Anil Ambani faces another setback, as group company loses an arbitration award of Rs 8,000 crore.

Anil Ambani, the younger son of legendary business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani, holds an MBA from Wharton School and was recognized for his flamboyant nature, including his marriage to Bollywood actress Tina Munim and his two-year tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP. His formidable business acumen has been overshadowed in recent years by setbacks across his businesses, which led to his removal from the billionaire list. One such setback occurred when the Supreme Court set aside a Rs 8,000 crore arbitral award in favor of Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure, in a dispute with Delhi Metro Rail Corp. As a result, DAMEPL was instructed to refund the Rs 3,300 crore that was previously paid by Delhi Metro Rail according to the arbitral award. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure clarified that the Supreme Court’s order did not impose any liability on the company.

Following his father’s stroke in 1986, Anil took on the day-to-day management of Reliance under his father’s oversight and later assumed joint leadership with his elder brother, Mukesh, after their father’s passing. The siblings eventually split the company, with Mukesh gaining control of the flagship oil and petrochemicals businesses while Anil took charge of newer ventures such as telecommunications, power generation, and financial services. The brothers’ feuds continued, with legal battles over gas supply and other issues. Anil’s forays into infrastructure, defense, and entertainment businesses were met with challenges, including court rulings against his proposed power project, debt accumulation in his power and infrastructure companies, and his telecom venture’s insolvency proceedings.

Additionally, he faced legal disputes with Chinese banks over loan defaults and eventually saw Reliance Capital and Reliance Infrastructure encounter financial difficulties. Despite these setbacks, Anil’s business struggles have not imposed direct liabilities on Reliance Infrastructure, as clarified by the company. The challenges faced by Anil Ambani reflect a complex and continuously evolving business landscape.