Jamnagar: Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani, during the commemoration of 25 years of the Jamnagar Refinery owned by Reliance Industries, on Sunday said that he and his team faced challenging times during the land acquisition process for the project. He also reminisced about the time he used to have morning tea and gathiya with Dhirubhai Ambani while living in Jamnagar.

Addressing the gathering at the event in Jamnagar, Nathwani, who is also the Director of Corporate Affairs at Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), said:
“This was a completely barren land when we arrived. I came here with 5-6 people, before the refinery had even started… I am very happy that I had the privilege of working with Dhirubhai. Every morning, I used to have tea or coffee with Dhirubhai when he lived here, and we would eat gathiya together. His room number was 1, and mine was 27. I have so many fond memories of this place.”

He further added, “Later, the refinery was built, then Anant built Vantara. I witnessed it all. I want to thank everyone who has worked on the refinery. I also want to thank Mukesh Bhai for giving me the chance to remember Dhirubhai.” DeshGujarat

Honored to mark 25 years of the Jamnagar Refinery—an engineering marvel that reshaped India’s energy landscape. Reliance set up the world’s largest grassroots refinery at #Jamnagar, Gujarat, which significantly reduced India’s dependence on petrol and diesel imports, saving the… pic.twitter.com/PzqKRdn0av

— Parimal Nathwani (@mpparimal) December 30, 2024

Reliance Industries Limited inaugurated its first refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on December 28, 1999, under the leadership of Dhirubhai Ambani. This landmark project transformed India into a self-sufficient energy producer and a major fuel exporter. Initially built with a capacity of 27 million tonnes annually, the refinery was completed in just three years. Over time, its capacity expanded, and a second refinery was added in 2008, forming the world’s largest single-site refining complex and a global hub for energy production.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Jamnagar Refinery, the Ambani family, along with Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, gathered in Jamnagar. Salman Khan celebrated his 59th birthday on Friday, December 27, in the city and was later spotted visiting a mall with Anant Ambani.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan arrived in Jamnagar with his wife, Gauri Khan, and their son, AbRam, adding to the star-studded celebrations. DeshGujarat