- From Dreams at Home to Deep-Tech Leadership
- Mashelkar’s ‘More from Less for More’ Shapes Reliance Vision
- Jio to Green Energy: Extreme Affordability as National Strategy
- Science with Compassion Can Become India’s Global Model
- 54 Honorary PhDs Celebrate a Life that Mirrors Modern India
NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DEC 22
India’s transformation into a confident, innovation-driven nation powered by young dreamers and compassionate science took centrestage as Mukesh D. Ambani delivered a stirring address at the launch of Dr Raghunath Mashelkar’s latest book and a felicitation marking his record 54 honorary doctorates.
Calling the moment “very, very special,” Ambani said Dr Mashelkar’s life journey mirrors that of modern India — rising from scarcity to global respect through determination, knowledge and humility. “NEW INDIA is full of young dreamers. Millions of dreams are becoming a reality — in India itself, and not by chasing them in foreign lands,” he said, adding, “Of course, we still have a long way to go.”
Reliance at the Threshold of Deep-Tech Transformation
Expressing pride in Reliance’s growing scientific strength, Ambani said the group today has over 100,000 technical professionals among its 550,000-strong workforce, all poised to take Reliance to the next level as a deep innovation and deep-tech, science-led company.
He credited Dr Mashelkar and Prof. M.M. Sharma for shaping Reliance’s long-term vision, recalling how their guidance moved the company from technology acquisition to indigenous innovation. The Reliance Innovation Council, conceptualised by Dr Mashelkar in 2000, has since evolved into a company-wide culture of grassroots innovation.
‘Gandhian Engineering’: More from Less for More
Ambani highlighted Dr Mashelkar’s defining philosophy — “Extreme Affordability,” which he termed “Gandhian Engineering.” The mantra, articulated in the book as “MORE from LESS for MORE,” calls for producing more using the latest technologies, with fewer natural and financial resources, to benefit more people.
Recalling India’s Mars mission achieved at a fraction of global costs, Ambani said this approach should guide Indian corporates in delivering world-class products that uplift the lives of ordinary Indians. “We implemented his advice in Jio,” he said, noting that affordable data laid the foundation of Digital India and brought the country into the global digital mainstream.
Green Energy with Abundance and Affordability
Under Dr Mashelkar’s guidance, Ambani said Reliance New Energy is committed to making green and clean energy available in abundance and affordable to every Indian. From green hydrogen and bio-energy to circular carbon solutions, the same “more from less” philosophy is steering India towards energy self-reliance.
He underlined the shared belief of Prof. Sharma, Dr Mashelkar and Dhirubhai Ambani that a nation importing 80% of its energy can never truly prosper. Reliance, he said, is now at the doorstep of solving long-standing energy challenges through innovation-led renewable solutions.
Technology with Compassion, Not Just Intelligence
Ambani reflected on another enduring lesson from Dr Mashelkar: “Technology without compassion is just machinery. Technology with compassion becomes a social movement.” As the world enters the age of artificial intelligence, he stressed that empathy and compassion are even more vital.
By combining intelligence with empathy and prosperity with purpose, Ambani said India can present a new development model to the world — one that is inclusive, humane and sustainable.
A Bridge Between Science, Business and Society
Praising Dr Mashelkar as a rare bridge-builder between science and industry, Ambani said India needs many more such connectors to integrate businesses with universities and research institutions. This synergy, he noted, is essential for India to emerge as a deep-tech superpower spanning AI, quantum technologies, advanced materials, healthcare, agriculture and space sciences.
Concluding his address, Ambani said Dr Mashelkar’s life sends a powerful message to every Indian child: “It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is how big you dream, how hard you work, and how deeply you care.”
