India’s richest man and Chairman of the largest private conglomerate of the country, Mukesh Ambani has made some notable changes in his office. He has moved away from his luxurious corner office to a modern and refreshing open office.
Open Office Culture
Reliance Industries is gearing up to roll out its next-generation 4G services under its ‘Jio’ brand. The company is now shifting its focus from a refining to a retailing company. It has also transformed its corporate culture.
Ambani’s open office is colored in muted beige, white, and ochre. All the top 70 executives will ditch their wood-paneled rooms and glass-door cubicles. His son Akash, daughter Isha, and an old friend Manoj Modi, have all embraced an open office culture.
The new culture started from the 7th floor in Reliance Corporate Park’s ‘PT 22 Building’in Navi Mumbai. A few months ago, Mukesh Ambani had told shareholders regarding the ‘Jio’ project that it was one of the biggest “transformational, green-field digital initiatives anywhere in the world.” The new office culture is a part of this transformation. Employees call it the ‘no walls, no barricades’ approach.
The executives supervise a full-time dedicated team of 17,500 people. Reliance Jio, the telecom venture of Reliance Industries, is one of the largest start-ups of the country. An investment of INR 1 lakh crore has been made for its most-awaited launch.
About Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries was founded by Late Dhirubhai Ambani in 1973. Petroleum products contribute 71.93% of the company’s total sales. The company is the biggest producer of yarn and fiber in the world. It is also named among the Fortune 500 list.
Mukesh Ambani has been the richest man in the country for around 10 years. Reliance Industries, with revenue of $62.2 billion has also partnered with Anil Ambani’s company, Reliance Communications. Mukesh Ambani’s wife, Nita is a Non-Executive and Non-Independent Director at Reliance Board. She looks after Reliance Jio's marketing plan. Their children, twins Akash, and Isha hold board seats at the telecom and retail arms of the company. Akash is educated from Brown University, while Isha completed her studies from Yale University, both in the United States.
Reliance Jio’s broadcasting Service
Along with broadband services, Reliance Jio will also be offering TV services. The company announced that it will be providing TV content for access on any device, anytime, anywhere. Viewers will be able to watch their favorite shows without the need of recording programs or any fear of missing them. The control of the content will be shifted from the broadcaster to the consumers.
In June 2015, the subsidiary of Reliance Jio, Reliance Jio Media Pvt. Ltd. had obtained a provisional pan-India Multi-System Operator (MSO) license. It is working to partner with or acquire a number of local cable operators to ensure that connectivity reaches even the remotest regions. The company said that it will soon transform the television viewing experience.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) feels that broadband along with broadcasting strategy will help companies to capture the market in future.
Summary
Top executives of, Reliance including Mukesh Ambani, have shifted from their luxurious offices and accepted a new culture of the open office.