Mukesh Ambani Grants Rs 151 Crore To ICT Mumbai In Honour Of Prof. MM Sharma
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, has announced an unconditional grant of Rs 151 crore to the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, his alma mater and formerly known as the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT).
The announcement came during an event on Friday marking the release of Divine Scientist, the biography of the late Professor MM Sharma, a legendary figure in Indian chemical engineering and one of Ambani’s most influential mentors.
Spending over three hours at the institute, Ambani recalled how Prof. Sharma’s first lecture deeply inspired him as a young student. He described Sharma as a “quiet architect” of India’s economic liberalization, who played a pivotal role in persuading policymakers to move away from the restrictive licence-permit raj and instead empower Indian industry to scale up, reduce import dependence and compete globally.
“Like my father, Dhirubhai Ambani, he had a burning desire to change Indian industry from scarcity to global leadership,” Ambani said. “These two bold visionaries believed that science and technology, in alliance with private entrepreneurship, would open the floodgates of prosperity.”
Referring to Prof. Sharma as a Rashtra Guru, a teacher of the nation, Ambani said the Rs 151 crore grant to ICT was made as a mark of guru dakshina, fulfilling Prof. Sharma’s wish.
“When he tells us something, we just listen. We don’t think. He told me, ‘Mukesh, you have to do something big for ICT.’ I am very pleased to announce this grant in his honour,” Ambani added.
