Anil hints he is an equal at RIL

Cites Dhirubhai; Says 'Watch out for chamchas, chelas and cronies'

In a two-page letter to Reliance Industries (RIL) employees, Reliance Industries vice-chairman and managing director Anil D Ambani subtly implied today that he and his brother, Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, were equals.

He said here today that he and his brother, Mukesh Ambani, had built the company along with their father, Dhirubhai Ambani.

The letter is a significant departure from Anil Ambani's e-mail to the employees of Reliance Energy and Mukesh Ambani's e-mail to the employees of Reliance Industries last week in one respect: both the email talked about themselves separately. Today's letter, for the first time ever since the rift between the brothers came to the light, spoke about "togetherness."

The letter said: "Dhirubhai had little time for niceties. He was always direct and to the point: his messages carried an earthy wisdom. If we tried to spin complex management jargon, he would say: "Just watch out for the 3Cs "" chamchas, chelas and cronies!"

Mukesh Ambani had written to Reliance Industries employees last week implying that he was the boss. Anil Ambani yesterday described himself as a professional to the employees of Reliance Energy. Anil Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Energy.

"'I remember in 1997, on one occasion when Mukesh and I were jointly honoured as Businessmen of the Year, I said, 'We are not inheritors. We have built this company along with our father.' Mukesh concurred, "We are his (Dhirubhai Ambani) partners. It has almost been like a joint venture."'

According to the letter, Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani worked together to be "co-creators" in building Reliance Industries into one of the world's most successful companies.

"It has been a journey marked by successive milestones of togetherness. We became executive directors, joint managing directors and managing directors at the same time," he said.

Some observers suggest that this is Anil Ambani's way of gently reminding his brother that they are on a par with each other. In the letter, Anil Ambani said after the death of Dhirubhai Ambani, he had "the privilege to propose Mukesh's names as chairman and managing director and I received his support to be appointed as vice chairman and managing director."

He indicated that the present crisis called for remembering the teachings of Dhirubhai Ambani.

"At times like the present, it is useful for each of us to remember the teachings and learnings of the greatest guru of our times, the father of the Indian capital markets ""Dhirubhai."

He said that the purpose of his message today was to share "some of his feelings" as he was saddened at the developments over the past two weeks.