Mukesh Ambani returns to Mumbai as Reliance readies Jio IPO and refinery shutdown

Mukesh Ambani arrived back at Navi Mumbai International Airport on May 11, 2026, aboard his Boeing 737 MAX 9 BBJ, VT-AKV, after what appears to have been a brief local flight. The aircraft, India's first MAX 9 BBJ, climbed to just 4,925 feet and reached a top speed of 203 knots before returning to its origin — a short hop that likely served as a post-maintenance check or crew positioning flight.

The return comes during a busy week for Reliance Industries. According to a May 11 report in Business Standard, the company is revising Jio Platforms' IPO structure to offer entirely new shares rather than an existing-investor sale, a move that could delay the listing to July. Separately, a government official told Business Standard on May 6 that Reliance will begin a maintenance shutdown at its Jamnagar refinery — the world's largest single-site complex — in the second half of May, after Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery resumes operations.

Ambani's recent flight history shows no long-haul movements in the past 24 hours, but the timing aligns with critical corporate milestones. The Jio IPO, potentially India's largest ever, and the refinery maintenance underscore the operational demands on Reliance's chairman as he shuttles between his Mumbai base and the conglomerate's far-flung interests.