’s total equity, which makes her the Ambani family member with the largest individual holding in Reliance. In comparison, Mukesh Ambani owns only about 0.12% of the company.
Following Dhirubhai Ambani’s death in 2002, Kokilaben Ambani played a key role in mediating between her sons during a high-profile division of the Reliance empire, helping to ease tensions and preserve family harmony.
Kokilaben Ambani has been actively associated with several philanthropic, charitable and social welfare initiatives, particularly in healthcare. The Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, one of the country’s premier multi-speciality medical facilities, stands as a tribute to her commitment to social causes and public welfare.