If not Dhirubhai Ambani, then who was the first ‘Oil King’ of India? Mahatma Gandhi also stayed in his luxurious house

India’s First Oil King Karim Jamal: Whenever it comes to oil and petroleum business in India, the names of Reliance Industries and Dhirubhai Ambani immediately come to mind. Dhirubhai Ambani, who began his entrepreneurial journey in 1958, dominated sectors such as petrochemicals and refining during the 1980s and 90s, most notably with the Jamnagar Refinery.

But do you know that decades before Dhirubhai Ambani, another businessman, also from Gujarat, had left his indelible mark on the world of petroleum? His name was Sir Abdul Karim Abdul Shakur Jamal, as exciting as his journey was, Jamal had more connection with Mahatma Gandhi.

Abdul Karim Jamal’s journey from Jamnagar to Burma

Born in Jamnagar, Gujarat in 1862, Abdul Karim Jamal went to Rangoon (now Yangon) in Burma (today’s Myanmar) with his family in his childhood. There, through his hard work and extraordinary business acumen, he built a huge business empire named ‘Jamal Brothers & Company Limited’. His business interests were not limited to any one area; They dominated the trade in rice, cotton, rubber, tea, sugar, mining and timber. Due to his monopoly and success in the rice trade, he was awarded the title of ‘King of Rice’ during that period.

How did Abdul Karim Jamal get the title of Oil King?

Abdul Karim Jamal recognized the potential of British India’s emerging oil market long before others. He laid the foundation of ‘Jamal Oil Company Limited’. Later, in 1909, the company was reorganized and renamed ‘Indo-Burma Petroleum Company Limited’ (IBP).

At a time when the oil market was completely dominated by foreign companies, IBP emerged as a major indigenous force in the areas of petroleum distribution and marketing. Due to this huge investment and influence in the petroleum sector, people started calling Jamal not only ‘King of Rice’ but also ‘Oil King’.

Relationship with Mahatma Gandhi

Sir Abdul Karim Jamal’s luxurious residence in Rangoon, known as ‘Jamal Villa’, became a major center for Indian expatriates and nationalist leaders. Even the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, whenever he came to Burma, often stayed at Jamal Villa.

Glorious journey of 98 years and merger with IOCL

IBP operated as an independent oil company for almost 98 years. For decades, this company played an active role in India’s petroleum sector. Eventually, in 2007, it was merged with the country’s largest oil company, ‘Indian Oil Corporation Limited’ (IOCL). Sir Abdul Karim Jamal died in 1924.

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