Prakash Shah, a former Vice President at Reliance Industries, has captured the limelight, and it’s not for business success but for a profound spiritual transformation. In June 2025, Shah and his wife, Naina Shah, relinquished their high-profile lifestyle and took Diksha (initiation) as Jain monks on Mahavir Jayanti, leaving behind a reported Rs. 75 crore annual income. Their journey towards spirituality has attracted national attention, sparking widespread discussion on various social media platforms.
Early life and education of Prakash Shah
Prakash Shah is a first-generation engineer who completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Chemical Engineering at the In Institution of Technology (IIT) Bombay over 40 years ago. His academic foundation had set the stage for him to have a stellar career at Reliance Industries, where he served with distinction in high-impact roles. He was considered one of Mukesh Ambani’s closest aides before his retirement.
Prakash Shah’s corporate career at Reliance
Over nearly a decade at Reliance, Prakash Shah rose through the ranks to become Vice President (Projects), playing a pivotal role in projects such as the Jamnagar pet-coke gasification plant and overseeing pet-coke marketing operations, as reported by Business Today. He was one of Mukesh Ambani’s “right-hand men,” and at the time of his retirement in 2024, he was reportedly earning an annual salary of around Rs. 75 crore.
Prakash Shah’s spiritual calling and diksha ceremony
Prakash’s renunciation occurred in 2025, but his decision was a by-product of a long-held aspiration to leave the world behind its desires. After retiring from his duties as Reliance VP, he openly expressed a willingness to undertake diksha, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his plans by nearly a year.
Prakash Shah and his wife adopted a monastic life
On Mahavir Jayanti 2025, Prakash Shah and his wife, Naina Shah, took formal Jain vows (diksha) in Borivali, Mumbai. They adopted Jainism and left all their worldly desires. From now on, they will wear white robes, practice celibacy, and lead a life of strict renunciation, which will include walking barefoot, eating only alms, and relinquishing all material attachments.
Prakash Shah to Prashant Bhushan Vijayji Maharaj Saheb
With their initiation, Prakash Shah assumed the monastic name Prashant Bhushan Vijayji Maharaj Saheb, and his wife became Bhavyanidhi Sadhviji Maharaj Saheb, as reported by The Times of India.
Prakash Shah and his wife are not the only members of their family to adopt a monastic lifestyle.
Prakash and his wife are not the first members of their family who left behind the materialistic world. Prakash Shah’s elder son, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, had also taken Diksha seven years prior. The couple’s younger son, by contrast, opted for a traditional married life.
Prakash Shah’s sons on their parent’s journey
Their elder son, who, after his diksha, goes by the name Bhuvan Jeet Maharaj, explained that he had longed for a Jain ascetic life since childhood. He said, ‘There is no comparison between the materialistic pleasures of worldly life and spiritual bliss.’ Their younger son told his parents that he had always wanted to choose this path, and it’s good to see them follow their dreams.
Life after renunciation for Prakash Shah
Formerly accustomed to boardrooms and high-stakes projects, Shah now leads a life defined by simplicity and spiritual discipline. He and his wife walk barefoot, wear plain white clothes, and survive entirely on alms, which is a stark contrast to his life of corporate luxury. This lifestyle embodies the Jain principles of ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-attachment), and Satya (truth), focusing on inner purification rather than external success.
Prakash Shah is not the only IITian to leave the materialistic world
Prakash Shah’s journey mirrors the stories of many other IIT graduates who abandoned conventional career paths for spiritual lives, underscoring a growing trend among India’s elite. Prakash and his wife were given diksha by His Holiness Gachchhadipati Acharya Sh. Yugbhushansuri Swarji Maharaj Saheb already has two other IITian disciples.
Prakash’s transformation has sparked conversations across business and spiritual communities, serving as a modern example of faith guiding life choices regardless of wealth or status.
Also Read: Went To US For Arranged Marriage, Indian Girl, 24, Disappears, Was Last Seen Waiting For Someone