'Today, Jio is shared with India': Highlights of Anant Ambani's speech at Jio listing ceremony

Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani on Wednesday described Jio’s stock market debut as a moment of gratitude to the millions of Indians who helped build the telecom company, saying it received blessing from the entire nation.

Speaking at the listing ceremony of Jio at NSE in Mumbai, Anant said the company’s 530 million subscribers had made its journey possible and pledged to help realise the digital aspirations of “Viksit Bharat”.

Read: Full text of the speech

He also highlighted Jio’s role in transforming everyday life, acknowledged the contribution of employees and partners, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Digital India vision.

Here are five key highlights from Anant Ambani’s speech at the Jio listing ceremony.

1. ‘Today, Jio is shared with India’

Anant began his speech by expressing gratitude to the millions of Indians who believed in Jio and helped the company reach this milestone. He described the listing as an occasion to share the fruits of the company's journey with the country.

“Let me begin with the one word that matters most today: gratitude. To the millions who believed in Jio and made this day possible, aap sabka dil se bahut bahut aabhaar.”

Drawing a spiritual parallel, he said the ringing of the stock exchange bell carried a significance beyond the financial markets.

“Today, the bell at the Exchange will ring for me like a temple bell. Because for me, business is Puja. And every Puja ends with Prasad.”

He added that the occasion was being dedicated to several Hindu deities and Bharat Mata before reiterating his message of sharing the achievement with the country.

“Prasad is always shared. Today, Jio is shared with India.”

2. From Dhirubhai Ambani’s dream to Mukesh Ambani’s vision

Anant traced the origins of the Reliance story to his grandfather, Dhirubhai Ambani, whose journey from modest beginnings to building a major business empire embodied the ambition of an ordinary Indian.

“Barson pehle, Chorwad (coastal town in Junagadh, Gujarat) ke ek saadharan ghar se bhi ek sapna nikla tha. Ek ladka, jo Aden mein petrol pump par naukri karta tha. Na paisa. Na pehchaan. Hamare aadaraneeya Dadaji, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani.”

He said Dhirubhai demonstrated that an ordinary Indian could aspire to extraordinary achievements.

“Unhone dikhaya ki ek saadharan Bharatiya bhi asaadharan sapna dekh sakta hai.”

Anant then turned to his father, Mukesh Ambani, and the vision of building world-class infrastructure in India, citing the development of Reliance's Jamnagar refinery as an example.

“Phir hamare Pitaji ne sapna dekha: Bharat kisi se peeche nahin rahega.”

“Jamnagar ki banjar kahi jaane wali zameen par, duniya ki sabse badi refinery khada karke dikhaya. Unhone dikhaya ki jab Bharat banata hai, toh duniya dekhti hai.”

He said Jio emerged from a new ambition for a young India: bringing internet access to every hand and connecting every village to the world.

“Phir aaya naya Bharat. Yuva Bharat. Aur ek naya sapna: har haath mein internet ka, har gaon mein duniya ka.”

“Is sapne ka naam tha Jio.”

Anant also acknowledged the roles played by his siblings in the business, crediting Isha Ambani with planting the seeds of the idea and Akash Ambani with making it his own.

“Is sapne ke beej ko Isha Didi ne boya. Aur Aakash Bhai ne us beej ko apna sapna bana liya.”

3. ‘Three bodies, but one soul’

Anant described the shared commitment of the three Ambani siblings to fulfilling the aspirations of Jio's customers, presenting the company's journey as a collective family effort.

“Today, Isha Didi, Akash Bhai, and I stand before you as three bodies, but one soul, with one commitment: to honour these dreams.”

He said Reliance would continue to pursue new ambitions while remaining rooted in the values and vision passed down through generations of the family.

“Reliance will keep dreaming new dreams. But its roots stay the same: my grandfather’s dream, my grandmother’s blessings, my father’s guidance, and my mother’s sanskaar of humility and care.”

Anant also invoked the blessings associated with Jio's name, pointing to the word's everyday associations with well-wishing and longevity.

“Jio, shayad duniya ka pehla aisa naam, jo khud ek aashirvaad hai.”

He recounted how family members and friends had embraced the name with expressions of affection.

“Maa ne kaha, ‘Jiyo mere laal.’”

“Daadi ne kaha, ‘Jug jug jiyo.’”

“Aur doston ne kaha, ‘Jiyo yaar!’”

4. How Jio changed everyday life

Anant highlighted how connectivity had become integral to daily life in India, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when schools closed but education continued.

“Jab duniya ruk gayi thi, school band hue, lekin padhai nahin ruki. Beta ghar chhodkar shehar gaya, par maa door nahin hui. Sabzi aur kitni der pakani hai, Maa ne video call par sabzi ka rang dekhkar bata diya. (When the world came to a standstill, schools shut down, but education did not stop. A son moved away from home to a city, but his mother was never far away. She could even tell him how much longer a vegetable needed to cook by looking at its colour over a video call.)”

He also pointed to the ability to access religious services and participate in the digital economy through mobile connectivity.

He cited examples ranging from social media creators building audiences through their phones to soldiers staying connected with their families while serving at the border.

He attributed these connections to Jio's network, describing its role as fundamental to India's digital transformation.

“Beech mein, bas ek connection: Jio.”

“Jio dikhta nahin. Par Bharat ke har digital sapne mein dhadakta hai (“Jio may not be visible, but it beats at the heart of every digital dream in India.)”

Anant also acknowledged Jio's large subscriber base, referring to its 530 million customers as members of the Jio family.

He added: “Jio aapne banaya. Aapke sapne poore karna, yahi hamara sapna hai. (All of you helped build Jio. Our dream is to fulfill yours)”

5. Pledging support for Viksit Bharat

Anant credited Jio's growth to the efforts of employees across the organisation, including field teams, technicians, engineers, service staff, store teams and retail partners.

“To every member of the Jio family: the field teams, the technicians who climbed towers in rain and heat, the engineers, the service staff, the store teams, our retail partners, and all their families.”

He said the company's success belonged to those who had contributed to building its network and operations.

“Aaj Jio jo kuch bhi hai, aap sab ki wajah se hai.”

“This day is yours. Aapki mehnat aaj safal ho rahi hai, aur rang la rahi hai.”

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Digital India initiative, saying the government's vision had provided Jio with its purpose.

“And our deepest gratitude to our aadaraneeya Pradhan Mantri, Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi ji, for the vision of Digital India that gave Jio its purpose, and for his continuous guidance and support.”

Anant concluded by expressing confidence in India's future and promising that Reliance would contribute to the country's development ambitions, particularly those of its younger population.

"I firmly believe that the future belongs to India. And the future of India belongs to its youth. We will be at the forefront of turning the dream of a developed India into reality, giving it everything we have," he said.