Prime Highlights

• Prakash Shah, Mukesh Ambani’s top aide and Reliance VP, left his ₹75 crore job to take diksha and embrace monkhood.
• Along with his wife Nain Shah, he chose the spiritual path on Mahavir Jayanti, following years of deep philosophical interest.

Key Facts

• Shah is an IIT-Bombay alumnus and a Chemical Engineer who was the key person behind Reliance’s petcoke selling as well as the Jamnagar gasification project.
• He is famous for his religious inclinations because of which he relinquished wealth and prestige to lead a simple and celibate life.

Key Background

Prakash Shah, Reliance Industries’ Vice President, had been the toast of the town for relinquishing his high-flying corporate life and ₹75 crore salary to embrace the life of a Jain monk. Shah, who has been closely linked to Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani for over a decade, surprised the corporate community by having taken diksha—a ritual vow of renunciation followed in Jainism.

Shah had a distinguished career. An IIT-Bombay graduate in Chemical Engineering, he led a number of high-profile projects within Reliance, including the flagship petcoke marketing and technology-leading Jamnagar gasification plant. His efforts were instrumental in optimizing operations in the energy and petrochemical businesses.

On the sacred day of Mahavir Jayanti, Shah and his wife Nain Shah formally began their monkhood journey. In accordance with the teachings of Jainism, they took the vows of celibacy, spiritual endeavor, compassion, and self-denial. From living in luxurious houses and managing multimillion-dollar projects, they have now chosen to walk barefoot, wear basic white cloth, and live without the comforts of today’s life.

Sources close to Shah indicate his conversion was not spontaneous. He had cultivated a strong affinity to Jain religion and philosophical teachings over time. The couple’s new faith is described as the culmination of years of introspection and philosophical convergence. Their diksha ceremony was joined by religious teachers and community members who welcomed their strange and daring conversion.

Prakash Shah’s own personal journey from corporate boardrooms to the way of renunciation is a testament to life after worldly desires. His story is now resonating across the world of business and spirituality, an extraordinary turning point brought about by purpose and belief.