Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani only Indian in TIME100 Next list of leaders

Akash Ambani, son of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, has been featured in the TIME100 Next, Time’s list of world's rising stars. The TIME100 list features 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of the world in their own ecosystems of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism, and more. 
 
Ambani, 30, is the only Indian on the list, and has featured under the category of leaders. This year in June, Ambani was appointed as the Chairman of Jio Telecom, which is the largest telecom company with over 426 million subscribers.

The TIME’s profile reads: "The scion of Indian industrialist royalty, Akash Ambani was always expected to rise in business. But he has been putting in hard work. Ambani was promoted in June to the chairman of Jio, India's largest telecom company, with over 426 million subscribers, after being controversially handed a board seat at just 22. He's since played a key role landing multibillion-dollar investments from Google and Facebook. If he handles Jio well, he may be given a crack at larger chunks of the family's conglomerate."  

Also read: JioPhone 5G tipped to cost under Rs 12000, here is when it may launch in India

Ambani is a Brown University graduate with a major in Economics. He graduated in 2014, and soon after joined Reliance Industries. Later he was named the director and head of strategy and a member of the executive committee at Reliance Jio.  

Ambani has been responsible for the key development of the digital ecosystem within the company. He was involved with the development of the India-focused 4G-ready Jiophone in 2017. Later, he played a key role in a $5.7 billion deal with Meta in 2020. He co-owns the Mumbai Indians team in BCCI-led Indian Premier League with his mother Nita.

Also read: Adani and Ambani only Indians in world's top-10 rich list: Here's what their net worth can do

The TIME100 Next list is based on the magazine’s highly honoured TIME100 list, which features the most powerful people in the world.

Besides Ambani, the list also features Indian-born American business leader Amrapali Gan. Gan was selected as the CEO of OnlyFans, a content creators' site, used primarily by sex workers who produce pornography. She joined the firm in September 2020 as chief marketing and communications officer. TIME has said: “Under her leadership, OnlyFans launched a safety and transparency centre, and the platform's popularity has continued to boom.”

Also read: Campa Cola, Insight Cosmetics to Big Cola, Aakash Namkeen: Reliance Retail spreading its wings by tying up with FMCG brands