Mukesh Ambani Received ₹0 Salary in FY25: But how much Did the Reliance Chairman Really Earn?
Ambani first relinquished his salary in FY21, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, declaring to forgo remuneration until the company fully regained its earning potential
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has once again chosen to forgo his salary, allowances, perquisites, retiral benefits and commissions for the fifth consecutive financial year in the Financial Year (FY) 2024-25. The richest man in Asia’s continued decision to adopt a pay-free designation stance in his company was first adopted in FY21, at...
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has once again chosen to forgo his salary, allowances, perquisites, retiral benefits and commissions for the fifth consecutive financial year in the Financial Year (FY) 2024-25.
The richest man in Asia’s continued decision to adopt a pay-free designation stance in his company was first adopted in FY21, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Ambani had declared that he would take no remuneration until the company and all its businesses had fully regained earning potential.
According to RIL’s latest Annual Report, Ambani drew a total remuneration of ₹0 in FY25. Prior to FY21, his pay had been voluntarily capped at ₹15 crore annually from FY 2008-09 to FY2019-20, regardless of the company’s meteoric growth and sector expansion. He has now extended his nil-pay decision through his current term as Chairman which runs up until April 2029.
So How Much Did Mukesh Ambani Really Make?
Despite taking no salary, dividend payouts remain Ambani’s primary source of income. Based on the ₹5.50 per share dividend declared for FY25, the 1.61 crore Reliance shares he directly holds would have fetched him ₹8.85 crore.
In addition, Ambani also controls various promoter group entities which own a grand 664.5 crore shares, equivalent to a 50.07% stake and earned ₹3,655 crore in dividend income.
Family Ties
The remuneration of other top executives within the conglomerate still remains at large. Cousins Nikhil and Hital Meswani each earned ₹25 crore in FY25, comprising ₹7.28 crore in salary and perquisites, ₹0.44 crore in retiral benefits and ₹17.28 crore in commission.
Executive Director P.M.S. Prasad’s pay rose to ₹19.96 crore from ₹17.93 crore the previous year.
Ambani’s children Isha Ambani Piramal, Akash Ambani and Anant Ambani who joined the board in October 2023 at nil salary, received ₹6 lakh each as sitting fees and ₹2.25 crore each as commission for FY25, a mammoth jump from the ₹1.01 crore they earned during the previous year.
The youngest, Anant Ambani, has since been appointed as an Executive Director and will draw between ₹10 crore and ₹20 crore in salary from FY26 onwards.
Over the past decade, RIL has created over five times value for its shareholders, with market capitalisation soaring to ₹17.25 lakh crore in FY25 from ₹3.38 lakh crore in FY2015-16.
Mukesh Ambani’s continued decision to forgo his pay, despite leading India’s most valuable company through its insurmountable growth, continues to be cited as a rare example of moderation in corporate leadership.
Support our journalism by subscribing to Taxscan premium. Follow us on Telegram for quick updates
