Mukesh Ambani shares insights with PDEU students, emphasises five guiding principles including lifelong learning, family bonds

Jan 28, 2025

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 28 : Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Tuesday shared some life lessons with students of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) at their convocation and outlined five guiding principles that have helped him.
Discovering one's true passion, committing to lifelong learning, inculcating the virtue of sharing, investing in meaningful relationships and cherishing family bonds were five suggestions given by Mukesh Ambani, who is Founder-President of Pandit Deendayal Energy University.
Mukesh Ambani also lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and said that for students and people associated with Pandit Deendayal Energy University, "he is our Gurudev".
"As you chart your path forward, allow me to suggest five guiding principles that have helped me. One, discover your true passion. Find what ignites your soul. When you dedicate your energy to something you love, work becomes joy, and challenges become opportunities for growth. Two, commit to lifelong learning. In this age of rapid technological advancement, the willingness to learn continuously is not an option. It is a must for survival and success. Therefore, embrace curiosity and never stop seeking knowledge," Mukesh Ambani said.
"Three, inculcate the virtue of sharing. Know that knowledge grows when it is shared. By helping others rise, you elevate yourself and build a community of mutual growth and progress. Four, invest in meaningful relationships. Genuine connections - what I call "Dil Ke Rishtey" - are the foundation of both personal and professional success. Build trust, foster respect, focus on character-building, and nurture relationships that stand the test of time..."
"Five, cherish and nurture your family bonds. Family gives purpose and direction to life. It is within the family that you learn values such as care, empathy, and resilience -- qualities that will shape your journey to success," he added.
Mukesh Ambani said that India will emerge as the third largest economy in the world in a couple of years and no power on earth can stop India's growth trajectory.
He told students at the 12th convocation of the varsity that they should aim high and not rest on their achievements.
"It is natural for us to feel proud of what we have achieved in terms of patents, the papers, the rankings, the awards, the all-round praise, but we must not remain satisfied with this... We must aim higher. Within a couple of years, India will emerge as the third-largest economy in the world. No power on earth can stop India's growth trajectory," he said.
Pandit Deendayal Energy University has a 100-acre campus in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Established in 2007, PDEU offers multiple courses ranging from engineering, arts and management.
Mukesh Ambani told the students he can foresee that India will become the most prosperous nation in the world before the end of the current century.
As India progresses, it also has a big responsibility, he said, urging students to work for climate cause.
"We must not allow economic growth to endanger planet earth and further worsen the climate crisis," he said. The transition from fossil fuels to clean and green energy has to be accelerated, he added.
"I am supremely confident that green technologies and green enterprises can reverse the ecological degradation and indeed make our planet more beautiful, more livable for future generations."
He recalled PM Modi's vision for the energy sector and steps he has been taking from the time he was Gujarat Chief Minister.
"We express our deepest gratitude to our visionary PM Narendra Modiji. Pandit Deen Dayal Energy University owes its very birth to his extraordinary vision. All of you are benefitting from what Narendrabhai thought...When he called me and said in 2005 that we have to build one of the finest institutions in Gujarat and that is what we have achieved from 2007 onwards. So we will always be grateful to our Prime Minister. Long before he became Prime Minister he foresaw that India needed Atmanirbharta in Energy. Over 20 years ago, he told me he wanted Gujarat to lead the nation in energy and energy products...," Mukesh Ambani said.
"He also told me that Gujarat should take the lead in cultivating world-class human resources needed to achieve India's green energy ambition. That is how helped establish this pioneering university," the RIL Chairman added.
Mukesh Ambani also talked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambition to make India the greenest nation in the world.
"There are so many things we should learn from our beloved Prime Minister. Let me mention just two lessons here for all of us. One: Modiji never lets a good idea go waste. His Mann Ki Baat inevitably becomes his 'Mann Ka Sankalp'. His Sankalp is always Vajra Sankalp - his determination is as hard as diamond. He does not rest with simply making a Sankalp. He knows how to turn Sankalp into success," he said.
Mukesh Ambani said that in the last ten years, the world has seen how PM Modi chooses impossible-looking tasks and transforms them into reality.
"This is Lesson Number One. Lesson Number Two is about his Boundless Energy. Narendra Modi's name stands for Anant Shakti - Infinite Energy. Since PDEU is an energy-focused university, all of us should learn to be as energetic as our Prime Minister. People often ask this question: 'When does Modi ji take rest? Or does he rest at all?' I can tell you that I know the answer to this question. The answer lies in what Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya ji has said said about 'Rest - or "Vishranti'. 'Change of work is itself rest," he said.
"This is Modiji's motto. This should also be our motto. Therefore, when we think about these two lessons - How to turn ideas into action; and how to work tirelessly - we cannot escape the conclusion that Narendra Modiji is not only India's Pradhan Mantri, but for us and this University, he is also our Gurudev - a respected teacher, and we will follow his learnings," he added.
With India transforming itself through the use of technology and developing advanced manufacturing capabilities, Mukesh Ambani said he had a few expectations from the students at PDEU.
"We should specially focus on newer areas like bio-energy, which have the potential to help our farmers and boost employment opportunities," the industrialist said.
"My second expectation, we should simultaneously increase our internal strengths and also forge national and global collaborations so as to enhance our leading position in research and academics. The intersection of green energy, green materials, and artificial intelligence is going to shape the future of humanity. I would like PDEU to gain a leading position in this synergy," he said.
Talking of artificial intelligence, Mukesh Ambani had a piece of advice for the young students.
"You must be good at using AI as a tool of learning, but do not give up your own critical thinking," he said.
Mukesh Ambani said as students pass from the campus, they will be stepping into a bigger university -- the university of life.
"The university of life has no campus. It has no classrooms. It has no fixed curriculum. It has no faculty. You will be on your own. You will have to excel in it just as you have excelled in PDEU, but don't worry. Life is as rewarding as it is demanding, and as you chart your path forward," he said.
Mukesh Ambani also thanked the Gujarat government for its "unstinted support".