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Akash Ambani on work-life balance: Jio boss opens up about working for 12 hours, thanks wife Shloka for understanding
Akash Ambani shared that the philosophy behind his perception of work-life balance is inspired by his parents, Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani, while speaking at Mumbai Tech Week, opened up about the equation of balancing work and life. In a conversation with Harsh Jain, CEO of Dream Sports, he shared a simple rule that he follows, adding that it is something that he learnt from his parents - Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani.
“How do you manage Jio, this amazing company and this work-life balance between them?” Jain asks. Ambani starts by thanking everyone, adding that he doesn’t do a lot of public speaking. He also thanks his sister Isha Ambani and wife Shloka Mehta for being with him to “give him the confidence.”
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Work-life balance: What does it mean for Akash Ambani?
“Coming to balance you know, I have been very very fortunate that I have grown up with a very close-knit family,” he says, adding the importance of his twin sister in his life.
“The first thing is about the values inside the family and for us the work was never looked at as the balancing part of life, it was always something which was the biggest part of our life,” Akash Ambani says.
“Growing up… you know… we saw our parents both my father and mother… you know… not only try to balance family and work but make them both the biggest priorities of our lives,” he continues. He adds that this is a philosophy that he has embodied while working for Reliance for the past ten years.
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“So the question of balance really does not come... of balancing family or work. Both are the biggest priorities of my life. And, there is one simple funda that I think we all need to embody is… you know… the priorities of your life… and as you grow older, your priorities change, but you want to make sure that your priorities are something that is meaningful to make your life what you imagine it to be,” he expresses and concludes his answer - which also earns him a thumbs up from his wife.
“Quality over quantity”
During a rapid-fire round after the session, Ambani was asked if he would prefer to work from 8 am to 5 pm or 5 pm to 8 am. The Jio boss explained that his work stretches well beyond 12 hours and thanked his wife for being understanding about his work.
