Reliance Industries is the largest private-sector company in India. It is involved in the oil refining, petrochemical, gas, retail and textile businesses and boasts consolidated sales of more than $60 billion. It is a core unit of Reliance Group, which ranks alongside Tata and Birla among the country's major conglomerates.

Reliance Group was founded by Dhirubhai Ambani, who went into business in the 1950s. The company expanded into textiles in the 1960s and entered the petrochemical sector in the 1980s, amassing a fortune for Ambani.

After Ambani died in 2002, his sons Mukesh, the eldest, and Anil had a row over corporate policy. The group was divided in 2005 as Mukesh took over the petrochemical and textile operations while Anil took charge of the financial and telecommunications segments. Mukesh leads Reliance Industries as chairman and expanded its operations by pushing into retail and telecommunications services.