Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Asia's wealthiest individual, has continued his streak of drawing no salary from his conglomerate. According to the company's latest annual report, Ambani has opted for zero remuneration for the fiscal year 2025-26, marking the sixth consecutive year he has foregone his pay, allowances, perquisites, and retirement benefits. This decision underscores his leadership philosophy of prioritizing the company's financial health and growth potential over personal compensation.
Historical Context of Salary Waiver
Before the current zero-salary phase, Mukesh Ambani had voluntarily capped his annual remuneration at 15 crore rupees for over a decade, specifically from the fiscal year 2008-09 to 2019-20. This cap was maintained as a gesture of moderation in managerial compensation levels. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fiscal year 2020-21, Ambani decided to completely waive his salary. He expressed that he would refrain from taking any remuneration until the company and all its diverse businesses returned to their full earning potential. This voluntary commitment has now been extended through the fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and the upcoming 2025-26.
Reliance Industries Financial Performance
The decision comes at a time when Reliance Industries has reported stellar financial results. For the fiscal year 2025-26, the company achieved a record-breaking profit of 95,754 crore rupees. 19 lakh crore rupees. Despite these massive figures, the head of the empire remains committed to his zero-salary pledge. Ambani, who is ranked as the 21st richest person in the world with a net worth of approximately 100 billion dollars, relies on other avenues for his income.
Dividend Income as Primary Source
While Mukesh Ambani doesn't draw a monthly paycheck, his primary source of earnings remains dividend income from his significant shareholding in the company. 61 crore shares in Reliance Industries. 66 crore rupees. This structure aligns his personal financial gains directly with the returns provided to all shareholders of the company.
Remuneration of Other Board Members and Executives
The annual report also detailed the compensation of other key executives and board members. Ambani's cousins, Nikhil Meswani and Hital Meswani, saw their remuneration remain stable at 25 crore rupees each, which includes salary, allowances, retirement benefits, and commission on profits. 96 crore rupees in the previous fiscal year 2024-25.
Next Generation and Board Roles
In October 2023, Mukesh Ambani's children—Isha, Akash, and Anant Ambani—were inducted into the Board of Directors of Reliance Industries. Following their father's lead, they don't receive a fixed salary for their roles. Instead, they're compensated through sitting fees and a commission on profits. 5 crore rupees as commission. Mukesh Ambani has been on the board of Reliance since 1977 and took over as Chairman in July 2002 following the passing of the group's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani. In 2023, he was reappointed as the head of Reliance for another five-year term until April 2029, during which he intends to continue his zero-salary policy.