Key Points

Mukesh Ambani has not taken any salary from Reliance Industries for five years straight. This practice started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a gesture of solidarity. Even before this, his compensation was capped at Rs 15 crore despite RIL's massive growth. The move highlights his commitment to ethical corporate governance.

Key Points: Mukesh Ambani Foregoes Salary for Fifth Year Setting Corporate Benchmark

  • Mukesh Ambani draws zero salary for fifth straight year
  • Decision began during COVID-19 as a leadership gesture
  • Prior salary capped at Rs 15 crore since 2008-09
  • RIL contributes Rs 2 trillion to national exchequer in FY25
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Fifth year in a row, RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani draws zero salary; sets benchmark for corporate world

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani continues his zero-salary stance for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing ethical corporate leadership.

"Mukesh D Ambani voluntarily decided to forego his entire remuneration in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. – RIL Annual Report"

Mumbai August 7

For the fifth consecutive year, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has voluntarily foregone his entire remuneration, including salary, allowances, perquisites, retiral benefits and commission, setting a rare example of leadership in the corporate world.

RIL's Annual Report for FY2024-25 noted that Ambani continued the practice he began in June 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of pandemic and economic crisis, RIL Chairman decided to lead by example. Since then, for five successive financial years starting from FY21 through FY25 he has drawn no financial compensation in any form from the company.

"In light of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, which exacted a huge toll on the societal, economic and industrial health of the nation, Mukesh D Ambani had voluntarily decided to forego his entire remuneration," the company stated in the report.

This move, which was initially perceived as a temporary gesture, has now become an enduring hallmark of Ambani's leadership style.

Even prior to this, Ambani had his compensation capped at Rs 15 crore since 2008-09. This was despite the exponential growth in Reliance's revenues and profitability over the years.

From FY21 to FY25, Ambani did not avail of any stock options, commission, retiral benefits or perquisites, despite leading India's largest private sector company with diversified interests in energy, retail, telecom and digital services.

Reliance Industries, which crossed Rs 2 trillion in contribution to the national exchequer in FY25 alone and over Rs 10 trillion over the past six years, continues to maintain a sharp focus on shareholder value creation and responsible leadership.Over the last ten years Reliance Industries has created 5x value for its shareholders.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Respect for Mr. Ambani's gesture, but let's not forget he's still earning through dividends and share value growth. The real test would be if other executives also follow suit. The salary gap between top management and regular employees remains huge in India.
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Aryan P
Meanwhile, some CEOs take crores while laying off employees. Ambani sir shows what true leadership means! 🇮🇳 Hope this inspires more ethical business practices across corporate India.
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Sarah B
As someone working in HR, I find this fascinating. While symbolic, it does raise questions about compensation structures. Shouldn't performance-based pay still apply regardless of personal wealth? Interesting case study for business schools!
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Karthik V
The real story is how RIL has grown 5x under his leadership without taking a salary. Shows money isn't always the motivation - vision and nation-building matter more. Jai Hind!
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Nisha Z
Great gesture, but I wish companies would focus more on fair wages for junior employees rather than these symbolic CEO salary cuts. The ₹2 trillion tax contribution is the real achievement here 💯

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