Mukesh Ambani has foregone his salary from Reliance Industries for the sixth consecutive year, even as the conglomerate reported its highest-ever consolidated net profit in FY2025-26.
The 68-year-old chairman and managing director drew nil in salary, allowances, perquisites and retiral benefits for the year ended March 31, 2026, according to the company’s latest annual report.
Voluntary decision since pandemic
Ambani first gave up his remuneration in June 2020, citing the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has voluntarily continued to do so every year since. He was re-appointed as chairman in 2023 for a five-year term through April 2029, during which he opted upfront to draw no pay, as per PTI.
Before the pandemic, Ambani had kept his annual compensation capped at Rs 15 crore since FY2008-09, a figure that remained unchanged for 11 straight years.
Dividends remain primary income
Dividends, however, remain his primary source of income from the company. He directly holds 1.61 crore shares in Reliance, earning Rs 9.66 crore based on the Rs 6 per share dividend declared for FY25. Promoter group entities he controls hold an additional 664.5 crore shares, or 50.07 per cent of the company, generating dividend income of roughly Rs 3,987 crore, as per PTI.
Other directors
Among other directors, the remuneration of executive directors Nikhil and Hital Meswani remained unchanged at Rs 25 crore each, comprising salary, perquisites and commission on profit. P.M.S. Prasad’s pay rose marginally to Rs 20.58 crore from Rs 19.96 crore in the previous year.
Ambani’s three children on the board, Isha, Akash and Anant, were appointed in October 2023. Twins Isha and Akash, both non-executive directors, received Rs 5 lakh each as sitting fees and Rs 2.5 crore as commission. Anant, appointed as an executive director, drew Rs 12.17 crore in FY26, including a commission of Rs 2.29 crore, as per PTI.
Independent directors, including former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, former CVC K.V. Chowdary, banker K.V. Kamath and Saudi sovereign wealth fund nominee Yasir Othman H. Al Rumayyan, each received Rs 2.5 crore as commission, up from Rs 2.25 crore a year ago, along with sitting fees.
Company financials
Reliance Industries reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 95,754 crore in FY2025-26, its highest ever. The company’s turnover for the year stood at Rs 5,46,852 crore on a standalone basis, with a net worth of Rs 5,33,313 crore. Its market capitalisation stood at Rs 18,19,103 crore as of the end of the financial year. Ambani’s personal net worth stands at just under USD 100 billion, making him the 18th richest person in the world, PTI said.