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New Delhi: Mukesh Ambani Indias richest man is likely to make a massive Rs 10000 crore profit on a Rs 500 crore investment. According to the reports the investment was made at the height of the 2008 global financial crisis. In what stands as one of the most profitable stock market moves in recent times Reliance Industries investment in Asian Paints has surged to an impressive Rs 10500 crore without counting dividends. In 2008 amid the global financial crisis and the collapse of Lehman Brothers that left markets in turmoil Reliance Industries Limited acquired a 4.9 percent stake in Asian Paints through its investment arm Ojasvi Trading. Today for Reliance that move is bearing fruit in the kind of numbers even private equity dreams are made of. According to an Economic Times report RIL has revived plans to sell its entire 4.9% stake in Asian Paints nearly two decades after buying in. The timing of this move is just as compelling as the investment itself. Over the last three years the shares of Asian Paints have shed 25 percent making it one of the worst-performing blue-chip stocks in that period. Its once-impregnable fortress is now under siege — notably from Birla Opus Paints a new entrant backed by the Aditya Birla Group. Asian Paints market share has fallen from 59% to 52% in FY25 according to Elara Securities. We strongly believe that as a brand we need to take calibrated action to ensure that we tackle the competition in a more sustainable way Asian Paints CEO Amit Syngle told investors recently. However challenges persist. The company has reported subdued revenue growth for four consecutive quarters attributing it to weak urban demand and an early Diwali. More worrisome is the pressure on margins—despite a decline in raw material costs rising rebates and intensified competition have led to a year-on-year contraction in gross margins.