Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, marked the 25th anniversary of the Jamnagar Refinery on Sunday, December 28, 2024. The day also marked the 92nd birthday of Dhirubhai Ambani—the visionary behind the refinery. The Jamnagar Refinery began operations in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on the same date in 1999. Over the past 25 years, the refinery has contributed significantly to the country’s progress, accounting for 25 per cent of India’s petroleum refining capacity, according to the company.
At the recent commemoration of the completion of 25 years of the Jamnagar Refinery, Nita Ambani, Chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and a director of Reliance Industries, while addressing the families of the refinery’s staff, honoured her father-in-law’s vision and said, “Jamnagar was his (Dhirubhai Ambani) karma bhoomi (the land of duty)...This is where Papa (Dhirubhai Ambani) saw the big dream of setting up the world’s largest grassroot refinery.”
Turning back time
The original land offered to Dhirubhai Ambani for the refinery was in a barren and desolate region near the village of Motikhavdi, on the outskirts of Jamnagar. Despite the lack of basic infrastructure—such as roads, electricity, or even sufficient drinking water—Reliance Industries invested in the region. At the time, experts doubted the feasibility of setting up a refinery in such challenging conditions, stating that it would be impossible for an Indian company to build a grassroots refinery in three years. However, Reliance defied these predictions by successfully completing the project in just 33 months.
Turning back time
The original land offered to Dhirubhai Ambani for the refinery was in a barren and desolate region near the village of Motikhavdi, on the outskirts of Jamnagar. Despite the lack of basic infrastructure—such as roads, electricity, or even sufficient drinking water—Reliance Industries invested in the region. At the time, experts doubted the feasibility of setting up a refinery in such challenging conditions, stating that it would be impossible for an Indian company to build a grassroots refinery in three years. However, Reliance defied these predictions by successfully completing the project in just 33 months.
Today, the refinery is the world’s largest oil refinery with 1.4 million barrels per day (MMBPD) crude processing capacity and a complexity index of 21.1.
One of the key pillars of the refinery's success is Kokilaben Ambani, wife of Dhirubhai Ambani, and Jamnagar was called her janmabhoomi (the land of birth) by Nita Ambani in her address, highlighting how the land represents Kokilaben’s roots and values.
A dream that shaped Jamnagar
Despite the challenges of working on a barren piece of land, having to reshape the topography, and investing in ensuring basic infrastructure for the refinery, Dhirubhai Ambani’s dream did turn into reality. Highlighting Mukesh Ambani’s dedication towards shaping his father’s vision, Nita Ambani said, “For Mukesh, the land has been his shraddhabhoomi—the land of devotion and respect…where Mukesh helped to turn his father into reality.”
For the Ambani family, Jamnagar is more than just a piece of land—it is the beating heart of their legacy, embodying the trust, dreams, and aspirations that define their journey.