The difference between this find and the previous ones in the Krishna Godavari basin is that the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) does not hold a right to take a 40% stake in the block. The wells have been christened Dhirubhai 9, 10 and 11, after the company's founder.

Addressing shareholders at the annual general meeting in Mumbai, Mr Ambani said that the new discoveries come after earlier operators drilled 61 unsuccesful wells. "RIL is planning to invest Rs 2,500 crore over the next five years in oil exploration," he said.

Mr Ambani also announced that Reliance has struck oil in its exploration programme in an onshore block in Yemen. Reliance has a 25% share in this block and its shares of recoverable reserves in the three wells are estimated to be 50 to 60 million barrels.

The company said it is looking at value generation opportunities overseas for energy security. "Our plan is to achieve 30% energy security for the Jamnagar refinery within the next 10 years and upto 50% by the year 2020. This will be achieved through acquistion of small and medium sized oil companies and particpation in exploration and development projects." Downstream, the company has commissioned 75 retail outlets in various parts of the country.

Mr Ambani said that Reliance Infocomm is expanding services from about 1,100 towns to 5,500 towns in a phased manner. This is being done to reach the unserved marktes and the second phase of expansion will result in the services being avialble to over 100,000 villages. Mr Ambani said that RIL has already invsted Rs 10,483 crores in equity and convertible preference shares of Reliance Infocom.