‘How proud Mota Pappa would be’: Isha Ambani remembers Dhirubhai, Reliance's 1st public offering | Jio IPO listing

Isha Ambani remembered Dhirubhai Ambani as someone who trusted ordinary Indians with his dreams. She said her grandfather believed everyone deserved a share in India's growth. Humble beginnings, she explained, should never prevent people from becoming owners.

Dhirubhai invited ordinary families to support his vision through their savings and dreams. Isha described their response as a relationship built on trust. Almost 50 years later, she said, that trust had come full circle.

Her remarks also included a recent family conversation over dinner. Mukesh Ambani had recalled working on Reliance's first public offering in 1977. He was only 20 years old then.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

1

What did Isha Ambani recall about Dhirubhai Ambani and Reliance’s first public offering?⌵

Isha said Dhirubhai believed ordinary Indians deserved a share in the country’s growth and invited families to support his vision. She also recalled that Mukesh Ambani was 20 and working on Reliance’s first public offering in 1977.

2

Why did Dhirubhai Ambani take Reliance to the people?⌵

Isha said Dhirubhai wanted ordinary families to support Reliance through their savings and dreams. She described the relationship with those investors as one built on trust.

3

What did Anant Ambani say Jio’s dream was?⌵

Anant described Jio as the dream of bringing internet access to every hand and connecting every village with the wider world.

4

How did Jio Platforms shares perform on their listing?⌵

Jio Platforms shares opened at ₹1,358, compared with the IPO offer price of ₹1,119—a 21% premium. The IPO was subscribed more than 22 times.

5

What did Akash Ambani say about the response to Jio’s IPO?⌵

Akash Ambani said the response to the IPO had surpassed expectations. He thanked Jio’s new shareholders and said the company aimed to grow with them.

Isha said her father reflected on how far the journey had travelled. He spoke about Sri Krishna's blessings and how proud Dhirubhai would have been.

“My father smiled and said, 'He could have never imagined how far Sri Krishna's blessings would carry this journey, and how proud my grandfather, Mota Pappa, would be.',” Isha said while remembering the dinner-table conversation.

For Isha, her father's reaction reflected a continuing sense of wonder. Despite spending his life making difficult goals possible, he remained excited about new beginnings. She said he continued to dream with the enthusiasm of someone just starting.

Isha Ambani also thanked investors for believing in Jio and supporting its future. She said the family accepted their faith with gratitude, humility and responsibility. Her message linked the grandfather's relationship with ordinary investors to the present generation.

She said Jio had earned about $15.5 billion in revenue this year. She also put its real earnings at about $8 billion. According to Isha, few companies have achieved this within only 10 years.

She credited Jio's approach to her father's belief in creating genuine customer value. Strong earnings, she said, would follow when customers received that value.

Earlier, Mukesh Ambani appeared tearful, while Anant Ambani remembered Dhirubhai's modest beginnings. Anant traced the family's dreams from Chorwad to Jamnagar and later to Jio.

Dhirubhai started with a modest home in Chorwad, where a dream took shape. Anant recalled Dhirubhai working at a petrol pump in Aden. His grandfather, Anant said, had neither money nor connections.

Anant presented that journey as encouragement for ordinary Indians with ambitious dreams. Dhirubhai's example showed that humble circumstances need not limit a person's hopes.

He then turned to Mukesh's determination that India should never lag behind other countries. Anant recalled Jamnagar's barren land becoming home to the world's largest refinery. He said the achievement showed that Indian efforts could command global attention.

Together, the siblings' remarks linked Dhirubhai's beginnings to the family's ongoing ambitions. Their accounts placed trust, opportunity and dreams at the heart of that remarkable journey.

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.

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