Inside India’s Largest Mango Orchard: How Mukesh Ambani Built a Global Mango Empire Across 600 Acres
Inside India’s Largest Mango Orchard: How Mukesh Ambani Built a Global Mango Empire Across 600 Acres
Mangoes, fondly known as the “king of fruits,” are more than just a seasonal delight—they’re also big business. And at the center of the world’s largest mango operation stands an unexpected figure: Mukesh Ambani. While widely recognized for leading India’s biggest industrial empire, Ambani has also quietly cultivated a 600-acre mango orchard in Jamnagar, Gujarat—making Reliance Industries the largest mango exporter in the world.
The journey of this orchard, named Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibagh Amrai, began in 1997. At the time, Reliance was dealing with stringent environmental regulations around its Jamnagar oil refinery. Instead of opting for conventional fixes, the company launched an ambitious green initiative—transforming barren land into a lush mango plantation. What began as an eco-solution has since grown into an agricultural marvel.
Today, the orchard boasts more than 150,000 mango trees, spread across 600 acres, and cultivates over 200 mango varieties. These include celebrated Indian types like Alphonso, Kesar, and Ratna, as well as international varieties such as Tommy Atkins and Kent, imported from regions like Florida and Israel.
Reliance’s mango farm isn’t just massive—it’s also cutting-edge. The company uses drip irrigation, desalinated water, rainwater harvesting, and precision fertilization to grow premium-quality mangoes. The result? An annual yield of around 600 tons of mangoes, many of which are exported to countries across the globe.
Beyond cultivation, Reliance also supports local agriculture. Each year, the company distributes nearly 100,000 mango saplings to nearby farmers, along with training in modern farming techniques. This initiative has significantly boosted sustainable practices and incomes in the surrounding communities.
Overseen by Nita Ambani, the orchard also meets high demand from mango lovers around the world, including non-resident Gujaratis who eagerly await each harvest. The Ambani family’s personal connection to mangoes runs deep—Mukesh Ambani inherited the love for the fruit from his father, the late Dhirubhai Ambani.
What started as a green initiative has grown into a symbol of agricultural innovation. By marrying environmental responsibility with business strategy, Mukesh Ambani has redefined what corporate agriculture can look like. His mango empire is not only profitable—it’s also a model of sustainability, community impact, and forward-thinking leadership in farming.
