'Split between Ambani bros was good as it unlocked value'

MUMBAI: Journalist Hamish McDonald, author of the recently-released book 'Ambani & Sons', today said that the split in the Reliance empire has been good for India as it unlocked a lot of value.

"Overall, its been better for India. The split has been good for the share market, it has unlocked a lot of value and helped entrepreunership," McDonald said at an event for the book's promotion here.

After the split in 2005, younger brother Anil went to the backward areas and Hindi belt, while elder sibling Mukesh went out and bought assests abroad, McDonald said.

"It was good for Reliance as well...it could focus on its key businesses and the split also took it back to its strengths," McDonald said.

In a lighter vein, McDonald added, "It's better for two brothers to watch the outside world rather than watching each other."

After the demise of the Reliance patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani, the empire was split between the Ambani brothers, with Mukesh getting RIL and IPCL and his younger sibling Anil heading Reliance Capital, Reliance Energy and Reliance Infocom.

Now, however, five years after they split, the two brothers seem to have patched-up their differences though they still operate their different empires.