Exclusive: Niraj Ambani of Reliance Industries on careers in logistics, supply chain management

According to Mr. Ambani, the following skills need to be developed for a successful career in logistics:

• Knowledge of transportation and storage processes
• Learn all facets of the business, from taxation to customer service
• Strong  communication skills to interact with vendors and customers
• Clarity of thought & analytical skills

“Start on the shop floor and learn the nitty-gritty of the business before trying to go up the ladder,” advises Mr. Ambani, revealing that his first job at Reliance Industries was as an errand boy for a month. A graduate of Babson College, Wellesley in the United States, Mr. Ambani has developed and implemented strategy for Reliance Logistics and undertaken a major consolidation of the petrochemical and petroleum logistics operations in India.

In the video, he notes, “In Reliance, when competition is high and demands have to be met in a shorter production life cycle, logistics and supply chain management have become an integral part of business strategy.”

Mr. Ambani believes the success of Reliance is merely a reflection of the Indian success story where inevitable constraints on cost and resources compel both small businesses and large corporations to tirelessly innovate so that they can deliver affordable products to Indian consumers.

As a case in point, Mr. Ambani, point to the meteoric rise of Dell Computers. Besides innovations in supply chain and manufacturing, strategic changes in the personal computer value chain based on emerging market trends helped Dell Inc. to dominate the PC market in less time than it takes many companies to launch their first product (Read about Dell’s success story here).

In the video, Mr. Shahani and Mr. Ambani also discuss the importance of ethics in business. “Integrity by definition in the Vedanta is not integrity to an external, it’s integrity to your own self,” says Mr. Ambani.

Watch the video to learn more about Mr. Ambani’s thoughts on leadership, innovation and the success of Reliance Industries.