Ambani targets completing Reliance’s AI transformation in 2024

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani urged the employees of Reliance Industries Ltd. to accelerate artificial intelligence transformation across all businesses in 2024 as the oil-to-retail conglomerate seeks to stay ahead of rivals in deploying advanced technologies.

“We need to be at forefront of using data, with AI as an enabler for achieving a quantum jump in productivity and efficiency,” on Asia’s richest man told Reliance employees on Thursday at an event marking the 91st birth anniversary of the company’s late founder Dhirubhai Ambani. This will help the company to be at the forefront of solving “India’s urgent national priorities in education, healthcare, agriculture, and employment generation,” Ambani said.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. is working with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay to launch ‘Bharat GPT,’ a large language model that would be tailored to the needs of Indian users, Akash Ambani, the tycoon’s elder son said at an event this week. Akash, who’s helming the group’s telecom and digital ventures, also said Reliance plans to integrate AI across businesses.

Reliance is in the midst of transforming into a digital conglomerate by pushing into digital commerce. It now sells everything from electronics to apparel through its online and offline stores.

The sector is also luring Asia’s second-richest person, Gautam Adani, whose flagship on Thursday announced a joint venture with UAE’s International Holding Co. to explore AI, Internet of Things and blockchain technology for industrial applications. The Adani Group is increasingly looking to diversify into digital services, much like Reliance.