Last updated: October 27, 2026
Akash Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, India’s largest mobile carrier, and managing director of its parent, Jio Platforms. He is the eldest son of Mukesh Ambani, who runs Reliance Industries. Jio Platforms’ initial public offering closed on Oct. 23, 2026, his 35th birthday, with more than $77 billion in bids, making it the most subscribed stock offering in India’s history, Reuters reported. The IPO values Jio at up to $108.3 billion. Shares are scheduled to start trading on India’s BSE and NSE exchanges on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
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Quick facts
Jobs: Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm (since June 2022). Managing director, Jio Platforms. Non-executive director, Reliance Industries.
Born: Oct. 23, 1991
Education: Bachelor’s in economics, Brown University
Family: Son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani. Grandson of Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani. Twin sister Isha, younger brother Anant.
Married: Shloka Mehta, in 2019. Two children.
Company: Jio Platforms, which says it serves about 533 million customers
Also: Helps manage the Mumbai Indians cricket team
Who is Akash Ambani?
Ambani grew up in Mumbai in India’s richest family. He went to the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, named for his grandfather, and studied economics at Brown University in Rhode Island.
He joined the boards of Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail Ventures in October 2014. Jio was not yet a phone company then. It launched in 2016 with free voice calls and data, and it upended India’s telecom market. Rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea took a hit. Reliance says Jio passed 100 million subscribers in under six months. Akash and Isha led the launch of its 4G service, BusinessLine reported. He then worked on the JioPhone, a cheap 4G feature phone released in 2017.
In 2020, Jio Platforms raised money from 13 investors. Meta, then Facebook, paid about $5.7 billion for 9.99%. Google paid about $4.5 billion for 7.73%. Reliance says Akash helped bring in more than $20 billion from global investors. BusinessLine reported he was on the team that negotiated the Meta deal.
In June 2022, Mukesh Ambani stepped down from Reliance Jio Infocomm’s board, and Akash became its chairman. Mukesh stayed chairman of Jio Platforms. Akash, Isha and Anant joined the board of Reliance Industries as non-executive directors in 2023.
Now he is the public face of the IPO. He pitches Jio as more than a phone company. “The network is our technology,” he told PTI.
Career timeline
Oct. 23, 1991: Born to Mukesh and Nita Ambani.
Brown University: Graduates with a bachelor’s in economics.
October 2014: Joins the boards of Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail Ventures.
2016: Jio launches with free calls and data.
2017: JioPhone launches.
March 9, 2019: Marries Shloka Mehta in Mumbai.
2020: Jio Platforms raises money from Meta, Google and 11 other investors.
June 2022: Becomes chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm.
2023: Joins the Reliance Industries board.
Oct. 21–23, 2026: The Jio Platforms IPO is open for bids and closes on his 35th birthday.
Oct. 28, 2026: Jio Platforms is scheduled to list on the BSE and NSE.
Notable deals & projects
The Jio Platforms IPO (2026): About ₹30,213 crore, all new shares, with no existing investors selling. The price was ₹1,119 a share, the top of the range. It was subscribed 22.2 times overall and 70.55 times by institutions. It drew more than 13.8 million applications, the most ever in India. Anchor investors including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, BlackRock and Fidelity bid $25.6 billion for $854 million of shares. Reliance will own about 64.5% after the listing. Up to ₹27,500 crore of the money will pay down Reliance Jio Infocomm’s debt.
Meta and Google (2020): Together they put about $10.2 billion into Jio Platforms. Ambani calls both “working partnerships, not just shareholdings.”
AI: Jio users get Google’s AI Pro plan free for 18 months. Reliance Enterprise Intelligence, a venture involving Reliance Intelligence and Meta, plans to sell AI tools to Indian businesses.
JioPhone: A low-cost phone that Reliance says brought more than 100 million Indians online.
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What he’s known for
Cheap data: Jio’s free and low-cost plans reshaped how India gets online.
Being the heir apparent for telecom: Each of Mukesh Ambani’s children has a business: Akash has Jio, Isha has retail and Anant has new energy.
Pitching Jio as a tech company: He points to Jio’s in-house 5G core and its 7,220 patent applications.
Cricket: He is involved in running the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
In the news
Oct. 28, 2026: Jio Platforms is scheduled to start trading. Analysts told BusinessLine that even a 15% gain on debut would make it India’s second most valuable listed company.
Oct. 23, 2026: The IPO closed as India’s most subscribed. It surpassed the 2008 IPO of Reliance Power, part of his uncle Anil Ambani’s group. It was Mukesh Ambani’s first IPO in 20 years.
Oct. 20, 2026: In an interview with PTI, Akash Ambani laid out Jio’s plans for AI, cloud, satellite and 6G.
Quotes
“There is no either-or at Jio: the network is our technology.” — to PTI, Oct. 20, 2026
“Connectivity was the first product we built on that platform. Digital services, AI and cloud are what we are layering on top of it now.” — to PTI, Oct. 20, 2026
“Tariffs are one part of a much bigger story.” — to PTI, Oct. 20, 2026
“My grandfather, Dhirubhai Ambani, was the one who started the equity culture in India.” — to PTI, Oct. 20, 2026
Controversies / criticism
Valuation: The top-of-range valuation of about $108 billion is well short of the more than $150 billion Jio had reportedly hoped for when it filed its draft prospectus in June, PTI reported. The IPO is also about 14% smaller than first indicated.
AI scrutiny: Reuters described the listing as a test of investor appetite for big offerings while AI-linked stocks face more scrutiny.
Dynasty: He got the Jio chairmanship at 30, in a family-controlled group. Reliance has said his promotion reflects his work at Jio.
Net worth & money
Ambani’s personal net worth is not separately reported. The family’s wealth sits mostly in Reliance Industries, which will own about 64.5% of Jio Platforms after the IPO. The new shares are being sold by Jio itself, so no Ambani is cashing out in this IPO.
FAQ
Who is Akash Ambani?
He is the chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm and managing director of Jio Platforms. He is Mukesh Ambani’s eldest son.
How old is Akash Ambani?
He is 35. He was born on Oct. 23, 1991, the day the Jio IPO closed in 2026.
When does Jio Platforms list?
Shares are scheduled to start trading on the BSE and NSE on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
How big is the Jio IPO?
About ₹30,213 crore in new shares. It drew more than $77 billion in bids and values the company at up to $108.3 billion, Reuters reported.
Who are Jio’s biggest outside investors?
Meta and Google are among its longest-standing investors. Meta bought 9.99% in 2020 and Google bought 7.73%.
Is Akash Ambani a twin?
Yes. His twin sister is Isha Ambani.
Who is Akash Ambani’s wife?
Shloka Mehta. They married in March 2019 and have a son, Prithvi, and a daughter, Veda.
Where did Akash Ambani go to college?
Brown University, where he studied economics.
Further reading
Ambani’s Jio becomes most subscribed Indian IPO with $77 billion in bids — Reuters
Jio Platforms IPO listing on Oct 28: Time, expectations, share price & key details — BusinessLine
Jio is a technology company, not just a telco, says Akash Ambani — PTI via Fortune India
Akash M. Ambani — Reliance Industries
Who Is Mark Zuckerberg? — The Profile
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